Five Key Differences Between An Adventurer And A Traveler

Do you spend your nights dreaming of far off lands and foreign places? You might be a traveler.

White water rafting, rocking climbing, and skiing in some remote forest sound more like your speed? You may be an adventurer.

Not sure? No worries my friend. Today, I’m breaking down five key differences between an adventurer and a traveler. Though they appear similar, beneath the surface tells a very different story. There’s more to this dynamic duo than meets the eye.

Ready to go?! Let’s dive in!

1. Hostel or tent?

Right out of the gate I want to point out this one. Travelers stay in hostels, hotels, cozy b + b, etc. In other words, they stay in buildings with four walls and a conventional bed in some type of town or city, relatively speaking. There are always exceptions.

In contrast, you won’t find adventurers at your local flophouse. They prefer to take the paths less traveled…literally. Tents, campers, and even hammocks are popular sleeping choices for the adventurous spirited. The more isolated from society they can get, the better. The only hostels they’ll encounter is if they run into a hungry bear–because hangry, duh?

2. City or the woods?

Now, this one isn’t concrete, but I still think it is a good contrasting point.

When I think of travelers I think of known cities and/or countries that host an array of tourist hot spots–like Paris, Rome, Bangladesh, Tokyo, etc. There’s endless things to do, new foods to try, and foreign cultures to immerse yourself in. It’s a good, fun time all around!

Adventurers on the other hand aren’t attracted to loud, bustling cities; try national forests and mountain ranges instead. These old souls appreciate the simple things in life and prefer to keep their fair distance from crowded places. They still visit cities, but instead of London, try Anchorage. Hello Denali National Park!

3. Extrovert or introvert?

Traveling equals cities and cities equal lots of people. Most introverts tend to retreat from the crowds after a few hours, needing to recharge their batteries. Extroverts, however, thrive on it!

A primary goal of traveling is to meet new people and experience foreign cultures. To accomplish this, you kind of need to like meeting people and doing out of the ordinary things. Those of us bestowed with the extrovert gene find this thrilling and stimulating!

Introverts on the other hand, though we do love our travel, tend to stick more with adventuring than we do traveling. Adventurers go where people don’t, that’s kind of the point of an adventure, to travel the roads less walked. It’s nothing personal, it’s just how we like to do things.

4. Soul or spirit?

So you know the old saying “the spirit wants adventure, but the soul wants rest?” Okay, I may have just made that up, but that’s beyond the point.

Travelers want adventure, while adventurers want rest. Confused? Let me break it down for you.

The whole appeal of traveling is the thrill of new places, trying foreign foods, and meeting people from different countries. In essence, travelers look for adventure. They want something that is going to stir up their spirit and excite them! They’re not exactly looking to refresh their soul like true adventurers.

While adventure is in their name, literally, it’s not exactly their primary goal. Adventurers aren’t looking for the next cheap thrill, they’re looking for the next thing that takes their breath away and makes them feel small. They don’t want something that excites them, but rather calms and refreshes their soul.

Travelers want adventure, while adventurers want rest. Do you see now?

5. Style or comfort?

We all want to look good, it’s human nature. We like to be stylish. Travelers take this a little further however.

While living out of a suitcase, they still take care to make sure they pack things that are both practical and stylish. You wouldn’t go out for a night on the town in dirty jeans and a flannel.

For adventurers, however, dirty jeans and a flannel work just fine. They don’t necessarily need the latest trend to feel cool. They quite like their Patagonia and Columbia.

There you have it, five differences between travelers and adventurers. I hope you enjoyed this post and gained a little insight into your true nature.

To my travelers, Adieu, Chow, Auf Wiedersehen, Adios, and goodbye.

To my adventurers, never stop searching and you will find.