Grounded Traveler

Week 2 Prompt: Are you an indie traveler? What do you think makes someone an indie traveler?

Between, near our apartment for a week in Valencia, Spain

Week two of the BootsNAll Indie Travel Challenge asks about the meaning of indie travel and whether I feel I am an indie traveler.

My take on indie traveler starts etymologically. Etymology is the study of how our new bug overlords will.. no wait, has nothing to do with bugs that’s entomology. Etymology is looking at where words come from. “Indie” comes from independent for me. So am I an independent traveler?

Independent from What?

The first question is then “What are we trying to be independent from?” I expect this answer is different for each of us.

• Parents, friends, partner? – Perhaps to show we can “do it on our own.”
• Tour group bus? – Maybe to have the freedom of choice.
• I’m sure the list goes on…

Yes, I think I am an independent traveler. I independently book the things that I want to do when I travel. I plan a trip that I want to go on, including all of the effort that goes into finding hotels and hostels as well as transport connections. This is after I have figured out what the heck I want to see and where to go. In this I feel independent.

Usually….

There are times that I choose to book a tour. Be this either a day trip or a week bustrip to Scotland and England. I like this option. There are plenty of things, especially as a day trip, that are just easier to have a tour. I did half day van tours in the Loire valley which were excellent. I was on day trips back to back in Ireland. Far better than anything I could have managed with public transport.

Freedom to Choose

I think the “indie” idea seems to come down to freedom to choose. Simply to do what you want. Not to be closed into a resort or have to be back to the bus at a specific time to make the cruise ship. To be able to decide, nope I don’t want to go to X, I’d rather change my plans can go to Y. This is independent travel and indie travelers for me.

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Category: Challenges

Tags: challenge