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Posted:07/16/20135:35pmEDT Updated:09/15/20135:12amEDT

AreYouaTraveleroraTourist?TaketheQuiztoFindOut!

ByCandiceGaukelAndrews

Whatmakesa touristdifferent froma traveler?Whenrecentlypondering thatquestion, I foundMerriamWebster's tobeof littlehelp.Myoldstandbydictionarydefinesatouristas"onethatmakesatourforpleasureorculture"andatraveleras"onethatgoesonatriporjourney."Nobigdistinctionthere.

I then took a different tack: I checked forums on the Internet where the issue had been discussed. On theFodor's site, a commenteridentified as "nytraveler"wrote, "I'm a tourist. I go to all sorts of places independently andwant to see how locals live. I go to typicalrestaurantsandcafsbutIwanttoseeallthemajorsights(aswellassomeminorones).Attheendoftheday,IwantacomfyhotelroomwithAC, roomservice, andTVwithagazillionchannels andagoodconcierge. Ihavea friendwho is a traveler.Shehasbeenup theAmazon (ina canoe,nota riverboat),has lived inayurt inMongolia, and stayed ina lot of small townsaround theworldwithout theamenities(placeswithlimitedelectricityandhotwater)thatIexpect."

Anotherresponderstated,"Havingaglassofwineforanhourinanontouristysectionoftownmakesyounomoreatravelerthansomeonewhoishavingaglassofwineforfifteenminutesinthemustseepartoftown.StudyingthenuancesoftheWaterLiliesbyMonetforhalfadaymakesyounomoreatravelerthansomeonewholooksatitforfiveminutesandwantstomoveontothenextmuseum."

"Fashionista"putherthoughtssuccinctlyinonesentence:"Atouristisanamateurtraveler,andatravelerisaprofessionaltourist."

Sincethereseemstobenopreciseconsensusonwhatmakesatouristdifferentfromatraveler,Idecidedtomakeupmyownquiz,informedbythethoughtsofsomefamouswriterstravelersall.

So,answermyfivequestions,below,tofindoutwhetheryou'reaconfirmed,unapologetictouristoratruetraveler.And,ifyouthinkyou'vegotadefinitivewaytodistinguishbetweenthesetwotypesofwayfarers,letusknowinthecommentssection,foundafterthequiz.

TouristorTravelerQuiz

1.Beforeyouvisitanewdestination,doyouconductresearchandmakealistofthingstoseeanddo,sothatyourtimeonvacationiswellspent?

YesNo

2.Onceyoureturnhomefromatrip,what'sthefirstthingyoudo?

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Startplanning foryour nexttrip Organizeyour photosand postthem onFacebook Spend alot of timethinkingabout andrememberingthe trip youjusttook

3.Whenyougetdowntimeonvacation,doyoupreferto:

RelaxintheloungeofyourhotelbyreadingabookorpeoplewatchingWanderthenearbystreets,nomattertheweatherconditionsTakeanapinyourroom

4.Onaguidedtour,ifthingsdon'tgoaccordingtotheitinerary,doyou:

DemandarefundforthatportionofthetripFeelmildlyannoyedJustgowiththeflow

5.Whendecidingwheretotravelnext,doyouchooseaplaceorculturethatis:

AsdistantaspossiblefromwhereyouliveAsdifferentfromyourownlifestyleaspossibleItdoesn'tmatterhowdistantordifferent

Scoring:

1. Ifyouansweredyestothisquestion,you'reprobablymoreofa tourist thanatraveler. Ifyouansweredno,youprobablyhavetravelertendencies.

Tourists typicallyhaveamission inmindwhenthey travel.Forexample,accordingto theNationalGeographicSociety,90percent of allvisitorstotheGrandCanyoncongregateattheSouthRim,snappictures,andleavewithinhours.Iwouldarguethatmostofthesepeoplearetouristsbecauseoftheirsingularfocusontheirmaincompulsiontojustseethisnaturalphenomenon.

According to theEnglish journalist,novelist, andessayistGilbertK.Chesterton, "The travelerseeswhathesees, the tourist seeswhathehascometosee."

2. If you checked the thirdboxunder this question, it's safe to assumeyou're a traveler.Travelers tend tobe abitmore reflective thantourists.AsNewYorkTimesbestsellingauthorPatConroywrote,"Onceyouhavetraveled,thevoyageneverends,butisplayedoutoverandoveragaininthequietestchambers.Themindcanneverbreakofffromthejourney."(Theitalicsaremine.)

