When I was a child my mother regularly took me on excursions to different Russian towns. These short trips were always interesting and I learned a lot about the history of number of places. So when I grew up I was sure that that's how travelling looks like. Then during my study in the university (for 4 years) every summer for a month or two I worked in different points of my country: twice beyond the Arctic Circle and twice in more than 4000 km to the east from my native city. After these months spent in previously unknown places I've realized that if you really want to feel and learn how people live in other regions you should travel only on you own and spend there not a day or two but much more time. Now I always travel with my wife (https://www.couchsurfing.com/users/5249579/profile).