Vagabonding

Anthony Bourdain told us —perhaps even commanded us— to be travelers, not tourists.

What is the difference? Am I supposed to avoid packaged tours and guided strolls? Yes. Of course.

Let yourself wander. Find obscure food places. Talk to people. Inquire about their lives. Be genuinely interested in their stories.

Walking

There is nothing more sincerely human than walking through cities and marveling at what most people take for granted.

This is especially true in what remains of Europe. Beneath the noise —the imported music now echoing through old streets, the kebab shops, the ever-growing “multicultural” failed ensembles— lie the fading ruins of Western civilization.

The contradiction is obvious: am I not part of that noise as well?

I would argue no.

My approach to travel is to disappear into the background. To observe rather than influence. To absorb rather than consume.

I am not a tourist. I am a traveler. The difference is monumental.

Vagabonding

Vagabonding is the ultimate form of travel.

To wander. To be lost. To walk with no schedule and no objective other than remaining open to finding — or perhaps not finding — something remarkable within the ordinary.

Vagabonding is also a way to witness the slow decay of life itself; to see with your own eyes how time plays tricks on people, cities, and civilizations.

Be a traveler, not a tourist.