There is a separation between a tourist and a traveler. A tourist is someone who travels for pleasure… and while I derive pleasure from traveling, the purpose is quite different for me. I am a traveler because I CRAVE the unknown, so I claim either traveler or globetrotter to be a better definition. I like the butterflies I get from going somewhere that I know little or nothing about – places where don’t speak the language. I like walking the back streets and areas of town where you don’t see a Starbucks. And I am a people watcher… finding a restaurant off the beaten path or a little boutique hotel is where my fun is. Taking in a culture makes me happy – and staying at home makes me antsy and uncomfortable if I am there too long.

Now I do talk some about having a vacation on a beach and not doing anything -But I don’t think it would last long, unless it was on an island that I could walk the shores without many people around.

I am a photographer of people – so much happier photographing in new and unusual places on our planet, meeting new people, smelling new smells (good or bad), and breathing air in as many places as I can in my lifetime.

I enjoy creating travel lists of places I want to go and explore… How about you? If you are a traveler… what’s on your short list?