Near Toronto, Canada’s Wonderland is home to AlpenFury – a roller coaster touted as the longest and tallest launch coaster in the country. It flings itself around the theme park at speeds up to 115 kph, no doubt accompanied by ear-splitting screams of terror and joy.
Just thinking about it gives me a rash.
That’s because I’ve decided I’m not into crowds and line-ups, much less shrieking. Instead, I have chosen to embrace JOMO: Joy of Missing Out. About 180 degrees from its frenetic cousin FOMO, the Fear of Missing Out, JOMO is the concept of doing what you want to do, and when. Guilt-free.
It’s all about quality rather than quantity. You are encouraged to slow down, schedule what’s important to you and appreciate what you have rather than what you might be missing. When it comes to vacations, JOMO lets you literally smell the roses. Crowds, queues, anxiety be gone.
JOMO lets you literally smell the roses. Crowds, queues, anxiety be gone.
I’m not suggesting you bypass the Colosseum in Rome or a stunning view of the Pyramids. But consider visiting such iconic attractions when, hopefully, there will be fewer hordes. This may mean off-season or at off-peak times during the day such as first thing in the morning.
On a recent trip to the Spanish island of Mallorca, my husband and I saw as many as five cruise ships depositing thousands of tourists into the capital’s narrow, ancient streets. We figured out that by walking just 20 minutes north into the city, the ambiance completely changed. No crammed streets, just leafy avenues of cafes and shops frequented by locals.
If JOMO sounds like you, here are a couple of ways to incorporate it into your next vacation.
Connect with people
- There’s the Bahamas’ free People to People program, which connects visitors with local volunteers who share the same interests.
- Taking public transit can be a fun experience. Did you know you can take a gondola in Venice for only €4 (about CAD $6)? The traghetto is a large commuter gondola that’ll take you and real Venetians across the Grand Canal in five minutes – and save you about €75 off a traditional gondola tourist ride.
- Sports of all stripes are a great way to connect with the locals. Rather than lining up for – and paying top dollar – to see pro sports teams play, why not go along to a local game of soccer, baseball or hockey? (I find servers and bellmen great sources for this.) I guarantee if you attend a cricket game anywhere in England or the English Caribbean you will find no shortage of fans delighted to demystify the rules of the game for you.
- If running is your thing, have you heard of the Hash House Harriers? This very social, non-competitive running club, which welcomes out-of-towners, has 1,500 chapters around the world. Since 1938, it has been proud to call itself “a drinking club with a running problem” (post-run bevvies being part of the drill).
- And bookworms will rejoice to learn that, according to zeitgeist-barometer Rolling Stone, “Reading Retreats” are becoming a hot travel trend. A no-adrenaline-required vacation.
Connect with yourself
Another way to authentically experience a destination is to go to a religious service. I’d hardly call myself devotional, but at a service you’re immersed in tradition and will experience a little enforced contemplation.
In a tiny church on the island of Naxos, we loved the ritual and priestly vestments, even though we don’t speak a word of Greek. And we were entranced by the sight of three tiny nuns across the aisle from us, all sound asleep. The sight of those napping nuns is our fondest memory of Greece.
Because isn’t creating memories what a great vacation is all about? That’s when the Joy of Missing Out becomes simply joy. No shrieking necessary.
