I have been thinking lately about what sort of traveller I am and have been really confused about the whole situation. Maybe that’s my problem, I’ve been thinking about it too much.
I’ve come to the conclusion that it is a big call to make that there are even certain categories travellers fall under. You always hear about the ‘Annoying Gap Year Backpackers’ or the ‘In search of authentic experiences travellers’ and the ‘I’m going to live in a van and just drive…man, hippy’.
But can a person really be defined by their travels and what they have done?
Can I be an annoying party backpacker? Sometimes.
Do I sometimes look at the party backpackers and roll my eyes? Yes.
Do other travellers roll their eyes at me when I constantly talk about how ‘unbelievable’ it was to ride a motorbike all through Vietnam? Probably.
I'm In NYC For NYE...I'll Wear The Stupid Glasses If I Want To!
But I’m at the point where I really don’t care.
What got me thinking about all this was when we were on the plant from Miami to Cancun. Ant and I were already in our seats, when some other travellers sat in front of us. For the whole flight they proceeded to talk loudly about ‘How sweet will Mexico be, man?!’…‘Like, totally awesome dude’. At some point there was the mention of picking up chicks, drinking copious amounts of Tequila and a few more uses of the word awesome and dude.
I sat behind these ‘dudes’ and rolled my eyes at them, thinking to myself how lame. For the rest of the day I was up on my high horse, thinking that I am not like them and a much better traveller than they will ever be-I mean I actually actively try to learn about a culture, meet the locals and understand their way of life- not just party and drink all the time.
Before you think it’s your turn to roll your eyes at me, hear me out.
It wasn’t until I was on my bunk bed that night and couldn’t sleep that I really thought who am I to judge them? They are after all getting out of their own country, they are in a different environment and they are travelling and you know what? Sometimes I am just like them.
Don’t get me wrong I love meeting locals but at the same time I also like to hang out where backpackers are, chat with them, go to the bars that have English menus, listen to the typical backpacker music and visit all the tourist sites. In a way, I am no different to the guys in front of me on the plane (just minus the amount of times I actually say dude and awesome.)
Celebrating The Diwali Festival In Nepal
Maybe when I travel I expect too much from myself. Travelling long term I sometimes feel the pressure to be expected to always have to discover the ‘real’ (insert country here). This can open a whole other can of worms about what is ‘real’ or not but, in general does meeting locals, exploring smaller towns and eat local food mean I can successfully tick that off my list?
I hear people saying that they don’t like to visit the touristy sites or destinations, but to be honest I don’t think I’d be content with myself if I didn’t visit those places. I was just as happy as the next photo snapping tourist to be standing in Times Square watching myself make stupid body shapes on the big screens overhead!
I Don't Care How Touristy It Is...I Loved Times Square!
I think rather than trying to fit myself into the category of ‘typical party backpacker’ or ‘searching for real experiences traveller’, I should just be content with what I do. I guess I have the best of both worlds. I enjoyed sitting in Sihnaoukville for a week, with a beer in my hand the whole time but enjoyed just as much living with a Nepali family-going to the markets with them and eating in their home.
I’ve decided that I’m not a backpacker or whatever else, but really I’m a traveller and that I should ‘just be’ with travelling and not get so caught up in how I am doing it.
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really like this post. I think sometimes everyone gets a bit caught up with pigeon-holing themselves (and others)
as long as you are happy and enjoying what you are doing – and it sounds like you are – then you don’t need a label, just enjoy!
Thanks Kat-no labels-that’s the way I like it!!
Elise, it’s a trap I think we all fall into at times. Judging others and somehow feeling somehow better than.. It’s not something I’m proud of either and often times catch myself before the thoughts get out of control, thankfully. I remember the thought that makes most sense to me as we travel and that’s simply, there’s nothing we are meant to do, no right way to travel and we’ll never get it done. Instead we are along for the ride and whatever form that manifests, that’s the perfect experience. My experience (and travel style) is not like any one else’s, so why should I expect theirs to be like mine? The beautiful contrast in experiences makes is wonderfully interesting, even the obnoxious backpackers who say dude too much and are only concerned with finding the best bars where expats gather is the perfect experience…. (just not mine). Thanks for inspiring this thought.
Lainie, I should be thanking you for leaving such an inspiring comment. You summarised what I was trying to get across perfectly. I love what you say “we are along for the ride and what ever form that manifests is the perfect experience’.Very, very true…..whether it is the good, bad & the ugly.
Thank you
Yeah, I wouldn’t give this one too much thought. We’ve realized that we aren’t really backpackers anymore either. I mean, we travel with backpacks, but that’s more for convenience. I think there are many different kinds of backpackers. We don’t always stay in hostels, don’t always eat cheap food and no longer worry about living the hostel life and partying with other travellers. I don’t know what that makes us but probably best not to try to put a label on it!
You sound quite similar to us!
Even though we shouldn’t really put ‘terms’ on travellers, I think that the broad term of a ‘backpacker’ is definitely very different nowadays. Even down to the rise of the internet etc.
Thanks for commenting and sharing your thoughts Andrea
Great post. Right on!
Love this post! We sound like similar travelers, but I guess I shouldn’t stereotype ha. I do think people get caught up with trying to play their role or figure out their travel role when you should be yourself while you travel and not worry about anything else.
