I Must Be Indie

I Must Be Indie?

So its week 2 of the Boots n All 2012 Indie Travel Challenge.  This week I decided to give some serious thought to the prompt. Then I decided that was never going to work for me…

Week 2 – What do you think? Are you an indie traveler? What do you think makes someone an indie traveler?

I’m a self-proclaimed ‘horrible tourist’, but I don’t know if I’m an indie traveler or not.  I just go to places, stay too long, don’t carry a guidebook,  and do things like drive like a local (aka. laugh in the face of street signs as I pass them) across Ecuador, and go to way too many music shows.   I’ve never thought about if I’m considered an indie traveler or not.  I just want to make friends, see cool non-touristy things (or touristy things sometimes…like see the Medellin Christmas lights ..BUT WITH ZOMBIES), and have some fun and take some photos.  (and then bastardize the English language in my blog.)

(Like how many times I just linked to one of my previous blog posts and stuff?)

So What Is An ‘Indie Traveler’?

  Indie is kind of a vague term.  So I looked it up.  Indie is defined (at least is defined as in my favourite dictionary ever…the Urban Dictionary ) as:

  • 1. An obscure form of rock which you only learn about from someone slightly more hip than yourself.

(Think I need to meet some really cool geologists.)

 

  • 2. Indie is cooler than emo.

(I think I’m cooler than someone who cries a lot and complains that they are too rich to have things to complain about.)

So one  for me being indie!

 

  • 3. The term: Short for independent rock [travel]…

(Like, traveling alone? I do that.)

  • …In terms of music [travel] it would be independent of major labels/mainstream stuff.

Traveling independent of major companies…(hey , I have NO SPONSERS OR STUFF)

Not doing mainstream stuff?  I do mainstream stuff though  (Like see the Medellin Christmas lights… BUT WITH ZOMBIES)

Ok, so that’s 3 and 4 and a half for indie!

 

  • 4. Independent music. The anti-”emo”. (well, maybe like emo’s second cousin twice-removed with more talent, skill, and IQ)

(OK.  What’s up with the emo references.  Can you be an emo traveler? Like be all sad and stabby stabby heart stab on your trips.  And maybe cry a lot?  I don’t even think emo people travel.  I don’t think they think life is worth it. I’m just going to link this awesome video of what being emo is here.  Why?  Cause its fucking hilarious. )

Ok, back to the am I indie checklist…

 

  • 5. Indie is:

  • 1)being unable to talk to anyone about your music [travel]

  • 2)but knowing that, in the process, you’re way cooler than the kids you try to talk to about it.

BWAH!  ok.

1. In travel terms we pretend that no one except other travelers truly understands us.  Which may or may not be true. 

2. But we definitely do (if just secretly to ourselves) think we ARE kinda cooler than other people (except for the people that have traveled more than us.  Then they are cooler…and I guess, way more indie?)

I mean really, who doesn’t love the admiration when people are like WOW, YOU DID WHAT? YOU WENT WHERE? I WISH I HAD YOUR LIFE”.

(Come on, even my mom loves bragging about her nomadic daughter because of the awe her friends give her. Its like she knows a celebrity (now, if only the celebrity money would start-a’-rollin’ in).  My family and friends like to read about my travels, and I like to tell them.  Why?  BECAUSE WE LOVE THE LOVE WE GET.  It makes us feel special, and not like short bus, like we kinda rock. Which we do.  Yea, I’m saying it. We know we are cool. We like our bragging rights. I mean we have blogs where we tell strangers about all the cool shit we do!  We talk about the stress of travel, and working on the road, and the little money, and blah blah blah….but come one.  We love this shit.)

So yea, here is 5 and 6 for being indie! (but I’m taking off one and a half points for arrogance.)  

So 5 for indie!

So I guess I am an indie traveler.  Even though I think that anyone can be an indie traveler. All you have to be is, well, according to this;  basically be poor, cocky, and not emo.

Ok, so I’ve totally sidestepped actually answering this question seriously.  But have you read the rest of my blog posts yet?   

CHEERS!

This is part of Boots n All 2012 Indie Travel Challenge. I’m doing this in hopes of becoming a more consistent and better travel-blogger. But as you may see, I’m just being my usual sarcastic-silly self.   Sorry people.