I just realized something! Well not JUST realized, it was more like finding the way to put it into words.
While I was just browsing the Take Home Chef website (you know he's quite a looker AND he knows how to cook! say no more) and I saw a photo of the Sydney Opera House. Then it hit me!
The Sydney Opera House, like other major attractions, draw us to the idea of traveling. Photos of these landmarks spark our interest. But it's something else that distinguishes the amateurs who simply think that "one day I'll be there" and the truly hardcore world travelers. The truly hardcore see the Sydney Opera House and think "Awesome! I can't wait to see it.......AND I can't wait to see what Sydney is really like!"
The truly hardcore are drawn into the life behind the symbol, the people behind the architecture, the real that lies in someone else's everyday.
It's the 'whole experience', not the 'tourist experience'.
Happy Travels : )