cereal and chopsticks: Tourist vs. Traveler

I hate the word tourist. It brings images of large loud people wearing ridiculously bright clothing; all while they are pointing, gawking, and taking pictures. You know them; they wear white shoes with cameras hanging around their necks, large sun hats settled onto their heads.

I grew up close to the coast in NC along side a highway and every summer the road would become congested with tourists making their way to the beach. They would drive too slow or too fast, and when we would head down to the beach ourselves we would always complain. Never mind the fact that we didn't actually live at the beach ourselves. These people were outsiders. They didn't understand our way of life or appreciate what was right before them. On the way to the beach, did they notice the rows and rows of tobacco or corn that were so beautiful in their symmetry? Did they see the antebellum house with it's once tall proud columns, now gloved in 100 years worth of grime? No they only saw the beach and all it's touristy attractions.

In my travels, whether they be abroad or stateside, I've always hated the label "tourist". No I didn't care to see that tourist hotspot. Instead show me where the locals eat, what places to the locals avoid and gather around instead. Perhaps it's my insecurity of never fitting in. But these past three and a half months (is that all it's been?!) have shown me that fitting in isn't fueling this distaste of being labeled a tourist. (It's impossible to fit in!) I simply want to experience the life, the culture as the locals do. I want to taste their street food instead of going to a Hard Rock Cafe. I want to learn their phrases and join in on their craic (look it up). The coffee shop that nobody knows about-I want to go there. The obscure little hole in the wall shop-show me the way. No, not a tourist...a traveler.

The difference between a tourist and a traveler is simple. The tourist comes to experience the culture, both good and bad, and the tourist comes only to see what's in their Lonely Planet guide book. Now, I'm not saying it's wrong to go see a few of those tourist spots. Drop me in England and I'll head straight for all the literary landmarks that I've carefully planned out and have highlighted on a map. (I am a book nerd after all.) The point is, if you really want to travel to a different country then shouldn't you also want to get to know it's people, it's food, language, fashion, music, humor? You do a great disservice to the country you're in when you all you do is tour the hotspots, eat at "normal" restaurants, and wonder "why the hell doesn't anybody speak English?!" It's like a foreigner coming to America and only experiencing New Jersey. The horror.

Oh. Good. God.

Now a few of you may be thinking, ever so sarcastically, "uh...Jennifer...how do you blend in in South Korea?" Fantastic question. I don't. But I try my hardest to get to know the country that I live in, this fascinating, enchantingly wonderful country. I listen to Kpop, eat kimchi and like it, make friends with Koreans, learn Korean, watch Korean TV, and dress in Korean fashion. I love it. Getting to know the people here is one of the most enjoyable experiences of my life.

Another question you might be asking is, "Jennifer, if you're doing all this, aren't you just forcing yourself into something you don't really belong to?" Another great question, question asker! The answer: not at all. Experiencing new and strange things is something I love. LOVE. Listening to kpop doesn't mean I'm forcing myself to be anything other than myself. I'm not going to go through life listening to only one kind of music or eating one type of food. We all know that change is one of the only certainties in life and, just like everything else, people change and enjoy new things. I'm still Jennifer, just a bit more of an Asian version than when you last saw her. I am a traveler. My delight is to absorb other cultures and take what I enjoy from each and go into the world with a more global way of thinking and seeing than I did before. It's what I do.

So my plea to all who travel, especially to live in another country, get out of your little comfortable foreign box and experience life. Don't go in search of the foreign community and resolve that once you've found a few friends you're done. Get. Out. Of. There.

Live.