People who go on trips are categorized into two groups: tourists and travelers. When you find yourself looking for a supermarket or a drugstore because you ran out of shampoo, or you are elated that your hotel/hostel has a clothes line, that's when you have moved into group 2. You are a traveler. One group isn't better than the other although some may disagree, they are just different modes for seeing the world.
I recently came to the reality that I am no longer traveling. My toothbrush I purchased in France has officially expired. My pink Donto Dent is totaled, it's through. Maybe it's silly but each brush took me back to the simplicity of traveling where my biggest concerns were, "Will I find a bed?" or, "Is it acceptable to have gelato again today?" My self-consciousness of having gelato twice in one day was short lived.
At the beginning of a trip most people are tourists. I was. I had packed everything for all types of weather, occasions, and all precautions taken so nothing could hinge on my health. This was for for the first week but I ended up leaving half of my belongings in Bath. The TravelLodge maid had an early Christmas.
Once you have reached the point of your trip where you run out of life's neccesities that's when the adventure has truly begun. Other than trying different gelato combinations, I thoroughly enjoyed European drugstores. Everything is so cool! Laundry detergent, toothpaste, soap, lotion; I saw it in a whole new light and in this light it was much more desireable than back at home. One reason was the hunt and feeling that sense of victory, "Yes, I found it! I overcame the language barrier and I will have clean clothes tonight!"(And yes I am the person who was the most excited about the clothesline out the window of the hostel in the Cinque Terre...what about it.)
Although my Donto Dent has been replace by a snazzy green Colgate, I still have the Balea body cream from Bern. So this traveler's bliss is not over yet.
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