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Are You a Traveler or a Tourist_ Take the Quiz to Find Out! _ Adventure Collection
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AdventureCollection BecomeafanPremiertravelcompanies
Posted:07/16/20135:35pmEDT Updated:09/15/20135:12amEDT
AreYouaTraveleroraTourist?TaketheQuiztoFindOut!
ByCandiceGaukelAndrews
Whatmakesa touristdifferent froma traveler?Whenrecentlypondering thatquestion, I foundMerriamWebster's tobeof littlehelp.Myoldstandbydictionarydefinesatouristas"onethatmakesatourforpleasureorculture"andatraveleras"onethatgoesonatriporjourney."Nobigdistinctionthere.
I then took a different tack: I checked forums on the Internet where the issue had been discussed. On theFodor's site, a commenteridentified as "nytraveler"wrote, "I'm a tourist. I go to all sorts of places independently andwant to see how locals live. I go to typicalrestaurantsandcafsbutIwanttoseeallthemajorsights(aswellassomeminorones).Attheendoftheday,IwantacomfyhotelroomwithAC, roomservice, andTVwithagazillionchannels andagoodconcierge. Ihavea friendwho is a traveler.Shehasbeenup theAmazon (ina canoe,nota riverboat),has lived inayurt inMongolia, and stayed ina lot of small townsaround theworldwithout theamenities(placeswithlimitedelectricityandhotwater)thatIexpect."
Anotherresponderstated,"Havingaglassofwineforanhourinanontouristysectionoftownmakesyounomoreatravelerthansomeonewhoishavingaglassofwineforfifteenminutesinthemustseepartoftown.StudyingthenuancesoftheWaterLiliesbyMonetforhalfadaymakesyounomoreatravelerthansomeonewholooksatitforfiveminutesandwantstomoveontothenextmuseum."
"Fashionista"putherthoughtssuccinctlyinonesentence:"Atouristisanamateurtraveler,andatravelerisaprofessionaltourist."
Sincethereseemstobenopreciseconsensusonwhatmakesatouristdifferentfromatraveler,Idecidedtomakeupmyownquiz,informedbythethoughtsofsomefamouswriterstravelersall.
So,answermyfivequestions,below,tofindoutwhetheryou'reaconfirmed,unapologetictouristoratruetraveler.And,ifyouthinkyou'vegotadefinitivewaytodistinguishbetweenthesetwotypesofwayfarers,letusknowinthecommentssection,foundafterthequiz.
TouristorTravelerQuiz
1.Beforeyouvisitanewdestination,doyouconductresearchandmakealistofthingstoseeanddo,sothatyourtimeonvacationiswellspent?
YesNo
2.Onceyoureturnhomefromatrip,what'sthefirstthingyoudo?
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Startplanning foryour nexttrip Organizeyour photosand postthem onFacebook Spend alot of timethinkingabout andrememberingthe trip youjusttook
3.Whenyougetdowntimeonvacation,doyoupreferto:
RelaxintheloungeofyourhotelbyreadingabookorpeoplewatchingWanderthenearbystreets,nomattertheweatherconditionsTakeanapinyourroom
4.Onaguidedtour,ifthingsdon'tgoaccordingtotheitinerary,doyou:
DemandarefundforthatportionofthetripFeelmildlyannoyedJustgowiththeflow
5.Whendecidingwheretotravelnext,doyouchooseaplaceorculturethatis:
AsdistantaspossiblefromwhereyouliveAsdifferentfromyourownlifestyleaspossibleItdoesn'tmatterhowdistantordifferent
Scoring:
1. Ifyouansweredyestothisquestion,you'reprobablymoreofa tourist thanatraveler. Ifyouansweredno,youprobablyhavetravelertendencies.
Tourists typicallyhaveamission inmindwhenthey travel.Forexample,accordingto theNationalGeographicSociety,90percent of allvisitorstotheGrandCanyoncongregateattheSouthRim,snappictures,andleavewithinhours.Iwouldarguethatmostofthesepeoplearetouristsbecauseoftheirsingularfocusontheirmaincompulsiontojustseethisnaturalphenomenon.
According to theEnglish journalist,novelist, andessayistGilbertK.Chesterton, "The travelerseeswhathesees, the tourist seeswhathehascometosee."
2. If you checked the thirdboxunder this question, it's safe to assumeyou're a traveler.Travelers tend tobe abitmore reflective thantourists.AsNewYorkTimesbestsellingauthorPatConroywrote,"Onceyouhavetraveled,thevoyageneverends,butisplayedoutoverandoveragaininthequietestchambers.Themindcanneverbreakofffromthejourney."(Theitalicsaremine.)
