Your Traveler's Persona is RBEI!

You enjoy researching a new destination before you go. You learn as much as you can so that you can avoid the worst tourist traps, but you’ll still go out of your way to see the things that simply can not be missed. You take great pride in saving time, which allows you to accomplish one or two extra things in a day, even if those extra things are really just to help you relax. You are known to have some habits and routines, but you are willing to trade comfort in order to check off a bucket list item. You are a collector, whether of particular things, or of experiences. There are some things you like to do/taste/feel no matter where you are.

You tend to worry about missed opportunities. If a day doesn’t turn out as planned, you need extra encouragement in order to be at peace with it. You may find that it can be made better by an unexpected gift, or by changing other plans to make sure that you have another shot at the day you designed.

When it comes to new experiences, the things you value most tend to be the ones that open up a new category for you.  A new food ingredient, a new way of cooking, a new genre of music or art – these are the things that surprise and delight you.

You don’t intend to let challenging situations prevent you from living out your dreams while you travel. You are willing to assume risks, both known and unknown, in order to stretch yourself and to step into the unknown. You put just enough trust into the universe to know that the universe is looking out for you. This frees you to blaze new trails as you venture out. You trust that many risks are worth taking, and that you’re going to end up loving the experience. When you played truth or dare as a kid, you were among the first to say “dare.” You think hitchhiking is a reasonable concept, even if you haven’t done it yourself.

You don’t necessarily depend on guidebooks, or even trust the first page of Google results or the top Yelp reviews. Those are often paid anyway. Instead, you look for experiences off the beaten path, and you trust in your own ability to navigate unforeseen issues that may arise. You can identify a good restaurant with a quick glance through its menu, even if it looks like a hole in the wall place. You’ll eat street food, even when you can’t identify what you’re ordering and don’t speak a word of the language.

While you travel, you have been known on occasion to end up out of money, out of contact, or not quite knowing how to get back to your hotel. You are comfortable improvising, asking for help from strangers, and otherwise winging it. Tricky situations always end up working out, and even if things don’t go well, you’re glad to get a good story out of it. You share your stories hoping to inspire others to also live boldly. You don’t really write home often – but you do call, or post pictures of your travels.

You are fascinated by the stars, by the knowledge of the vastness of time and space. Time spent contemplating big questions of meaning, of the origins of life, and in philosophy isn’t ever viewed as time wasted. You approach religions and cultures with a respect, assuming the best of each new tradition you encounter. You believe have found some answers, some simple, universal truths, and you look for evidence of these truths as expressed by others. When you see these signals, you feel as though you are observing from a place outside of time, as if you are tapped into the roots of the tree of life. You study history and as a lens to view humanity’s current struggles. You believe a lot can be learned from past mistakes, but you’re not necessarily optimistic. Sometimes you feel like an alien, as if you don’t belong here on earth. But then other times you take comfort in knowing you are not alone.

With regard to relationships, you are likely to seek deep connections, long conversations, and even to engage in debate.  Every opportunity to meet someone new is like opening a good book. There’s so much to learn. You give excellent advice, even if you’ve only known someone a short time.

You believe one person can change the world. You enjoy a good biography, because the entire history of the world really can be explained through the internal struggles each individual faces. You seek solitude, even if that means you can only carve it out in your own mind. You volunteer in order to take personal responsibility for making the world a little bit better. You’re more likely to donate money to a museum or to a University endowment fund than you are to a charity.

When you learn something new, you internalize it by imagining yourself in another person’s shoes.  You pay attention to small details as you learn. You are keenly aware of your own sensory perceptions – things like texture, sounds, aromas. These details help you to personalize your learning process and to identify more readily with others.