Traveler vs. Tourist

So we all fancy ourselves as travelers don't we? Tourists are those lame old people with baseball caps and fanny packs who take a million pictures of themselves standing in front of statues, but travelers are a different breed. They are rustic and interested in culture, food, the true beauty of a city....right?

Well no not really, I consider myself to be very much a tourist. Anytime I'm in a strange city, I'm a total geeky, annoying, "LOOK AT THAT!" tourist, not a traveler. I think the idea of being a traveler is the romantic in us all. We all want to be that fearless nomad with no roots, searching for adventure, but the fact of the matter is, we probably aren't.

I guess it should be said that I do know some travelers. They are that very rare species that go to unpleasant places and just wander around searching for the meaning of life or something. They disappear for months on end before randomly popping up online in some Japanese coffee shop before once again vanishing into the murky depths of the eastern hemisphere. Those are the real travelers.

So what is this aversion to being a tourist? Is it because it sounds so lame, involves taking pictures and not fitting in? I kind of like all that. I mean sure, if I'm in Paris, it would be nice to be mistaken for a Parisian, but there is something really cool about being in a strange city for the first time, discovering what it has to offer, and being excited about it. I couldn't help but smile the first time I saw the Eiffel Tower, Big Ben, and the Pantheon. I know that doesn't make me cool but so be it.

The main problem is, there is a huge snob factor that comes with traveling. I have met a fair amount of people who will try to one up you every time you mention a place you've visited. If you come across one of these people, you can be sure they will most likely refer to themselves as a traveler, never ever a tourist. Well good riddance I say.

So my recommendation to anyone and everyone is be a total tourist every time you leave your hometown. Take a ton of pictures, go out to dinner, walk around, besides, the life of a lone traveler is really exhausting and you'll probably end up accidentally hiking in Iran (Not ideal).