When I entered college in 2015, I was not a traveler. My first opportunity for international travel presented itself to study abroad in the United Kingdom for three weeks during my sophomore year. A newbie to travel, I watched the challenges of travel unfold while enjoying the rush. Every trip since, I picked up on and developed a checklist of things to look out for in each new location.
When I arrived in Warsaw, I moved into Moon Hostel and went for a walk. I had much to observe to see what would make me stand out as a tourist. For example, is anyone jaywalking? How many modes of transportation do I have to watch out for? Do only tourists wear sunglasses? What do the garbage cans look like and what is the emphasis on sorting garbage and recycling? I compared the lengths of pants, skirts, shirt sleeves and what the most common hairstyles were. Were people dressed casual, business, or fancy? Does everyone speak quietly or loudly?
Passing on the street, no one smiles in Warsaw. This was hard for me because I am used to friendly small towns in Ohio. Poland’s history explains this habit because it comes from the danger of drawing attention to oneself during the wars or occupations. Of course, if I, the stranger, am the first to greet them and smile, I usually receive a positive response as one would anywhere.
Noticing a few of these things can help you to stick out less as a map-carrying, loud-talking tourist. These are especially important if you are traveling by yourself (like me!) because you will not have safety in numbers.
An important note is how to use your phone in public. Navigating a strange city is confusing but always refrain from looking flustered or lost. When I need to check my phone or pull up Google Maps, I never stand on the sidewalk to do so. I wait until I find a bench or somewhere common to sit. If there are other people nearby, perfect. Try to look as casual as if you are taking a break and pretend you are a local who totally knows where they are and what is going on. Pro-tip, never, ever, spin your phone around publicly to figure out which way you are going. This is helpful, but it will blow your cover instantly and you may attract the worst kinds of attention.
If you know me and are thinking about how I could look less like a tourist, I am sure you will think about my camera. Carrying a camera anywhere, even in your hometown (as I do) can label you as a tourist. But there are ways to be less obvious about it.
How you hold your camera and how you take pictures makes a huge difference. To start, I make a point to never hang my camera around my neck. This screams tourist. I wrap my camera strap around my wrist and hold my camera in hand. Not only does this look more casual but it is a less noticeable way of carrying your camera.
Tourists like to line up to take the same shot of each iconic site. They bump shoulders, click once and move on without a second glance in classic assembly-line factory style. Try not to do this. I understand wanting to get “that” shot of a building and I will admit I do the same so I can show where I have been but I think of the crowds with their fanny packs, sweat-stained Hawaiian shirts (why do people wear them outside the tropics?), sunglasses and cameras as the bait-fish, exposed to the swimming sharks or bigger local fish waiting to gobble them up. From an artistic angle, that kind of picture has been taken a million times. If you type “Big Ben” into Google, you will understand what I mean when you see all the duplicates. If you take your time and take a picture from a different angle and with your own vision, people may think you are a photographer first before they think you are a tourist.
In conclusion, I know it is impossible to erase all evidence of being a tourist. You are by no means a local. But you can reduce those assumptions. Each time someone comes up to me speaking in Polish only to be startled when I cannot respond or every American tourist who asks me for directions in broken Polish, I feel more comfortable and a little proud of the bubble I’ve created for myself.
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