Walk off the beaten path. 

I consider myself a traveler. 

One thing that distinguishes us travelers from tourists is that we don’t stick to tourist areas while on vacation. We dare to walk on the beaten path, to go where no foreigner has ever gone. Off course we also visit some attractions, they are still attractions for a reason. But we just don’t stick to the guide book. If we even have one? Am I right? Correct if I’m not, but that’s how I do it in anyways. 

And it makes for a genuine adventure. I also try to tour places with locals. It gave me an entire new vision on Toronto. I discovered Utrecht with a friend from there and we still discovered new places and hidden back alleys. Another friend gave me tips for exploring Hamburg, and even though he wasn’t with me, I had a better time than without his tips. When I was in Amsterdam for the first time, camping out on Centrum Eiland in Ijburg (on Amsterdams Urban Campground), I got invited for dinner from the organizers, and I got some great tips for exploring on the next day. 

So don’t just walk off the beaten path. Do it with locals whenever you can. Maybe even join an Instameet to meet new people. You’ll learn a whole new way of exploring. A whole new perspective on life itself. 

And maybe you make friends for life. For that, I keep a friend book. So that people I meet can write something for me, if they want to. Just don’t push it. 

Now it’s up to you. What do you think about the beaten path of the tourist? Do you wander off Main Street or do you stick to it? Tell me in the comments down below. Who knows, maybe we’ll meet one day.