I’m Not a Judgmental Traveller, But…

There used to be a time when I believed that cruising wasn’t for me. I bought into all the common cruise misconceptions: the passengers would be too old, the food would be too generic, I’d get stuck eating meals with someone I hated, and that throughout the entire trip, the service would be lackluster.

Needless to say, after actually taking a cruise or two, I quickly learned just how wrong my impressions were. Sure there were elderly people, but after getting out-hiked, out-partied and generally out-classed by a pair of 90+ year old sisters, age was no longer an issue.

Food, as any cruiser knows, has come a long, long way in the past few years. I’ve had plenty of best-of-the-best culinary experiences on board cruise ships, but it was probably Bistro on Five, Celebrity Cruises’ crepe restaurant—located adjacent to a European pastry counter and coffee bar—that first had me rethinking my position on cruise ship food.

Still, I tend to be someone who prefers to explore things at my own pace. I might spend hours trying to figure out how things work at a science museum, but I probably don’t need more than 10 minutes looking at paintings of nudes eating grapes. Which doesn’t always fit well with the cruise ship ethos of moving a group of people from one place to another within an allocated period of time.

That’s just how I work.

But the beauty of travel is that it’s okay to travel any way you please. Travel is an intensely personal affair. For some, it is an exploration of self—an understanding of how one small piece of humanity can fit into the greater picture. For others, travel is simply a way to recharge, to get away and allow others to shoulder the hassles and grievances of daily life. Others still enjoy the opportunity to reconnect, to challenge themselves, or to sip and savor their ways through new cultures.

While some feel the need to plant their flag on the most remote shores of the world, others flock to wait in line at the happiest place on earth. Neither of these is a wrong way to travel.

I know some people who refuse to carry maps—or at least they did before apps became so popular—for fear of looking touristy. But sometimes touristy is good. One of the most touristy places on earth is Mexico City’s Xochimilco district with its floating gardens and its colorfully decorated gondola-style boats. No matter how many times I visit I get caught up in the celebratory vibe and it continues to be one of my favorite experiences in Mexico.

Admittedly, I don’t always “get” people’s choices. I tend to avoid visiting places with long lines, eating at international fast food chains and taking selfies pretty much anywhere. But I have no issues with people who do like these activities. As long as people are getting some enjoyment from their travels, more power to them.

The one thing that does set my judgmental nerve tingling, however, is when people identify themselves by how many countries they’ve visited. In one simple sentence, these “travellers” have reduced the concept of travel into nothing more than a competitive sport.

To the person who’s counting, I say “who cares?” Or, if it makes you feel better, “you win.”

I couldn’t even come close to telling you how many countries I’ve visited. I do know that some of my favorite travel spots are California, Canada, Fiji and Japan. I also know that could explore these destinations over and over—and I have, come to think of it—and yet never even feel close to being able to marking them as “done” on a check list.

I don’t understand the mentality of someone who travels hundreds or thousands of miles out of the way, just to gain a hard-to-earn stamp for their passport, without ever leaving the airport. What’s the merit in that?

I have plenty of places I still want to visit, but I want to experience them. I want to ice fish on Lake Erie, I want to drive Route 66, I want to learn how to make the best dim sum dumplings, I want to climb the ruins of Tikal and I want to learn how to yodel. And none of those experiences will be made better by acquiring a stamp to prove I did them.

I guess for some people it really is about the journey and not the destination.

But I don’t care. If your social media profile counts down how many countries you still have to visit, I’m pulling out my judgmental flag. Long may it wave.