By Cathy Severson

Retirement travel is the number one activity for people post-work. There are many reasons why people travel. Have you ever considered your reason to travel? Particularly, if you travel overseas, do you ever consider whether you are a traveler or a tourist?

While everyone will have an opinion about the difference between being a traveler and a tourist, here are a few of mine.

Travel as a learning experience. You don’t need to be involved in a formal travel learning experience to want to understand the country, people and culture of your destination. Do you learn about your destination, the history and culture of the country you are visiting?

Travel as an opportunity to connect. Do you feel like you’re an ambassador to other countries? Sometimes people are too focused on what they want from their travel experience to realize they represent their country in the world. Most fellow travelers I encounter don’t want to be characterized as the ‘Ugly American’ and go out of their way to interact with people in other countries.

Willingness to try new things. The whole point of travel is to have new and different experiences. Sometimes that will mean being out of your comfort zone. Are you willing to try new things when you travel? Or do you want it just like it is at home? Take the opportunity to immerse yourself in the country you’re traveling to.

Slow down. It’s often difficult, especially if you’re on a tour to take the time to smell the roses. Instead of rushing to another museum, take an afternoon to sit in an outdoor café and watch the people go by. We want to make the most of our travel dollars, but when we’re  in a hurry to see all we want to see, we lose the essence of the experience.

Retirement travel is a great way to spend time. There are times when it’s perfectly okay to be a tourist. Also, take the opportunity to be a traveler once in awhile by expanding your travel experience.