Posers

Every now and then you meet a certain type of traveller, one that revels in the fact that their traveling, completely soaked in the notion that they're a type of rare, hardcore traveller. Usually these types can be easily spotted by their immodesty. 

I had met one of these clones in Istanbul weeks prior, and had kindly evaded a suggestion of traveling with him. I again ran into him in Antalya, staying at the same hostel as I was. He was a really nice guy, but so absorbed in himself and his travels that I really didn't think much of him. I'll explain this point by point, trying to shed light on the traveling culture at the same time.

The first thing I didn't like about him was his notion that he was a travel writer, when in fact he has a travel blog, which are dime a dozen. I have one, and no illusions that I'm a professional or even close to that level. He even had a business card describing himself as a travel writer, which was probably the worst one I've ever seen in my life. The words were smudged. The worst part of it all was how he used this self imposed title as a way to extort free accommodation out of hotels and guest houses on his route, feeding them the notion that he would profile them on his blog, which he claimed had over 15,000 views in three months. Not even Lonely Planet writers will do this. How do I know? I just met one. This guy had no intention of becoming a travel writer or dabbling in the business, his chief motive was to exploit local businesses for his monetary benefit. And his blog is called Life Waits for No One. I almost barfed in my mouth.

His plan for his trip was using the round the world ticket to visit a ton of destinations on nearly every continent, usually spending short amounts of time in each country before returning home to a planned job. In my experience, lesser time is the enemy of experience. This is exactly why I try to spend as long as I can in each country I visit. It's all about odds; the more time you are present, the more opportunity and better odds you'll experience the local culture. I believe this is where many people miss out; they fail to recognize the difference between sightseeing and traveling. A person can visit a country and see every famous attraction, but if they fail to take the time to interact and immerse themselves in the culture, they lose a huge connection to that place that can intensely amplify the quality of experiences.

Basically my opinion is that this man gives a bad name to true travelers. The exploitation of travel writing, which in itself is a niche of hard and creative people deserving of credit for their work, annoyed me. On his part he has essentially failed to grasp the concept of freeing your mind. The planned route and date for returning home are exclusive doctrines for the spiritual journey. Removing yourself from the world of planning, of set dates, worries about time time efficiencies is the way to amazing freedom and expansion of the mind. To be a traveller truly free of all the stresses of the modern world, to wander the earth at will with little inhibitions is the greatest thing a person can do.

So don't travel like this man. Be modest. Learn. Feel. Experience.