A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving. - Lao Tzu
I like to observe things. I noticed how much I can learn about myself and the world through my trips. And I honestly cannot imagine learning these valuable lessons by any other means. No book, no movie, no story can compare to the feelings you experience when you take the brave step of sailing away from the familiar shores into the welcoming (and sometimes less than welcoming) arms of the unknown experience.
One thing that particularly stuck with me was the difference between a tourist and a traveler. Before I lay out my thoughts on the subject, I want to assure you that I don’t think that one is better than the other. We are all different and we all seek different things. What works for a tourist, may not work for a traveler and vice versa. That is also to say that I have not always been a traveler or a tourist. Actually, I’ve had experiences abroad where I was neither ( not my finest moments).
Typically, a tourist seeks to stick to schedule that was planned out for her by some traveling agency. A tourist usually visits the places that are recommended in some guidebook that they picked up just before leaving the country. She is likely to want to visit countries just so she can boast about the new number of stamps she’s gotten in her passport. To a tourist, traveling is more about the amount of new countries seen, rather than the time spent in them; it is about the destination and never the journey.
The tourist would typically take pictures in front of all the famous places that have become overrated and long lost their initial appeal even to the local population. She, the tourist, would purposely seek out to dine at familiar fast food establishments and rarely would venture out to try the local cuisine. The tourist can’t stand the idea of going somewhere by herself and constantly seeks some form of companionship. She leaves the place with a great sense of accomplishment, constantly looking forward to visiting new countries.
A traveler is an adventurer. He is fearless in front of unfamiliar experiences. He likes to explore, to guess, to imagine, to question what went on in a particular time and place. The traveler enjoys the ride, he lives every moment to the fullest, with a “pura vida” sort of attitude. He loves getting to new places, but he takes time to appreciate the journey of traveling, be it by foot, bus, train or a plane. A traveler constantly seeks to learn something about himself and about the world. He is open to the new ideas and concepts around him, which only add to his wisdom.
The traveler takes the road less traveled; he purposefully avoids touristic places and instead goes to places where the locals hang out. He wears a smile that is confident and exhumes enthusiasm and he never misses a chance to strike up a conversation with a stranger to get to know them and their culture better. For that reason, he rarely travels with friends.
The traveler may have a camera to record some momentous experiences, but for the most part, he leaves it in his bag. He knows that seeing through the lense is somewhat limiting, as he prefers to really immerse and dissolve in the moment, one which he will remember better without any help from a picture.
A traveler makes plans but he possess the ultimate skill of flexibility. He plans to arrive at a destination, but always accepts a change or a deviation from the initial path. He understands that flexibility is the most important quality to possess when traveling and conquering new places - it leaves the soul absolutely open to life and the lessons within it.
You can choose to be a tourist or a traveler. That freedom is your glory.
I like to observe things. I noticed how much I can learn about myself and the world through my trips. And I honestly cannot imagine learning these valuable lessons by any other means. No book, no movie, no story can compare to the feelings you experience when you take the brave step of sailing away from the familiar shores into the welcoming (and sometimes less than welcoming) arms of the unknown experience.
One thing that particularly stuck with me was the difference between a tourist and a traveler. Before I lay out my thoughts on the subject, I want to assure you that I don’t think that one is better than the other. We are all different and we all seek different things. What works for a tourist, may not work for a traveler and vice versa. That is also to say that I have not always been a traveler or a tourist. Actually, I’ve had experiences abroad where I was neither ( not my finest moments).
Typically, a tourist seeks to stick to schedule that was planned out for her by some traveling agency. A tourist usually visits the places that are recommended in some guidebook that they picked up just before leaving the country. She is likely to want to visit countries just so she can boast about the new number of stamps she’s gotten in her passport. To a tourist, traveling is more about the amount of new countries seen, rather than the time spent in them; it is about the destination and never the journey.
The tourist would typically take pictures in front of all the famous places that have become overrated and long lost their initial appeal even to the local population. She, the tourist, would purposely seek out to dine at familiar fast food establishments and rarely would venture out to try the local cuisine. The tourist can’t stand the idea of going somewhere by herself and constantly seeks some form of companionship. She leaves the place with a great sense of accomplishment, constantly looking forward to visiting new countries.
A traveler is an adventurer. He is fearless in front of unfamiliar experiences. He likes to explore, to guess, to imagine, to question what went on in a particular time and place. The traveler enjoys the ride, he lives every moment to the fullest, with a “pura vida” sort of attitude. He loves getting to new places, but he takes time to appreciate the journey of traveling, be it by foot, bus, train or a plane. A traveler constantly seeks to learn something about himself and about the world. He is open to the new ideas and concepts around him, which only add to his wisdom.
The traveler takes the road less traveled; he purposefully avoids touristic places and instead goes to places where the locals hang out. He wears a smile that is confident and exhumes enthusiasm and he never misses a chance to strike up a conversation with a stranger to get to know them and their culture better. For that reason, he rarely travels with friends.
The traveler may have a camera to record some momentous experiences, but for the most part, he leaves it in his bag. He knows that seeing through the lense is somewhat limiting, as he prefers to really immerse and dissolve in the moment, one which he will remember better without any help from a picture.
A traveler makes plans but he possess the ultimate skill of flexibility. He plans to arrive at a destination, but always accepts a change or a deviation from the initial path. He understands that flexibility is the most important quality to possess when traveling and conquering new places - it leaves the soul absolutely open to life and the lessons within it.
You can choose to be a tourist or a traveler. That freedom is your glory.
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