Which Kind of Traveller Are You?

There is no right or wrong way to travel. Some people like to go on long, meandering trips. Others prefer short and sweet. Not everyone wants to uproot their life. At times, the timing is off, or the desire to travel directly ties in with wherever you may find yourself on the road of life.

There is a certain beauty in diversity, after all.

Which kind of traveller are you?

The Long Term Solo Traveller

You woke up one morning and decided that corporate life was not for you. After meticulously saving up your pounds/pennies, you quit your job to embark upon the adventure of a life time. Who knows how long you’ll be on the road for – weeks, months, maybe even years. You fund your travel by teaching English, volunteering and taking up the occasional odd job. The ultimate dream is to become a digital nomad, writing about your adventures from abroad.

Characteristics: Self-reliant, excellent at money management. Confident, able to strike up a conversation with complete strangers.

Favourite type of adventure: Undergoing an activity no one has thought to do before, or exploring a little known piece of paradise.

Can usually be found: Travelling throughout South-East Asia or country hoping around South America.

The Expat

You want to travel and travel often. However, you still enjoy the routine of every day life. Rather than embark on long-term travel, you nominated a foreign country as your home base and moved your life there. You found a job, joined a gym and picked a watering hole to haunt every Friday night. Exploring your new city brings with it as much joy, as a holiday in an entirely new country.

Characteristics: Brave. Resilient. A bit of a loner.

Favourite type of adventure: Wandering through the streets of your adopted home.

Can usually be found: At some obscure event found through Timeout or discounted on Groupon.

The Annual Leaver

You love travelling, but you didn’t want to give up your job or move abroad. Instead, you hoard your annual leave. Once a year, you take off on a fabulous vacation somewhere. You come back refreshed and tanned, ready to regale your co-workers with tales of your adventures.

Characteristics: Can get very distracted at work in the lead up to their break. Prone to post-holiday blues.

Favourite type of adventure: Three weeks in the USA.

Can usually be found: Reading travel blogs on the internet or in HR, investigating how many days of leave without pay they can take without getting fired.

The Gap Year-er

You’ve finished school or university, yet you’re not quite ready to enter the “real world”, or so to speak. So, you take a year off, to see the world while you’re young, before you get tied down.

Characteristics: Enthusiastic. Willing to give anything a go.

Favourite type of adventure: Anything adrenalin or alcohol fueled.

Can usually be found: In Europe at any number of summer events/festivals.

The Exchange Student

These are “the best years of your life” and you want to make the most of them. You’ve longed to live on campus – why not go one step further and do it in another country? You’ve got all the hard subjects out of the way, saving all your electives for a breezy semester abroad. You’re young and living in a foreign country – you’re going to party like it’s 1999!

Characteristics: Chilled out, but always up for an adventure.

Favourite type of adventure: Toga Party/University Games/Surprise camping trip

Can usually be found: In groups where no one nationality is the same.

The Mini-Breaker

You work hard throughout the week. By the weekend – you’re at breaking point. You hop in your car, or board a train. For two days, you’ll be out of the city, enjoying the peace and quiet of the countryside. You arrive back Sunday night, refreshed and ready to face the working week.

Characteristics: Incredibly up-tight on Friday, completely chilled-out by Sunday.

Favourite type of adventure: Camping and long, spontaneous road trips.

Can usually be found: Hiding out in a little cottage in the country, or sunning themselves by the sea.

The Family Abroad

You want to provide your children with the experiences that you never had growing up – give them a taste of the world. You’ve packed up your possessions, rented out your house, withdrawn your children from school and set out on a family holiday.

Characteristics: Pro at calming their children down on planes.

Favourite type of adventure: Adventure parks, beaches, natural monuments.

Can usually be found: Anywhere child-friendly

The Patriot

You’ve never owned a passport, or yours expired a long time ago. You have no desire to travel abroad. Why would you, when you live in the greatest country on earth? You devote your free time to exploring every inch of your homeland and will not hear a bad word against it.

Characteristics: Knowledgeable. Able to amuse themselves on eight hour road trips along an endless stretch of road.

Favourite type of adventure: A long road trip, exploring every inch of the countryside.

Can usually be found: Camping in the middle of nowhere, on a beach up the coast, or in a town hundreds of kilometres from their home base.

Which category do you fall into?