Tourist or Traveler? Rick Steves on Travel as a Political Act

I heard this thought provoking interview today between Rick Steves the travel author and Bob Edwards. Steves talks about the difference between travel vs touring and being a tourist. He has learned so much about how the world and people work through his travels. I can't help but believe he would make an excellent ambassador in the bigger sense of the word.

One part that caught my attention was when he was in Iran and a cab driver shouts, Death to drivers." Rick Steves says to the interview I always thought it was death to Americans but the driver explained it's what we say here whenever we are frustrated with someone. Rick Steves explained to the interviewer how the media made "death to Americans" unnecessarily a battle cry because they didn't understand the people.

Steve's pointed out that Obama is highly regarded, not because of what he says but because he listens. For the first time in many years the brand of America has improved greatly especially in Europe. Since the Bush years he had learned it was better  to say that  he was from Seattle not the United States  because saying that he was from the US would begin a negative political conversation.

Though I discovered this interview long after it was held in 2009, it remains poignant and inspiring. It offers a map on how to be a traveler of the world, not a tourist who's taking... photos and cementing old ideas that keep the people of the world from being empathetic.