But the real question is, why does one travel? There are 2 basic kinds of travelers, the grass roots, backpacking, really see the world type adventurer; and the snobby, check that destination off my list, and tell all my friends where I went, traveler. You know the ones I’m talking about. The ones that tell you how uninspired the 5 star hotel was, how their travel was long and arduous in their first class seat, how the snow in Vail was just too “icy” for their liking, or the 72 degree temperatures were a little too hot on the beach of the Riviera.
These fake travelers, as I call them, spend their vacations going to incredible places, come home, have house parties to tell people where they went. This makes them somehow important in their circle of friends. They check off that destination from their list, and start planning their next travel bonanza. Did you ever ask these snob travelers what they saw? Can they ever articulate the historical data and importance of where they went? If you did ask them, they don’t know. They only know how good they looked while they were there, and how many famous restaurants they were able to visit.
If you contrast this so-called traveler with the ones that really get into the trail and the destination, find bungalows, camp on the trail, see the real venue, you really start to see and understand what travel is all about. I’m not talking about a solo safari, on foot, in Africa. But I am talking about people who are visiting places for the sheer enjoyment of the surroundings and beauty.
I like to think about Lewis and Clark and their trek to the Pacific Ocean. You have to believe they saw the country, and lots of it. At one point in Montana, they had a fork to choose, and each decided to go a different way. They also agreed to meet back at this location on the return. After hundreds of miles for both parties, they met back at this same spot within a week of each other! And they didn’t complain about the weather, their mode of transportation, the Indians or their companions.
So what does this all mean? Today’s snob traveler is just another symbol of the soft America that exists today. We don’t know how to work, and alas, we don’t even know how to vacation and travel. Our brethren from the past would be appalled at our pompousness and lack of fundamentals. Thank goodness our forefathers had the knowledge and courage to understand that one’s life really should have some value, deliver some small contribution, and leave some mark that says you were there. I for one am not sure we will ever recover from the “ME squared” generation we are in today!
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