Ifyoucheckedthe firstboxunderquestion2,you'remost likelya tourist (seeexplanation inanswer1regardingthosewhoaremissionoriented).Ifyoucheckedthemiddlebox,you'realittleofboth.
3.Afewyearsago,ItookaspringtriptotheSouthwestcanyons.Ihavearatheractivefearofheights,andafteraboutourfifthorsixthtrek on narrow paths next to sheer dropoffs in sweltering heat, our group paused for a water break. I honestly didn't know if I couldphysicallygoon.Ourguide,naturephotographerEricRock,toldus,"Touriststravelthroughalocationbyseeingitfromawindoworadeck.Travelersallowthemselvestobeimmersedinthespot.Whenyouletyourselfgetdirty,wet,muddy,andcold,thenyouhavefoundaplace."
Ifyouchose"wander thenearbystreets,nomatter theweatherconditions" forquestionNo.3,scoreoneonthe travelerendpointof thecontinuum.Ifyouchose"relaxintheloungeofyourhotelbyreadingabookorpeoplewatching,"markthisonthetouristside.Ifyouchose"takeanapinyourroom,"well,it'sawash.Weallgettiredontripsespeciallyonthatsixthhikeinhotsunonthebrinkofanabyss.
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American writer Daniel J. Boorstin once penned, "The traveler wasactivehewentstrenuously insearchofpeople,ofadventure,ofexperience.Thetouristispassiveheexpectsinterestingthingstohappentohim.Hegoes'sightseeing.'"
4. Ifyoucheckedeitherof the first twoboxeson thisone,you'rea tourist.Because you are missionoriented (see answer 1), your main reason fortraveling is to see the places and take part in the events you've alwaysdreamedofseeinganddoing.Ifthisdoesn'thappen,itwillbeannoyingandnotwhatyouexpectedtogetoutofthetrip.
If you're a gowiththeflow type, then you're probably a traveler, asMerriamWebster'sdefinesit,who'sonajourney,whereveritleads.
The 1962 Nobel Prize in Literature recipient John Steinbeck said, "Ajourneyislikemarriage.Thecertainwaytobewrongistothinkyoucontrolit."
5.Agoodfriendofminewhoisanavidtravelerrecentlysentmeanemail.Init,shewrotenewsofherandherhusband:
"Inourcurrentstateof'notgettingaroundmuchanymore,'ourwildlifeviewingismostlyinourbackyard,wherewehaveaplethoraofbabybirds,rabbits,andsquirrels.ThatmakesitahappyhuntinggroundforthegorgeousmaleNorthernharrierthatoftensitsonthesupportingpoleofoneofourbirdfeeders,abouttwentyfivefeetfromourpatio.Wehavehadharriersinouryardbefore,butneverquitethatclose.WehaveCarolinawrens nesting in our defunct gas grill, and cardinals reposing in a hanging plant on our front porch, preventing us fromwateringit.Wehopetheyfledgeintimetosavetheplant."
Thisfriendlymessageremindedmethatifyou'remoreofatraveleratheartthanatourist,yourjourneyshaveawayofcontinuing,evenifphysically,youhaven'tgoneveryfar.AsAmericaniconandauthorHenryMillerstated,"One'sdestinationisneveraplace,butanewwayofseeingthings."Iwouldaddthatadestinationcouldalsobetoanotherseasonorclimate.
IfyoucheckedeitherBox1orBox2,you'reatourist.IfyoucheckedBox3,you'reatraveler.
Whichevercategorymostofyouranswerstendtofallunder,therearetwomorequestionsit'sworthwhiletoaskyourselfwhiletraveling.ThesecomefromRachelCarson,authoroftheclassicbookSilentSpring.Shewrites:
"Onewaytoopenyoureyesistoaskyourself,'WhatifIhadneverseenthisbefore?WhatifIknewIwouldneverseeitagain?'"
Safeandhappytravels,
Candy
PhotoCaptionsandCredits:
1.Onlyabout10percentofGrandCanyonvisitorsgototheNorthRim.JohnT.Andrews
2.Travelersandtouristsshouldaskthemselves,"WhatifIknewIwouldneverseethisagain?"CandiceGaukelAndrews
3."Whenyouletyourselfgetdirty,wet,muddy,andcold,thenyouhavefoundaplace,"saysnaturephotographerEricRock.EricRock
FollowAdventureCollectiononTwitter:www.twitter.com/adventucollectnAmazonTripsQUIZTravelerTravelTipsRachelCarsonRachelCarsonSilentSpringTravelTravelQuizMongoliaTravelTourist
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