Be a traveler not a tourist. Everyone complains about tourists. Everyone, everywhere. They get a bad rap because theyâre in and out so quickly; they use and abuse cities like tissues. Â There is no give and take in the relationship. You canât blame someone for wanting to see the world, but thereâs a certain way to go about it. I wouldnât say Iâm an expert in this field, but Iâve had my fair share of practice at being a traveler instead of a tourist. Iâm going to share a few things Iâve picked up on along the way and other random traveling tidbits.
When packing my suitcase I always keep in mind the country Iâm visiting, not the one Iâm leaving. I dress drastically different in the states than here in Thailand. Itâs 31 degrees Celsius here today, thatâs almost 90 degrees Fahrenheit. In the states I would be wearing a sundress and flip-flops, but here I am wearing a long skirt, a dressy shirt with sleeves and a pair of Toms. It is important to follow cultural cues when it comes to clothing. As a foreigner you will stick out to the locals, but by dressing similar you wonât stand out as much and theyâll appreciate your effort. In a lot of countries Western dress is disrespectful because the clothes are flashy and tight, so itâs a good rule of thumb to cover up a bit more than you are used to. I purposely only pack conservative clothes so that Iâm not tempted to wear skimpy clothes on sweltering days. After spending a week or so in the country you get the feel for what is appropriate and what isnât, then you can buy a few items to fill out your traveling wardrobe.
Learn how to say hello, goodbye and thank you before you land. There is no doubt youâll be confused with any new language and everyone will recognize that immediately, but theyâll appreciate the greeting and thanks nonetheless. Being a traveler means you are actually trying to get to know the place, not just stopping through and snapping the pictures that everyone else takes. Talking to locals, even if itâs just hello and goodbye will take you more places than the average tourist. Look around you, how is everyone else acting? What are they doing in certain situations? It is best you try to follow suit. The other night I was at a new teachers party and I found myself drinking beer out of the bottle. All of a sudden I felt really awkward when I realized everyone else was pouring theirs into a little tumbler. I quickly grabbed a glass and took their lead. Some things will seem really unnatural, like using a spoon to eat everything, but if everyone else is doing it you probably should be too.
Always smile and look upbeat. Appearing to be stressed out or angry doesnât help in any situation so why give off bad vibes? If you look approachable and are in need of something you can find help easier than if you start barking questions at people. On that note, donât always trust the first answer you get. There are bad people everywhere, some are trying to scam you and others sincerely want to help. Try to get a good read on the situation before you agree to go somewhere, pay someone or do something. Tourists are easy targets, be a traveler. Do your research or at least pretend you know what youâre talking about before you jump into anything.
Use your instinct. Maybe this sounds cheesy, but if somewhere in your heart or mind thereâs an alarm going off, do what makes you comfortable. Donât wait until the situation progresses. Act on instinct, itâs usually right.
Remember to go with the flow. Donât expect everything to always work out your way. Do you have bad days in your hometown? Well they might be worse in a new place because youâre not as comfortable, but just remember to chill out and be accepting of what is happening to you.
Donât compare here to there. Every place is different. Camden is different from Philly and theyâre only separated by the Delaware River. Fishtown and Kensington are completely different neighborhoods that border each other. So never compare your home country to the one your visiting or even city to city in each country because each place has its benefits and pitfalls. Instead of pointing them out accept them or work around them. Thereâs no time to complain while youâre abroad because when you go back to your everyday life youâll be wishing for those quirky differences instead of the same old, same old.
Donât keep all your money in the same place. I learned this when I was like eight. Iâm not sure if I remember the story correctly, but my older sister Katie left her wallet at a mall when she was on her way to Florida. Luckily she stashed her cash in a couple places so she wasnât left high and dry. Is this correct Kate? When Iâm traveling I only take a little bit of cash with me, just enough to get me by until Iâm back at my apartment or hotel. Always be prepared for the worst, Iâm not saying expect to be mugged, but know that it can and sometimes will happen and you wonât be too angry when itâs twenty bucks instead of fifty and your credit cards. If you want to carry your cards with you, make sure you have copies of the cards, your license and your passport back at your hotel or in another bag. You never know when you might need those numbers or forms. Itâs also good to keep a copy with someone at home just incase something really goes wrong.
There are a few essentials needed for every trip. Iâm going to try and list some things I never forget to pack. Toilet paper. It stinks, but in other countries itâs not always provided for you. In Thailand itâs almost never provided, even at school, so I have it in my bag at all times. Soap too. If thereâs no toilet paper you can bet thereâs no soap. I have a little container of sheet soap made by Coleman. It looks almost like a Listerine breath strip, but when you put it under water it dissolves into sudsy soap. Sunglasses, itâs sunny everywhere, well almost everywhere and you donât want to be squinting when youâre trying to look at picturesque landscapes do you? Chapstick is something I have to have with me all day everyday so I always pack one with SPF. Sunscreen is important for most destinations too. Nothing is worse than getting sunburn when youâre going to be outside all day carrying a backpack around. A phrasebook or guidebook is good to have on hand if youâve never visited the country before. Sometimes sites are closed or buses stop running and you need to look things up in a hurry or ask for help. The Internet wonât always be where you are. A drink bottle is extremely important. Mine is constantly attached to my hand when Iâm out and about. Clean water might not be easy to find and getting dehydrated will ruin your entire trip. A lighter and pocketknife are good tools to have in any situation so even though I donât smoke I always have a lighter, you just never know, so why not carry another ounce of weight that could potentially save your life?
There are a few other things that I find essential, but others may not. Number one is my camera. On long trips I take multiple cameras in case one breaks or gets stolen. DSLRs are a pain to lug around, but most of the reason I travel is to document different spaces and places so without my camera I would be miserable. An Ipod is also nice for long bus, train, plane and taxi rides. I like to go for runs too and itâs almost painful without music in my ears. An Ipod is also a multiuse tool, I use my alarm, calculator, translator and other apps all the time. Lastly, I always take a few good pieces of jewelry. Maybe this doesnât apply to some men out there, but you want to look good in your photos even though youâve been traipsing around for days without a decent shower. It is a guarantee that the background is going to be more breathtaking than you so why not spice things up with a leather bracelet or a favorite necklace? On this trip Iâve been wearing two leather bracelets that I made with my sisters the weekend before I left. Iâm also swapping in and out of three of my favorite necklaces. You donât want to wear flashy jewelry though, blending in is a good thing when youâre away from home. A photo or two of loved ones. Theyâre great to look at, but also to show new friends. The best part of traveling is the cultural exchange. I think thatâs what really sets tourists apart from travelers. Iâm sure Iâm forgetting a few things, but all in all I think I have a pretty good handle on the essentials for any trip. Usually you can buy whatever you forget, but I wouldnât feel comfortable if I didnât always have the above items.
The most important part of being a traveler is exploring. You have to be adventurous. Try new things. Donât just sit on the beach in the sun all day. If youâre going to sit on the beach why not talk to the people next to you, do anything that makes your day more interesting, youâll thank yourself later. One of my parentsâ friends, Eileen, actually met the dictator of Spain doing just that.  She was on the beach talking to Francisco Francoâs childrenâs governess and she invited Eileen to dinner.  At the time she only knew him as Frank and years later, when he died, Eileenâs husband said Francisco Franco diedâŚit was in the paperâŚshe looked at the picture and saidâŚthatâs Frank and told him the story. Prior to that she had no idea it was FrancoâŚshe just thought Frank was really rich and had a really nice house. So go explore and learn something new. Tonight Iâm going to Loy Krathong, a holiday here in Thailand that celebrates water. Iâm sure youâll hear about it tomorrow.
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