There is a way of traveling that treats a city like a checklist. There is another that treats it like a neighborhood you are briefly joining.
Stay still longer
One neighborhood for a week beats four cities in five days. You start to recognize faces. You stop eating every meal as an event. You walk without the map open.
Rent a place with a kitchen. Shop where locals shop, even if you do it badly. Take the bus once, on purpose.
Leave room
Over-planning is how you miss the afternoon that becomes the story. Book the museum. Do not book the air between museums.
Travel is not a performance for people at home. It is a chance to become briefly less efficient and more awake.
