I am on the roads and out of mainstream life for 5 years.

In the articles of this blog you will find some; travel tips like “where to go”, “where to stay”, “how to define routes”, “preparation guide information”, “travel hints”, “suggestions”, “travel experiences” in time.

But in this article I will explain my view and philosophy on traveling and the difference between a traveler and a tourist.

  • Travel Obstacles are in the “State of Mind” more than Money…

You are so busy, right? You have no time or you don’t have enough money for traveling. Ok!

Actually if you think in this way, this is an escape. Travel is a matter of understanding more than money. You may find ways to travel in most circumstances.

If you have a desire and wish to travel, you can do it.

“Travel” is a magic way that rehabilitates much better than most of the healers and teaches you millions of things educational stuff you will experience in your life. You will be in touch with all kind of information at the moment you experienced it. 

Being Traveler is another state of being. The starting point is to decide to go out of your comfort zone.

You can never know what sort of changes you will live along this journeys. You must do it if you have desire to do it.

  • Who is a traveler? What is its difference from a tourist?

Being a traveler is to have a different paradigms to the life. Traveler generally has a mindset away from the material world. It is beginning to be free, being away from luxury and live in a modest functionality. Minimalism is essential but universal quality exists in all movements or actions of a traveler. 

Traveler knows that he is a student of all times. Traveler feels and understands lots of things better than most of the mainstream people. Certified authorities or common beliefs do not guide himself without questioning. But he is modest. He is the one who tries to find himself. Even though he couldn’t reach the ultimate range, looks for it. A real traveler is a truth seeker in a way. 

Traveler, generally, has less time limitation when compared to a tourist. The places to go is not that important actually. They may go touristic places as well but the real journey focuses on real feelings, differences, local life and realities. For sure, they visit high level of interest touristic places such as temples, volcanoes, art galleries, archaeological sites, pristine beaches or historical belongings. Traveler is a seeker, not the one who accepts everything as it is presented to him.

Sure there are different levels of travels and travelers. Some may be in extreme conditions whereas some may be in easy ways. But they are never bounded to be two or three weeks schedules and detailed predefined locations like tourists. They go with the flow.

The luxury hotels are not their accommodation. Budget travel is the main concern. They try to find the reasonable alternative prices for all cost items. But they do not hesitate to pay all the money they save with small savings for an “once in a lifetime attraction or experience” such as scuba diving in Ningaloo Reef or a tour in Salar de Uyuni or whatever it is. For a beautiful sunset they have some money for a drink. When the moment of the basic and simple pleasure occurs , travelers have no money concerns for these unique experiences to taste the moments of life.

  • Who is tourist?

Tourists generally go to a specific place for no more than 2-3 weeks. Due to their time limitation tourists do not make precise calculations on spending. Tourist budget is greater than travelers. Since they have very limited time they pay for all touristic activities in a short time without limitation. They pay more money for short time memories hastily. This is the point that tourism makes money.

Being a traveler is not suitable and does not seem possible for the ones who are living in mainstream life. The illusion that they live do not permit long time freedom leaves for its slaves. I also respect these people who try to travel even for short time since they try to escape from the illusion. Some of them reaches their freedom after these tries.

  • Real and Imaginary Domains…

We are living our big voyage in two domains from my perspective; “real” and “imaginary”. It is like Ying-Yang. “What is real?” and”What is imaginary?” change with respect to paradigm.

Travelers are courageous who have try to live different domains. They can leave their comfort zones. As you may appreciate it is hard to do that. But the ones who never try this, barely lives or even not.

In this respect let’s hear Pablo Neruda;

“Die slowly”

He who becomes the slave of habit,
who follows the same routes every day,
who never changes pace,
who does not risk and change the color of his clothes,
who does not speak and does not experience,
dies slowly.

He or she who shuns passion,
who prefers black on white,
that turn a yawn into a smile,
dies slowly.

He or she who does not turn things topsy-turvy,
who is unhappy at work,
who does not risk certainty for uncertainty,
to thus follow a dream,
die slowly.

He who does not travel, who does not read,
who does not listen to music,
who does not find grace in himself,
she who does not find grace in herself,
dies slowly.

He who slowly destroys his own self-esteem,
who does not allow himself to be helped,
dies slowly.

die slowly.

Let’s try and avoid death in small doses,

Only a burning patience will lead
to the attainment of a splendid happiness.”   Pablo Neruda.