Tuesday, July 8, 2008

Tourist

I've been a tourist in many villages including the East and West Coasts and Midwest. It's easy to fall into the pattern of strolling from the beach to the shops, which mostly have the same items. I notice that families have a vacation gate to their walk that must be different than "real" shopping back home. To accommodate different generations in the group, the stroll is quite slow and deliberate. Of course, some families have a young skipper or a run-ahead scout, but even the teenagers seem to conform to the vacation stroll.

Being a tourist does not come naturally to me. I do enjoy a good bookstore, hardware store, or toy store (especially if it has a good science or hobbly section), but I'm not a great buyer. I enjoy learning the village shopping secrets--locals shop here, but this store is only for tourists. When I was a teenager I made my summer living (and school tuition) from tourists. This experience makes me very self conscious about being a tourist myself.

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