From the title I am sure many people imagine this will be a post about how it’s “oh so much better to be a traveler”.... And while I
hate to disappoint, that isn’t really my opinion on this matter. (And as someone
who has been traveling for pretty much all of my 24 years of life I feel like I
can speak confidently on this topic.)
Although I have been traveling since I was born I haven’t always
been running off to Europe and traveling far and wide. For the first 19 years
of my life almost all of my travel was done by car with my family, and almost all
of it within my own country. I even stayed in hotels (as opposed to hostels,
*gasp*) for the first 20 years of my travels. Since my first trip to Europe at
age 20, however, I have traveled more and more in the stereotypical style of a “traveler”.
I’ve stayed in hostels, I’ve done trips alone, I’ve met new people, gone off
the beaten path, been to uncomfortable and challenging new places, and skipped
on the expensive tourist traps. And having done both the typical tourist and
traveler styles of travelling, I’m here to tell you, stop hating on the
tourists!
Many people in the “traveler” community get VERY high and
mighty when discussing the dreaded tourist. There seems to be a lot of
significance among travelers on trying to act local, to get off the beaten
path, and to definitely, definitely, NOT act like a tourist. (God, those damn
tourists ruin everything! Am I right!?!)
But it doesn’t really make sense to me. Shouldn’t we, as
avid travelers, be happy that people who might not be comfortable staying in hostel
are at least getting out of their
comfort zones and seeing something new? I know there are some things that the
tourist stereotype does that I don’t love, but overall, I am really happy to
see anyone going out to see and visit a new place, in whatever way works for
them.
I fear that the chatter in the common rooms at hostels could
actually be discouraging to new travelers sometimes. Could you imagine being a teenager,
you’ve saved for months and months to get your 1 week vacation in Europe and
now your knee deep in this pretentious world of people who claim to have been
literally EVERYWHERE on only 8 cents a day. It would be overwhelming and worse it
could scare them away from travel in the future.
I wonder sometimes if travelers get nervous about tourists
because they think if too many people have seen what they have seen it will somehow
make it less special/amazing/moving/ or even life changing. I really don’t
think they have anything to worry about; having been to many far off the beaten
track places my favourite and most moving travel experience is still visiting
the Coliseum in Rome. It’s probably the most touristy thing someone can do in
Rome, but you know what, that doesn’t take away from my experience at all. I
was moved in a way I can’t really describe, and I’ll be honest, I even teared
up when I first saw it. There was something so beautiful about that building
that I can’t really explain it in words. And I refuse to think that makes me a “lesser”
traveler because it’s a touristy place to see!
So here’s my idea. Let’s stop hating, and start celebrating
the fact that people want to experience the world! Even if it is a pre-organize
trip, or a full on red double decker bus trip (side note: I’ve been on one, and
it was a blast! No shame!). They are getting out of their comfort zones to see something new, and I think that deserves
credit!
Ps: Yes I did make a t-shit that said “When in Rome” for
when I visited Rome. Best life choice of all time!
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