Tourist / Traveler / Pilgrim

I am not the same, having seen the moon shine on the other side of the world.
- Mary Anne Radmacher

Have you heard of Rick Steves? Just in case: he’s a popular television host and guidebook author who encourages Americans to broaden their perspectives through travel. I can barely hear the word “Europe” without thinking of him. 

I recently read an interview where he discussed the differences between a Tourist, a Traveler and a Pilgrim. Here’s my interpretation of his definitions:

• A Tourist is a sight-seer, intent on visiting popular places and checking them off a list. 
• A Traveler roams to learn about other people and places - immersing herself in new places and experiences. 
• A Pilgrim travels to learn about herself. 

I’ve been all three, sometimes on the same trip.

When we traveled to Tanzania to hike Mount Kilimanjaro, the Tourist in me was enticed by this bucket list experience (this was the carrot my husband had to dangle to get me to even think about it). Once there, my Traveler got curious about the local people, and spent hours in conversation to learn more. My Pilgrim learned that she’s capable of doing something that initially felt terrifying and pushed herself even farther than she thought possible. 

Then Tourist-me came home and bragged endlessly about reaching the summit 😁

What’s become very clear to me is the power of pilgrimage. A pilgrimage is a purposeful journey, that’s just as much internal as it is external. It leads to transformation as you walk toward deeper truth, renewed clarity, a reclaimed sense of self. It’s not just about going somewhere new. It’s about becoming a new version of yourself.

I guess in many ways, hiking Kilimanjaro was a pilgrimage, even though I didn’t know it at the time. Now I’m curious to look back at other trips I’ve traveled to see how they were pilgrimages.