Welcome back to Wanderlusting, our guest author series in which we invite other intrepid travellers to share their most memorable travel moments.
This week Jaryd walks the line between tourist and traveller and shares his understanding of what makes travellers so passionate about their adventures across the globe.
We’ve often debated the subtle differences between the two and as perpetual travellers ourselves, would never define ourselves as typical tourists. Yet surely we are no different to anyone else exploring unfamiliar terrain?
So we ask you…do you consider yourself a tourist or a traveller?
ONLY A TRAVELLER KNOWS THE FEELING
One of Billabong’s slogans / catch phrases is “only a surfer knows the feeling” which, I as a surfer believe and know it to be true.
The same goes for people with symptoms of wanderlust. They have been infected by the travel bug; they have the disease where “only a traveller knows the feeling”
Everybody that has travelled knows these feelings.
The feeling of acceptance in a place where you never thought you would belong. The feeling of not saying ‘goodbye’ but ‘see you later’ to all the beautiful people you meet along the way. People who get you, people who know you within the first 10 minutes of meeting.
People who you have shared indescribable experiences with that will stay with you for the rest of your days.
TRAVELLER VS TOURIST
Travellers don’t come back home and rub it in the faces of people who haven’t seen the world. Those types of people are called tourist, the types that flaunt what they have seen and done.
Travellers, travel for the fulfilment of life, for life not to eagerly pass by. For the fact that they do not necessarily rely on materialistic things such as fancy cars, clothes, overpriced jewellery or swish city apartments.
Travellers find comfort in where they are, not in what they have. When travellers awake each day they discover happiness as they move forward to their next adventure, enjoying the journey called life.
Travellers choose not to live a life of routine, seeing the same landmarks, signs and people every day, that in the end are just life furniture that people unfortunately pay no attention to.
BITTEN BY THE BUG
Travellers see it all. Not only the thumping oceans waves onto the desirable beaches. Not only the beautiful cliff faces that stretch into the desert or lush mountain landscapes.
They see the world with optimistic eyes. Eyes that see the beauty in everything and everyone. Beauty in the kind hearted street vendors of 3rd world countries who help you with directions despite their envy of the wealth they perceive you to have.
They witness the beauty in the famished Africans surviving on rations in shanty towns, but are still generous enough to share.
TRAVEL BRINGS WITH IT EXPERIENCES
As a traveller you see new things, eat new foods, meet new people, participate in new activities and are constantly doing all these awesome new things.
Whilst you are doing all these awesome new things it’s usually with awesome new people. And with these awesome new people you meet, you share your awesome new stories and get awesome new ideas.
Ideas to go on more awesome new adventures and with that how could you not be awesome when you are surrounded and involved in so much awesomeness its AWESOME!
So for those of you who want to travel but haven’t, there is never a better time to start than right NOW! What they say is true “To travel is to live”, and you will live, you will become happier.
You will become so happy that when others look at you they will become happy too. You will be better minded, more optimistic and adventurous.
Adventurous with the places you go, the people you meet and the things that you eat. You will even be adventurous in the goals that you set.
So I advise that you make it your new goal, save up your money, break your routine, hop in the chair of life and ride it for all it’s worth.
What do you make of my definition of a traveller? Do you agree? Share your comments with me below.