As I write this, I am sitting in the shadows of the Himalayas awaiting a morning adventure to view the sunrise and then to visit the people at a Tibetan Refugee Camp. It is not an extremely common area of the world for travel – nor have been many of the areas I have venture.
This has led me to ask the nature of the people that go to areas away from their local land. Through my discussions and observations over the years, I view three groups.
The first are tourists. These folks are likely to book cruises where the buffets and drinks are the main draw, or a week in Cancun laying on a beach. Certainly nothing at all wrong with these things. Everyone needs some relaxation time and just plain time away from their usual humdrum life. But there is little beyond a basic escape for these folks.
The second group are travelers. These people do some research on the location where they will go at least touching on the history and culture. An while they are at their chosen location, they endeavor to gain some additional knowledge of the area – not necessarily in-depth knowledge, but none-the-less, knowledge.
The third group are explorers. For these individuals, it is about gaining knowledge and understanding. It is about learning ideas that may conflict with what they “know.” It is about developing beyond what they currently are. And hopefully, help others to do the same. It is about going to corners of the world outside normal “vacation destinations.” It is about experiencing life in a way outside of what their otherwise “normal” life would allow. It is about growing and evolving into more than they were before.
There is another group that exists peripheral to these three. It is the adventurer. An adventurer goes into places and situations that may be feared by others. But there are various types of adventures.
There are adventurers who go for the “thrill” without evaluating the rewards of knowledge and understanding versus the risk. These types are a danger to themselves and others.
There are adventurers who can be tourists, travelers, or explorers. The first are likely the type that are dangerous. They have not done the work to know what the risks and rewards truly are. Adventurers as travelers can have a heightened experience, but without full research, they also run the risk of being a danger to themselves and others. Finally, an adventurer who is an explorer can go further and gain a heightened sense of insightful knowledge and understanding. But it is certainly not a requirement for an explorer to be an adventurer to be truly successful in their quests.
Is any of these types better than the other? To make our world a better place, it is important to always seek to gain as much knowledge and understanding of other people, cultures, and general ways of life, not to mention learning about the sciences, arts, nature, and so much else that is important to who we are. Yet, it is difficult for many people with the daily demands on their limited time to progress beyond a simple tourist. In the end, it must be an individual choice, but a choice made knowing the need and the good that gaining deep knowledge and understanding is for themselves and for everyone.