That stereotype doesn’t sound too bad!!!
I don’t really know where I felt the pressure from to really be able to define my travels, but as I said, I don’t care anymore and just ‘do whatever’ makes us happy and enjoy our travels!
I’m with you – let’s get rid of the travel style names and just appreciate that everyone has their own goals and approach to travel…and that those can change during a trip or over time. It’s boring to be the same way all the time at home – it’s the same on the road. So, while I also love going off in the middle of nowhere and experiencing something new and “real” in a country, it is also nice to just chill and relax with fellow travelers from time to time.
Totally agree with you Audrey. We are constantly adapting and changing both the way we view travel and our style too. Over time, we figure what works and what doesn’t for us and then do things differently. I guess, when people change they way they travel every now and again, they have the best of both worlds.
Love the post! We find that we see-saw between cheap/backpacker style travel and luxury/pamper yourself style travel all the time. Isn’t that what travelers and adventurers are — adaptable, open to trying new things and experiences as well as freedom loving? No need to tack on a label!
You are so right! Labels get people nowhere and however we travel should be up to us.
I wouldn’t mind the pampering side of it all either!
Breaking down categories of travel into even smaller categories helps no one. It just creates camps of people who think their way is better than everyone else’s. It’s stupid & petty.
I was guilty of this back when I was working at a party hostel many years ago. I think age and experience change your views eventually.
We’re all travelers! Let’s all have a beer and hug it out.
Beer sounds good to me Matthew!! (and hugs too!)
I didn’t really notice that I was categorising people until I heard those ‘dudes’on the plane. Like you said, the term travellers suits much better!
I think you really hit the nail on the head. Especially recently when so many more backpackers are taking to twitter and the blogosphere, the attitudes and prejudices really start coming out. It is very refreshing to read blogs posts like this about travelers who don’t care if it is a touristy spot or a place that only locals visit.
Thanks for your insight, was very refreshing.
Hey Justin,
Thanks for your kind words
Yeah, I really don’t care anymore where I visit in regards to if it is a tourist place or not….the main thing for me is that I am enjoying myself!
Loved this!! I’m always trying to make sure I have a place in the travel world, especially now that I’m back at work. So I get a kick out of full-time travelers going through the same “crisis.” (Ha.) I’ve been taking huge trips for more than 20 years, and the more I read about all of us creating our own paths in travel, the better!
Hey Abby,
If this is my only ‘crisis’ then I am living a pretty good life huh!! I much rather that we are all different types of travellers and have our own way we like to see the world. If we were all the same then it would be way to boring and I might have just stayed at home!!
Nice post….And photographs too
Elise, this is so true. We’re going to an all-inclusive resort in two weeks and I am super-psyched, even though I know that we’re not going to be interacting with locals (except for at the resort) and that doesn’t really count. I like traveling in all sorts of different ways!
That is one thing that I have sure learnt over our 16 months on the road. On the beaten path…off the beaten path…it doesn’t matter, it’s all an experience and it shouldn’t matter what we are doing just the experiences we are getting from it-local or not.
I think the most important thing is to just ‘travel’! There will always be a time and a place for certain things and every traveller will find themselves crossing the ‘definitions’ time and time again. Throughout the past year, we found ourselves partying with the ‘backpackers’ in Nha Trang, living like a ‘local’ in Oz, treking through the jungle with a local guide in Laos, eating with our hands in a street cafe in Pakistan, and jumping out of the sky with the adrenaline junkies in Queenstown.
The key is to always remain open minded, adapt to your surroundings and above all be thankful for the opportunities and experiences you have been given! No one has the right to detract from somebody elses experience.
People should remember that we all have one thing in common – we love life and aren’t content to simply sit on our backsides in front of the telly forever!
Now that makes us all the same in my book!
Well said Aisleen!! All us travellers do have that love of life in common!
A few other people have said the same as you that no one has the right to detract from somebody elses experiences and that is so true!
Did you try Vegemite in Australia!?!
I agree with most comments here… I think in the end it doesnt matter how anyone travels. We are out of our comfort zones and actually out exploring the world. Travel is travel no matter how we do it. I know for me I have my crazy party moments, but also have my personal moments with locals and sometimes don’t even eant to do anything when Im in ertain places and sometimes just wanna do the touristy stuff. No matter how I do I am traveling and loving every minute of it. So like Matt said above, “lets have a beer and hug it out”…lol!!!
I like what you said ‘travel is travel, no matter how we do it.’ Besides,beer and hugs always work!!
It’s easy to fall into the negativity about backpackers when you meet the raucous and enthusiastic 19 year olds…but as you said, there’s a time and a place for it all…like you, I’ve enjoyed a beer and the backpacker here and there and also love the immersion experiences, and it’s all travel either way!
You’re right Shannon-everyone seems to agree that travel is travel-doesn’t matter how you slice it!
I love this post! From reading your descriptions of the different types of travelers I can definitely relate to them. I’ve even found myself feeling guilty about occasionally wanting to do the “tourist thing”, but then I think “it’s my travel experience and no one else’s!”
I was the same as you-when I began to feel guilty I just had to take a step back and think ‘I don’t care what anyone else thinks!’