Who are
travellers?
It is easy to use
the term ‘travellers’ and group people together, but in fact everyone travels differently
and for a variety of reasons. Some people become travellers temporarily each
year when they go on an annual holiday. Others travel for extended periods,
such as those on round-the-world trips and expats who live and work overseas to
further their careers, or simply for the experience. There is a growing group
of people who choose a non-location-dependent existence and effectively live on
the road. These long-term travellers are the ones who tend to be labelled
‘bums’.
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| Tourists are just one sort of traveller. |
An education
There is no
debating it; travel is an education. Visiting foreign countries and
experiencing life other than how you know it to be can be life changing. A few
experiences abroad can forever alter your perspective. Seeing how much or how
little others have and need enables you to see your own country with new eyes.
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| Covering up to visit a mosque. |
Travel also
teaches you a lot about yourself. You will quickly learn your limits when
trying to get un-lost in a new city, attempting to communicate in a foreign
language or even just learning the different systems in a new place. Being
outside your comfort zone forces you to adapt to new situations. Travelling,
especially alone, can sometimes leave you feeling vulnerable which furthers
your patience and sympathies with others.
Bums
There will always
be people who are less focused on the things society attributes value to, such
as careers and property-ownership, and they are frequently judged to be bums. There
are also times in everybody’s lives when you just need a break. I think referring
to travellers as ‘bums’ is really a reflection of the people using the term. Choosing
to label people in this way is often for reasons of jealousy or disapproval.
What do you
think? Are travellers just bums?
