Noticeable Tourist

When I lived as an exchange student in Germany, I would ask the people I would meet where they thought I was from. The most common guess… Poland. I didn’t seem like much of a foreigner in Europe given my European heritage. When I would reveal that I was American, the immediate response was, “But you aren’t fat”.

Something else I have learned over the years is when you are traveling to a new place, do your best to look like you know where you are going. Walk with purpose, even if you have to backtrack because you have no clue where you are going. I had a group of touring Russians approach me in DC in 2008 to ask where to find blooming cherry blossoms. Why? Because I was walking with purpose on the national mall… I was also walking ahead of my four Korean college friends, so maybe I actually did look like a tour guide.

There were times in Germany when I would visit a city like Köln with my German classmates and I would be the one that a stranger would approach to ask questions about where to go. This also happened to me when I was visiting Germany in 2008. I was approached in Berlin and the small town of Altenkirchen by strangers wanting information on where the nearest bank was, or how to get to such and such place.

Not the case when I’ve traveled elsewhere. I’ve stuck out like a sore thumb in places like China and Colombia.

Being a more noticeable tourist means you can be an easy target for scamming. I did have a funny incident in Medellín, Colombia, where I was suckered. While I was visiting co-workers/friends in 2022, there was one day when my gracious host, Carolina, needed a break from taking care of this needy traveler. The solution was to put me on some guided tours. So after the Pablo Escobar tour and before Comuna 13, I had some downtime alone in the city. I decided to just spend the time people-watching from a park bench. That’s when I was approached. This gentleman came up to me and immediately spoke English to me, he knew I was a tourist. He explained that he was an artist and that he would like to draw a portrait of me, it would only take a minute.

Honestly, I was flattered. I used to pose for portraits for my college drawing and painting classes, so this was not a strange ask. In fact, it would be cool to add a Colombian’s rendition to my collection!

So I obliged and even though he said he wasn’t asking for any money, I would certainly give him some pesos for his artistic endeavors!