As time passes on the road you realize that people can be bucketed by two main categories: Where they are in their trip (Traveler Life Cycle) and what kind of trip they’re on (Trip Style). Traveler Life Cycle is pretty easy: people either just started, are about to finish, or are close to the middle of their trips - this doesn’t really apply to folks who aren’t gone for more than a month. Trip Style is a little different. People are on Big Bad Around the World Trips (BBAWTs), or are Aggressive Niche Travelers (ANTs), or on Typical Corporate Holidays (TCHs), or Post-Uni Gap Years (PUGYs), or are Long-Term Underemployed/Traveler (LUTs), or Structurally Travel-Life Focused (STLFs), & some are just Hobos (HOBOS). All these people come at travel from totally different perspectives given their Traveler Life Cycle and Trip Style. It’s really fun to try and understand where people are on these spectrums and how that might influence some of the interactions we end up having. Here are some examples of folks:
You meet the guy from Australia who just left home on a six-month around the world journey (BBAWT). He’s the least jaded guy in the group, probably the most well read on the current location and well overall pretty much bursting with joy to share that he’s on the trip of a lifetime. He’s probably still wearing freshly laundered clothes, and might even be showering daily. It’s like a drug being around these folks, bursting with energy and anticipation for the joys, confusion and wow-moments they have in front of them. I can’t get enough of it, particularly now at month seven.
You meet the super young guy from Brazil who might just be on his first trip abroad and is SO excited about everything he sees (PUGY), it’s as if every corner, every little thing most jaded travelers would take for granted is like a gift to this kid. He’s walking around with a goofy grin all the time. It’s pure joy. He’s the guy who is wowed by the pretty standard architecture at the mall. Hanging out with him is a joy, you look at things with new found wonder and hope; and just in general feel like it’s all possible. Even a boring afternoon in Santiago, Chile is in fact someone’s best day ever. And you get to have as many of those as you want.
You meet someone squeezing in a little travel before settling in to a new life abroad (STLF). The travel is exciting but there is anticipation and hope for life in a new country that drives their approach to travel. They’re kind of jealous of the folks bouncing around the planet with no real expectations of where they might be in a month. They’re the one who reminds everyone after re-telling in-country battle scar stories (e.g. Can you imagine having to deal with this plumbing all.the.time.), that they actually live here now. And at that moment, everyone’s a little jealous that they’re taking the plunge and living abroad semi-permanently.
You meet the guy who’s totally obnoxious about everything (STLF). Only to find out they’ve done a bunch of amazing volunteering with their last four months, and its only one in a series of altruistic travels, over the course of a lifetime.
You meet someone who works half the year to travel the other half. In a career where that could be considered totally crazy (STLF). She’s the one plotting her next continent for later on this year. (Who am I kidding we’re all plotting our next continent while on the road)
You meet the guy or gal who just shames everyone with their travel stories (STLF). Yeah they spent two years in Africa, yeah they’ve motorbiked across South America, yeah they’ve lived in SE Asia, Of course they’ve climbed Killi, and they’ve just come back from a few months studying tribes in Papau New Gieau. Everyone pretends to like this person, but we all hate them. “Omg, I can’t believe all you’ve done, that’s totally wild.” Actual Meaning: “Stop showing off, I bet you’ll never have the bowel movements of a normal human again."
You meet someone about to go home after a long journey through South America. They’re on the next plane back to America or Europe or Australia. They’re a little sad that it’s over, but they’re souls are overflowing with amazing energy, tough moments and brilliant descriptions of what they’ve seen on the road. Usually, these folks make me the happiest, I see them with their travel experience cups floweth over, their hearts filled, and their souls content. They’ve been out here and have DONE SOMETHING. It doesn’t matter how it went or what exactly they did. But they did it. On their own. Weathering some rather pragmatic headwinds to make it happen. They leave excited to return home, knowing that it’ll be bittersweet. But that they’ll be back on the road when it makes sense for them. And that they go home better, richer, and maybe even a little wiser.
You meet people who you can’t believe have been on the road this long. (2 years!) Or that plan to do some outlandish things (Bicycle to the end of the world from the States and then up through Africa to Europe). You meet people having some rather normalish holidays. You meet people who are sweeping in for a long weekend in Buenos Aires.
You meet people everyday while you’re on the road. And everyday you meet someone who’s bringing unique energy and enthusiasm to this travel life.
It’s a glorious thing. Because out here. On the road. Those are the only people we have. People that are pumped about what they’re doing or just did or about to do. And, it’s addictive, that energy. That vibe. That enthusiasm. Sometimes I catch myself just kind of starring off as someone is talking, thinking about how thankful I am to be hanging out with folks that are truly where they’re supposed to be. And that’s out here, on the road. And it’s kind of amazing.
I guess the point is you meet people. And they remind you that life is beautiful. That the world is huge and weird. And they we can twirl our way through it however we damn well please.