Ifyoucheckedthe firstboxunderquestion2,you'remost likelya tourist (seeexplanation inanswer1regardingthosewhoaremissionoriented).Ifyoucheckedthemiddlebox,you'realittleofboth.

3.Afewyearsago,ItookaspringtriptotheSouthwestcanyons.Ihavearatheractivefearofheights,andafteraboutourfifthorsixthtrek on narrow paths next to sheer dropoffs in sweltering heat, our group paused for a water break. I honestly didn't know if I couldphysicallygoon.Ourguide,naturephotographerEricRock,toldus,"Touriststravelthroughalocationbyseeingitfromawindoworadeck.Travelersallowthemselvestobeimmersedinthespot.Whenyouletyourselfgetdirty,wet,muddy,andcold,thenyouhavefoundaplace."

Ifyouchose"wander thenearbystreets,nomatter theweatherconditions" forquestionNo.3,scoreoneonthe travelerendpointof thecontinuum.Ifyouchose"relaxintheloungeofyourhotelbyreadingabookorpeoplewatching,"markthisonthetouristside.Ifyouchose"takeanapinyourroom,"well,it'sawash.Weallgettiredontripsespeciallyonthatsixthhikeinhotsunonthebrinkofanabyss.

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American writer Daniel J. Boorstin once penned, "The traveler wasactivehewentstrenuously insearchofpeople,ofadventure,ofexperience.Thetouristispassiveheexpectsinterestingthingstohappentohim.Hegoes'sightseeing.'"

4. Ifyoucheckedeitherof the first twoboxeson thisone,you'rea tourist.Because you are missionoriented (see answer 1), your main reason fortraveling is to see the places and take part in the events you've alwaysdreamedofseeinganddoing.Ifthisdoesn'thappen,itwillbeannoyingandnotwhatyouexpectedtogetoutofthetrip.

If you're a gowiththeflow type, then you're probably a traveler, asMerriamWebster'sdefinesit,who'sonajourney,whereveritleads.

The 1962 Nobel Prize in Literature recipient John Steinbeck said, "Ajourneyislikemarriage.Thecertainwaytobewrongistothinkyoucontrolit."

5.Agoodfriendofminewhoisanavidtravelerrecentlysentmeanemail.Init,shewrotenewsofherandherhusband:

"Inourcurrentstateof'notgettingaroundmuchanymore,'ourwildlifeviewingismostlyinourbackyard,wherewehaveaplethoraofbabybirds,rabbits,andsquirrels.ThatmakesitahappyhuntinggroundforthegorgeousmaleNorthernharrierthatoftensitsonthesupportingpoleofoneofourbirdfeeders,abouttwentyfivefeetfromourpatio.Wehavehadharriersinouryardbefore,butneverquitethatclose.WehaveCarolinawrens nesting in our defunct gas grill, and cardinals reposing in a hanging plant on our front porch, preventing us fromwateringit.Wehopetheyfledgeintimetosavetheplant."

Thisfriendlymessageremindedmethatifyou'remoreofatraveleratheartthanatourist,yourjourneyshaveawayofcontinuing,evenifphysically,youhaven'tgoneveryfar.AsAmericaniconandauthorHenryMillerstated,"One'sdestinationisneveraplace,butanewwayofseeingthings."Iwouldaddthatadestinationcouldalsobetoanotherseasonorclimate.

IfyoucheckedeitherBox1orBox2,you'reatourist.IfyoucheckedBox3,you'reatraveler.

Whichevercategorymostofyouranswerstendtofallunder,therearetwomorequestionsit'sworthwhiletoaskyourselfwhiletraveling.ThesecomefromRachelCarson,authoroftheclassicbookSilentSpring.Shewrites:

"Onewaytoopenyoureyesistoaskyourself,'WhatifIhadneverseenthisbefore?WhatifIknewIwouldneverseeitagain?'"

Safeandhappytravels,

Candy

PhotoCaptionsandCredits:

1.Onlyabout10percentofGrandCanyonvisitorsgototheNorthRim.JohnT.Andrews

2.Travelersandtouristsshouldaskthemselves,"WhatifIknewIwouldneverseethisagain?"CandiceGaukelAndrews

3."Whenyouletyourselfgetdirty,wet,muddy,andcold,thenyouhavefoundaplace,"saysnaturephotographerEricRock.EricRock

FollowAdventureCollectiononTwitter:www.twitter.com/adventucollectnAmazonTripsQUIZTravelerTravelTipsRachelCarsonRachelCarsonSilentSpringTravelTravelQuizMongoliaTravelTourist

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