People always like to debate the supposed difference between travelers and tourists . Tourists are in and out of cities quickly, taking a few pictures, and following their guidebook to overpriced restaurants. Travelers, on the other hand, tend to move slower. We see many of the same sights as tourists but get off the beaten path, linger in cities longer, and make more of an effort to learn about the place. Or so we like to try. And then we leave saying “we’ve seen a place,” happy in our efforts not to be a tourist. But have we really seen anything? At what point can you leave a place and say “I saw and know something about life in city X.” I don’t think we ever really can. No matter how long we linger, little markets we explore, or non-touristy things we do, as travelers, we’ll never fully know a place- only someone who has lived there can claim that. I’m currently in Stockholm, where the weather is far colder than I like.

Read the original here When Can You Say You Know a Place?