So…I had my fun with friends in Spain and Hungary. And now it’s just me. Time to make the transition from a tourist to a traveler. A vagabond. A nomad. A homeless person with no friends!
This change will not come as a complete surprise to my body. Between the laughter and the museums and the excitement of planning, I have had skin rashes, back aches and just a teensy bit of anxiety at times. But when the going gets tough, the tough do NOT go shopping. There is no room in my 20″ bag!
Here are some ways you can distinguish between between tourists and travelers:
On Where to Go:
TOURIST: Takes local train to outlying town highly recommended in Lonely Planet book as a “colony” full of “artists, free thinkers and day trippers.” I went there. No sign of artists, free thinkers or colonies. Many day trippers.
TRAVELER: Independently weighs pros and cons of whether to go to a country that just resolved a military conflict. Buys airline ticket before overthinking.
On What to Eat:
TOURIST: Wants “authentic” food unless it is weird.
TRAVELER: Wants “good” food and is willing to eat anything weird as long as it is not animal products. The good news is all the weird stuff is animal products.
On Photography
TOURIST:Struggles to get pictures that don’t have people in them.
TRAVELER: Worries about offending a woman in shorts for taking a picture of her from behind, while making sure she is in fact an adult.
On Shopping
TOURIST: Considers the logic of spending $300 to ship the rug (antique lamp, tribal spear, shofar) back home to the US
TRAVELER: Considers the logic of spending $8 on a leather bracelet like the kids are wearing.
On Language
TOURIST: Automatically speaks English to strangers in a non-English speaking country. I am still doing this!!!!
TRAVELER: In advance of arrival, learns the country’s three most important phrases: thank you, thank you, and thank you.
And speaking of Hungarians! For those of you who knew and loved Abby, she was a Hungarian Vizsla. I have seen this handsome boy a couple of times walking through the neighborhood. He is a lover just like Abby.
“Watch my back and light the way, my traveling star.”
James Taylor
Camino Milagro 
Your pilgrim’s progress is proceeding particularly parsimoniously probably prohibiting pretentious partying while portending plentiful portions of playful primitive pleasure.
Please pull plug.
😅
crazy for alliteration…. you must have a Montreal bagel sooooooon…..
Like hearing about it all, Kim, and especially like the “headers” they are such good teasers – I’m a lady who lunches at school these days and the lunch ladies at my site rock…we are traveling together too – no tourists in high school except for maybe a few of the ripe for retirement folks. Miss you, xo
This is my favorite. You’re amazing, I’m loving the updates!
Vic just told me about your adventures and the blog…I will become an avid reader. My one piece of advice is to stay away from cruise ships. They are the curse of beautiful places anywhere near any coast.
Hi Gretchen! Welcome and I am honored to be read by such an avid world traveler!
PUPPY! 🙂
Just landed on your blog. I was of course expecting to be ‘notified’ of postings as I thought I had signed up as instructed. Ah me. Ahhhhh you! Am joyfully vicariously loving your progress, following the feet and the heart. xxxxo
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