Edited by author 04-15-2003 12:41 PM
I keep wondering the same thing.

My girlfriend and I want to travel. The more I read about it, the more I stumble upon treatises decrying the Evil of Tourism, and the commodification of the process of seeing new things.

If learning is the ultimate goal of travel, then should it matter if the first few experiences are cushioned, or should a person only thrust themselves out on the world in the rawest way possible, so as not to offend the sensibilities of those that have to validate their sense of authenticity?

Fuck that noise. What's wrong with seeing the god damn world in one or two week bites? If everyone in this culture only travelled by throwing away their everyday jobs and lives, very few people would step foot out of this country, and that would be even worse for blurring the ragged lines of need and economy that some people seem to imply tourism clarifies.