Are You a Tourist or a Traveler?
Tourists and travelers both like to see the world. And both types of people have a place in the world of travel. Nearly everyone has a bucket list of places that they want to visit before the final journey takes them to their eternal resting place.
Tourists are happy to take one or two trips a year in their effort to visit everything on the list one by one. And so the list gradually gets shorter and shorter. They generally want to see all the monuments, palaces, and museums they read about in guidebooks or seen in travelogues.
Photos below are ones I begged friends to take of me for memories.
Travelers, on the other hand, may often visit some of the same sites, but generally don’t care about typical sightseeing spots. Instead, they want to interact with locals – meeting people at non-tourist restaurants, taking buses with chickens and goats, and just generally avoiding tourist sites in favor of learning more about local culture.
Travelers dream of wandering the world. They fantasize about visiting places with exotic names that they have seen on maps or read in books. In many cases, they do not have realistic ideas what these alluring destinations are really like, but the names alone are magic to their ears. And they long to learn everything possible about the people and cultures of those places.
They want to hang out and absorb the destination in a way that can only be done by visitors who are willing to forget where they came from in order to see the location through fresh eyes.
For these nomads, travel is more than just a task on a list of things to do. Traveling is the very reason for their existence. Those who fall into this category are not satisfied with one or two relatively short vacations each year. These prospective nomads have a longing to see the world up close and personal and want to wander for extended periods of time.
Does Long-Term Travel Appeal to You?
Does this kind of in-depth travel describe what you’re looking for?
What if you found a way to quit your job and travel the world forever? Many people think about this idea, but just as a fantasy. Most people keep their dream of traveling the world in a little box that they take out when they need to escape from stresses at work or home, similar to dreams of winning the lottery. In other words, seeing the world is great to fantasize about, but these people do not expect it to become reality.
They have many reasons why they will never do more than daydream about long-term traveling. They may say that now is just not the right time to take off gallivanting around the world because they are not financially stable enough, or they cite other obligations that make it impossible. And for most daydreamers, that is pretty much where the dream stays, with a couple of short vacations a year in order to check things off their bucket list.
However, if you are a modern nomad at heart with a true desire to travel the world, it just might be possible for you to find a way to head out for your own global adventure.
In order to be a successful nomad, there are many considerations to weigh and a lot of preparations to be done before taking off on your world adventure. If you do not think it through and plan appropriately, it could end in disaster. But for those who are willing to make it a priority, becoming a modern nomad may certainly be within reach. This is especially true for us Steemians who can wander the world and make money via the internet. Thank you, Steemit!
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As I read, I asked myself whether I'm a tourist or a traveler. Turns out I'm not really either. But if I had to choose, my heart goes with the traveler mode. Staying away from crowded tourist locations is more appealing than being there in the milling mob.
I see these crowd scenes on telly at times and think how glad I am NOT to be there.
Gallivanting - great word!
Gary
Yeah, I'm a traveler too - although as a tour director, I led a bunch of tourists around.
YES, Gary! Me too. ;) I noticed as I passed my 30's that I just didn't like going to crowded places anymore. I pick up thoughts and feelings a lot and it just got overwhelming when there were a lot of peeps around. ;)
I think I am a traveler rather than a tourist because I live in a tourist destination and I have always wondered how anyone could enjoy a snapshot of the front that we put up for the people who rush through the area. Our local beach was recommended nationally and it is now so crowded that I can't see how that can be fun. If a traveler comes through, they can learn where the similar beaches are a mile or two up the road where there are only a few people lounging on the sand or swimming.
I think some people like being in a crowded tourist spot. It might validate that they've chosen correctly.
Show me a crowded beach and I'll run in the opposite direction. When I used to go every week, I'd always reach early, spend hours in the water, watch folks start streaming in while I enjoyed fried fish, bammy, festival and Red Stripe beer. Then it was time to leave.
But again, that may be an aging thing. Tanning bodies strewn all over the beach and heads bobbing in and out of the water as far as the eyes could see never bothered me in my 20's. ;)
Resteemed and upvoted before rushing off to eat breakfast at 4:18pm, EST, Kate! ;) Will come back in later and comment properly.
Thanks, @angelacs. Where are you located?
My pleasure, Kate. I'm in Jamaica.
I would prefer traveling if I did much of it. I've been a tourist and that wears me out. The crowds are not my idea of fun and I prefer to read up about an area ahead of time to see where I'd really like to go instead of going where you're expected to go. Love the photo of you with the llama!
Ok, got back in as promised, Kate.
I'm more on the traveler side. There are countries I'll visit for a week or two I suppose. For example there are still a few Caribbean islands I haven't been to that I can see myself staying for a week or so, preferably away from main tourist spots.
I'll stay longer, 2- 8 weeks each, in several Latin American and African countries. Strangely, Peru isn't on my 'must live' list but I do want to spend 2-3 month periods at a time there.
My travel must do list is mostly filled with countries I'd like to live in though. Australia for at least 2-3 years, with several 1-2 month stays in New Zealand. At least a year in Ireland and Scotland. Same for Belize, England, France.
In between those longer stays, I'll spend time between the US, Canada and Jamaica. Most of my family and my very best friends live Stateside and in Canada.
BUT I will always return to 'the Rock'... I'll always have a home base in Jamaica to enjoy 3-4 months at a time. It's my 'get back to Me' spot. ;)
Thanks, Kate!