Tourism offseason. Where dreams lay in wait after the relentless tide of selfies and the wailing of your credit card over an overpriced beer. After the tourist herd has migrated through during peak season, you are left with a small window that opens to a new and wondrous way to travel.
But what is an offseason? I’m not talking about the Mirriam-Webster definition, what is the cultural definition. When peak season feels like you have to take three steps for every two, in the offseason you can just take one step. The museum is less crowded, the streets still have hustle and bustle, but it is the natural cultural order. You really get to see what life is like there, not just what appearances or gimmicks are on for the masses of people who come during the usual busy times.
When my partner and I moved to Sydney in May, we wanted to arrive when most people leave, at the beginning of Sydney’s Winter. Sydney is always a tourist destination, and traveling in the offseason there will still be tourists, but it is a different way to experience travel. During our first 6 months in Sydney, we lived in a touristy area, maybe THE touristy area, shout out Bondi, but the pulse was different. The area was still bursting with energy, but it was a focused pace. It feels like the energy after your first cup of coffee. The beach isn’t shoulder to shoulder, the restaurants we don’t need to book in advance, and the air doesn’t suffocate you in anxiety. In short, you can feel like you are a part of an area, rather than visiting an area.
Everything has a harmony. Travel is no different. There is a offseason yin to a peak seasons yang. You need both to show the full picture of a place's life. It is not always Summer in Rome. The people of Italy don’t always live in a forever summer and it is not always Monsoon season in Malaysia. They have a range of emotions and cultural events that are tied to different parts of the year. If you go in Summer, you will see a snapshot, and if you travel in Winter, where there aren’t as many travelers, you will see a different snapshot.
It may not be as ideal to visit Malaysia during the rainy season, but it also shows a different side of a destination that you wouldn’t get by going during peak season. You can experience the steady rhythm of a culture during their offseason. The bombastic crescendos during peak season are made even better from the constant melodies of life in offseason. Tourist or peak season is called peak season for a reason. It is at the height of business, the point where most people desire to venture. But, you don’t have to climb this peak to see the world sprawled below you.
And to you, o glorious offseason, I thank you for your incredible 6 months. Now that peak season is upon us in Sydney, I am excited to see a different side of Sydney, one that’s energy I can only match after a few espressos. But as a fond farewell, let this be an ode to the offseason. The most authentic, relaxed and true way to travel.
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