Key Takeaways
- Nothing irks me more than people disparaging people’s travel choices. I don’t get why people do it. The whole “traveler vs. tourist” argument, talking
- I do this for me. This is all my journey. I’m not in a race for the most countries visited, street stalls eaten at, or festivals attended. I do what m
- There isn’t a single “authentic” version of travel. Getting off the beaten path, finding some hidden island, or living with some guy in a yurt in Mong
Updated: 1/3/2020 | January 3rd, 2020
Nothing irks me more than people disparaging others’ travel choices. I don’t get why people do it. The whole “traveler vs. tourist” argument, debating what makes someone a “real traveler,” or mocking someone’s itinerary — people waste so much energy trying to lift themselves above others.
Isn’t travel supposed to make you open-minded?
I do this for me. This is all my journey. I’m not in a race for the most countries visited, street stalls eaten at, or festivals attended. I do what makes me happy — even if it’s a destination others label “touristy.”
There isn’t a single “authentic” version of travel. Getting off the beaten path, finding a secluded island, or staying with a local family in rural Mongolia doesn’t make someone a better traveler than anyone else. It just means your itinerary and experience were different.
I’ve been riled up about this for quite some time and decided to make a video about this subject. Here’s how I really feel and what you should do when you meet a pretentious, judgmental traveler:
At the end of the day, travel is not a competition. It’s not a contest. Yes, it’s awesome to visit far-flung destinations and explore lesser-known places — but that doesn’t mean you’re a “better traveler” than someone else. You’re just a different traveler.
We all travel our own way because travel is a personal experience.
I travel the way I want and go to the places I want to see. I don’t have anything to prove; I’m just traveling the way I want to. It’s my life, after all!
As I’ve learned after ten years of traveling the world, there are always going to be people out there who try to get you down. Just ignore them. They just want to belittle your experience to make themselves feel better.
Don’t waste your time on them. There are tons of other awesome travelers you can chat with instead!
Maybe I’ll disagree, maybe I’ll suggest an alternative — but, as Sheryl Crow said, if it makes you happy, it can’t be that bad — and at the end of the day, I’m just happy you left the house. That’s all I care about.
The next time someone starts harping on your travel choices or giving you grief, turn the conversation around on them. Tell them part of being a traveler is being open-minded — and if they can’t respect your choice, the conversation is over. Call them out on their attitude.
It’s your trip. Don’t let people ruin it.
