Be A Traveler, Not A Tourist

We all know the stereotype of a tourist: a person who visits somewhere just to be there, doesn't do their research about a place that they're unfamiliar with, and then expects all the comforts of home and more in a place that is not really their home.  Most locals hate tourists, and if you act like one, expect to be smiled at when you're looking, but shunned and reviled behind your back (and in my opinion, rightly so).

If you want to get to know a place, and not just experience the things that the local tourism boards feed you (hint: they don't want to give you an honest picture of a place, they want you to do the things that will give them the most money), you do not want to act like a tourist when you travel.  These tips should clear up how this can be accomplished.

• Do your research.  No matter where you travel, things will be different than at home.  Learn those differences, and how you can get familiar with them.

• Don't focus solely on where you are.  Ask yourself why things are and how things work around you, based on where things are and where things are going around you.  That's what I learned to do as a geography major, and it helped a lot with this because that's what the study of geography is.  Also, if you train your brain to think this way, you're never bored; you'll find yourself wondering about questions on everything around you.  It also helps you learn more about a place as you travel.

• Don't expect the comforts of home, and don't expect everything to be like home.  If this is one of the most important things to you when you travel, you really should save yourself some money and stay at home.

That's about it.  If you have some more tips, be sure to write them in the comments section.  Thanks for reading!