Indie travelers emphasize listening more than talking.
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We better understand ourselves and others when we leave home to experience the world firsthand. Independent travel is a departure from routine -- an opportunity to learn, have fun and embrace life in novel environments and cultures.
-Indie travel is about replacing broad expectations with nuanced realities.
-Indie travel is about seeing yourself in the context of a rich and complex world.
-Indie travel is about defining your values, exploring your beliefs, and crafting your own meaning for life.
Indie travelers value...
-Options over possessions
-Dynamic possibilities over static goals
-Discovery over escape
-Interactions over transactions
-Local information over received information
-First-hand experience over expert opinions
-Mental and spiritual growth as much as physical adventure
-Private transformation over social status and bragging rights
-The present moment over dreams of past and future
Indie travelers do...
-Pack light and keep things simple
-Adapt as they go rather than micromanage in advance
-Practice caution, but not paranoia
-Know how to slow down and enjoy an experience
-Seek pleasure in simple moments and details
-Make meaningful connections and informed decisions
-Learn the economic, political and environmental context of their host culture
-Emphasize listening more than talking
-Practice courtesy, patience, humility, and good humor
-Seek to understand -- not judge or romanticize -- other cultures
-Give back to the local economy
-Share what they’ve learned with others
I am an indie traveler,
I believe that travel is more about listening (and watching) then talking. Traveling is a chance for one to absorb. When visiting a new place the most memorable moments are when we see or hear something unusual. Something strange yet gripping. Listening to the sounds of a waterfall or the accents and languages of this new land. The sounds of different animals and forms of transportation. Or hearing no sounds at all, versus the urban day in and day out so many live in. While talking and sharing your own experiences with new people is wonderful, listening to others is what imprints those memories and moments of discovery in our brain. Even without traveling, listening brings us something new every time.