Living the Life

Many people believe in the saying, it is not the destination but the journey. For others it is, not the journey but the company. Trips suck when it is made alone. It is memorable when shared with others. It becomes once in a lifetime when shared by someone you love. How many vacations have we planned and made with friends being by our side since day one: planning the trip, shopping for clothes, packing and even calling each other the night before the trip as you both cannot sleep of excitement.

We travel to explore the world, to experience things we do not ordinarily see (and taste, when it comes to exotic food). We also travel to relax and forget about the stress at work and the problems in life. Sometimes we travel to escape. We also travel to spend more time for ourselves and people that are valuable in our life. We want to share the experience with them, have fun with them, discover with them. As with plane tickets, passport and a plan, the company makes or breaks vacations.

There are different kinds of travelers. There are those who love the sights. Mostly older people, they want trips prearranged and everything settled before hand. They would rather travel in large groups in tour buses with chaperones and tour guides talking them through the sites, its history and its significance. Most of these kinds of tourists travel to natural attractions and historical sites. And take pictures.

Then there are the adventurous types. They seek the most exotic islands, or the most interesting of towns. They check books and the Internet or ask travel agents on the most secluded islands or the best surfing spots. They travel cheap and they travel with backpacks. They may not stay in five-star hotels or travel in rented cars or tour buses; they even often take public transport. However, these tourists disappear for weeks, months even. Part of their adventure is blended in with their destination. To stay where the locals stay, to eat what they eat and to see the place as how locals see it.

The affluent and the fat-walleted travel in pomp and style. Their assistants and their travel agents book business class and reserve five-star boutique resorts in a secluded island with an exclusive airstrip. They travel with suitcases labeled with the best brands around. They are not our villain tourists. They certainly bring the cash and the lifestyle. They look for spa treatments and relaxation. They frolic in private pools or get served by butlers. They go for shopping, donate money to a local charity, and even adopt a local child. They rent yachts, sky dive or charter a plane for a sightseeing ride. They are rich, they are stylish, but they also want to run away from it all and have fun, the pompous way.

There are others more. They are the weekend tourists who usually hop to a nearby destination for a day or two, the budget travelers, the honeymooners who just want to stay in one place for a week, the family travelers with the kids in tow. They are all travelers. All wanting to see the world, all wanting to have fun.

Whatever kind of traveler you are, you are part of a breed of humans who see the world beyond their comfort zone. You are one of few people who knows have to have fun. Who knows what it is to be alive.