Tourist Vs Traveller

Wednesday 6th August 2014
After checking in to my Santo Spirito, Florence apartment I realised I needed to take a step back & let my body recover from this cough. While travelling it’s easy to forget the balance your health needs & as I enjoyed the hottest shower I’ve enjoyed for a long time, I realised I couldn’t remember the last time I had a full nights sleep? I think I’ve had 2 chill days since this trip began? 
It does mean I losing a day of exploring Florence but I’m 99% sure I’ll return one day!

I had another one of the enlightening travellers chats with one of my flatmates over breakfast today. I’m not sure what it is about travelling, but people are so much more uninhibited with their conversations regardless of their background? I’m not exaggerating when I say even the briefest conversation can cover society, religion, politics, nutrition, sex, health & one’s life story in an ongoing flow between people. One comment that is often reflected on is the difference between a tourist & a traveller? 

I like to believe I fit into the later? I avoid resorts like the plague & feel the most at home as I do right now sitting in a locals apartment! While I may be missing out on playing tourist through the city, I’ve been taking in the local live music jam playing downstairs & the view of the terracotta tiles & traditional architecture…Oh, I can’t exclude the scaffolding outside one of my windows! What european view does not have scaffolding now? Fortunately for me, the labourers seem to function on Italian time so there hasn’t been too much disturbance by them.

Hostel stays have their benefits too as travellers connect whether you are from the same neighbourhood, in need of some random conversation or sharing travel experiences. When we return home, our loved ones capacity to listen to our travel experiences is limited so it’s refreshing to have people to chat with who are experiencing the same trails & emotions that comes with leaving your comfort zone to experience the world. Yesterday as we waited for our meal, a traveller causally shared how she ate sheep testicles in Africa like it was a perfectly normal occurrence! I believe only a traveller can understand that scenario?

I’m coming to believe the difference between a tourist & a traveller is in your ability to create connections.