Megan’s abroad in London, England, until Dec. 13.

Being in London means countless opportunities to go sightseeing. I’ve enjoyed indulging in my tourist tendencies by visiting Buckingham Palace, Big Ben and the like. Being in London also means that my friends studying abroad elsewhere want to come and see me. I obviously love seeing them, but I have to take each friend on the same obligatory tour of the tourist traps. This weekend I played host to a friend from Northwestern who’s studying in Scotland. It was tons of fun to meet up with her, but it meant I had to make repeat trips to Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square and St. James Park.

Now, these sights are gorgeous and worth a repeat visit, but this time each visit took twice as long. Why? Because every time she or her three friends saw something remotely pretty, the moment became a five-minute photoshoot. At the end of the day, each girl had at least 50 pictures through which to sort on her camera. Most of these pictures were identical – 10 of Big Ben, three of the Thames, and 30 of ducks at the park.

I understand the appeal of snapping away. After all, digital cameras make it easy to choose your favorite duck photo out of 50, and delete the rest later. But the problem with this invention is that it makes tourism only about taking pictures. Why can’t people just take in the sight with their own eyes, maybe take a picture of themselves in front of it to prove they were there, and then move on? It seems like the sole purpose for paying to tour the Tower of London is to take pictures of the Crown Jewels.

People, pictures already exist of Big Ben. I swear. You can buy one on a postcard for 10 pence at any shop in London. Or you can get cool-looking ones on Flickr for free! Buckingham Palace has been photographed at every angle imaginable, so trust me, you’re not being creative with your shot. And honestly, your friends want to hear your cool stories about your trip, not see a Facebook album entitled “London Part 60.”

And get this — you’ll enjoy yourself more without your camera. For example, when we toured Westminster Abbey, cameras were prohibited inside. Everyone put their cameras away, grabbed the audio tour headset and walked around breathlessly while taking in the church’s beauty. Everything felt so peaceful, especially as the choir began to practice while we were sitting in pews, facing Sir Isaac Newton’s grave. I guarantee that the moment would have been ruined with camera flashes.

Look, I’m not going to yell at you if you genuinely enjoy taking pictures every second you’re in a new city. But it wouldn’t hurt to turn off your PowerShot, take a deep breath, and just take in your surroundings. Travel is about the stories you make, not the size of your subsequent photo albums. Yes, things are pretty, and it’s okay to document them. But be considerate of those around you, and of yourself. You may only be in London, Paris, or even Chicago once, so treasure the time you’re there.

And if you must constantly take pictures, for the love of all that is holy, limit it to one Facebook album. My news feed doesn’t need any more clutter.

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