Tourist, traveler

“The traveler sees what he sees. The tourist sees what he has come to see.”
― G.K. Chesterton

A traveler is what I longed to be

To experience new places, with an open mind see

New landscapes, mingle with people different

From one adventure to another- that’s how I wanted life spent

I wanted to take dusty paths, offbeat

To be in the company of travelers elite

Who explored remote places, had experiences thrilling

I wanted to do that, to take risks I was willing..

**

But in a pragmatic life, now my vacations

Are far removed from the lofty goals of my imagination-

Pressed for time, with a young child in tow

My expectations have dropped way too low

Instead of being a traveler footloose

A cookie-cutter approach to traveling I now choose

I end up visiting just the major attractions

Anything eclectic is usually an automatic subtraction

With well-planned itineraries laid out months in advance

Discovering a new place is not left to chance

There is no time to wander, no luxury of flexibility

I see places like a tourist in every city

Some day- I tell myself- a traveler I shall be

Until then as a tourist new places I shall continue to see..