Ways To Move & See - the difference between vacation and travel.

Ways to move and see - the difference between vacation and travel.

Hello and welcome back to yet another elite ramble. This week I am settled for a few days in Greece and had a waiter ask how our vacation is going. This question alongside seeing rows and rows of beach chairs draped with sunburnt bodies as I ran down the shoreline got me wondering what the difference is between vacation and travel. Follow along and maybe, just maybe we can find a way to tie the act of running into it all.

I thought about looking up or asking chat what the difference is but instead I’ll use my brain and try to come up with something that makes sense and try to explain it with the vocabulary I have. 

So, what is Vacation? From what I can gather I would say in the simplest term it’s an escape. It’s likely paired with words like “all inclusive” or a cruise of some sort. The bulk of people who get the opportunity to fly and visit foreign lands most of the time get 4-6 weeks off a year so they have minimum time and want maximum chill. To not think about much if anything at all and when one beer is done the next one arrives. Perfect. Not knocking this as I have been in the 9-5 grind and can understand that the last thing you want to do is anything more than necessary to relax. I can imagine most of the vacation types simply are not looking for the same experiences as a traveller might. They are happy with a new magnet for the fridge and a crispy sunburn to flex when they get back to winter.

Now, to follow up with what is Travelling?  Travelling in essence is something that grows our empathy and understanding of how others live through first hand experiences. There is a sprinkle of escapism but it’s rooted in curiosity and searching for a feeling that might only be found if you allow life to show you the way. It’s also the way a lot of our favourite places become cultured. Someone leaves, learns something new or gets inspired and returns to bring this new feeling to their familiar place. That’s pretty cool. The experiences are rarely found in the privacy of hotel rooms or resorts, rather at hostels or airbnb’s where the hosts want to share their homes and the uniqueness of where they live with others.

Soooooo, how can we tie running into this? Since discovering the lore I have always made an effort to bring a kit with me to new places. When I land or find the right moment I will almost always go out and try to find my way back to the hotel. It makes you feel like a local almost immediately and often people will ask you for directions. It’s a way to see how the place flows and maybe scope out where the locals are eating while creating a little memory of turns you have made and landmarks to lead you back home. It’s a beautiful way to immerse ourselves in a new place, shake off some travel legs and figure out where the closest coffee is.

We at Flowerboy will always make an effort to provide the travel side of the coin to those that move with us. Taking the less travelled path, over some uneven bricks to see a temple beside the water or to see the daily rituals of the farmers walking with their ducks. To respect and honor traditions while introducing our community to new ones through events like Balap Lari.

So whether you packed too much or are wearing the same socks again I hope to catch you for a coffee and run sometime soon. 

Peace,

FB