Comments on: What Makes You a Traveler?

By: theprofessionalhobo

theprofessionalhobo — Sat, 05 Oct 2013 20:02:05 +0000

In reply to Anna. Anna, Indeed this is an exhaustive list, but even on re-reading this old post, I can think of a few more definitions of travelers!

By: Anna

Anna — Sat, 05 Oct 2013 19:43:34 +0000

I think this is a pretty exhaustive list. I am #5 and #7, trying to become more of #7

By: theprofessionalhobo

theprofessionalhobo — Tue, 25 Jun 2013 23:53:06 +0000

In reply to SGG.

Hi SGG – Great perspective! You’ve certainly tackled the “travel” game from many angles, and as such, you’ve got it! Tourist traps or not, travel is the act of getting “out there” beyond your comfort zones and geographical boundaries and engaging with a different world. And you’ve been able to do this on a number of levels.
Happy travelling!

By: SGG

SGG — Tue, 25 Jun 2013 19:08:12 +0000

Hello Nora, I discovered your blog this morning and am delighted! You are talking about things and situations that are ever so familiar!
Really enjoyed this post and follow-up discussion. Here’s a question…what to call people who fit more than one of the profiles. Are they the “real travelers”? Of just confused ones? I ask because I’m one one of them; an air force brat (TR.1) who did the TR.6 thing in Europe after university, married a kibutznik and was a TR.7 for few years. We traveled and worked in Australia/Asia for over a year (TR.6 again), emigrated back to Canada and, when the relationship ended a few years later, I could only manage shorter TR.5 trips (rescued Leatherback Sea Turtles in Costa Rica and walked the Camino de Santiago). I was finally able to create a 4 year job for myself in Greece (TR.7) and am now trying to arrange work in India for a year (hmmm, subcategory TR.7?). Did one type of travel change my life more than another? I have always maintained that growing up in the nomadic lifestyle of the Air Force set the pattern but neither of my brothers have been filled with the same burning desire to not just visit but experience as much of the world as possible. The tourist trips were often the stimuli for seeking the means and way for an extended return to a place so do indeed have “life changing” attributes.
I look forward to reading more of your articles.

By: theprofessionalhobo

theprofessionalhobo — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 21:52:26 +0000

@Steve – Thanks for checking in! Great to hear from you. I’ve wondered how you’ve been doing lately.
And I would tend to agree: those who are the most adamant about who “real travelers” are, are probably a little misguided and biased towards their own preferences.

By: Steve Tambosso

Steve Tambosso — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 14:59:33 +0000

The word “travel” has a broad definition, and it doesn’t require a simplified one. As long as you’re happy traveling in the fashion that you do it doesn’t matter how other people view your travel style. All catagorizing travel styles does is expose any bias in the one who catagorizes.
Hey Nora…thought I’d drop a line. You crossed my mind the other day and I opened your website for the first time in quite a long time.
Sorry to read about your break up with Kelly Nora. Shit happens when you’re on the road I suppose.
It’s good to read that your still happy through it all. I hope that it continues for you.
Steve

By: theprofessionalhobo

theprofessionalhobo — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 23:49:04 +0000

@Wannabe – Indeed, the journey is at least half the fun! But I also agree with @kazari in that a trip to the corner store, although it technically fits the “travel” definition, might be a touch light.

@kazari – I’m still resistant to the idea that tourists aren’t travellers. What are tourists doing, if not traveling?
Having said that, the definition of home is a great way to define different types of travelers. As a hobo, I guess I fit into the nomad category…

@lostinthewoods – The laws of perpetual motion; I never thought of applying them to travel! 🙂

By: lostinthewoods

lostinthewoods — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 06:32:22 +0000

A body at rest tends to stay at rest.

A body in motion tends to stay in motion.

By: kazari

kazari — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 03:46:05 +0000

I think my idea of travel is more related to how far you are from home (the corner shop doesn’t count).
But then the definition of travel is dependent on your definition of home. I would tend to categorise:
– ‘tourists’ as people away from home for less than four weeks (standard leave allowance here).
– Travellers as people away from home for longer than that. And
– ‘real’ nomads as ones who don’t really have a concept of home any more, or consider their whole world as home.

By: A. Wannabe Travelwriter

A. Wannabe Travelwriter — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 02:28:14 +0000

Travel is what I do when my wife gets tired—understandably—of listening to me and tells me to get the hell out of the house and go somewhere…anywhere.

I do have one “rule” about what travel is, and a couple of the earlier comments hinted at it: travel begins as soon as you leave your front door, and NOT when you arrive at some predetermined destination.

You can put that down as Rule No. 1 over here at Sand Dollar Adventures.