I interviewed two of my colleagues from different groups about their experience.

The first colleague told me that the Zoom meeting was a new and interesting experience. They got to meet people from the United States, including Wesley from Florida, and they all shared their ALTCVs. This made the session enjoyable and helped them feel more confident about talking to new people and presenting themselves. They also mentioned that we learned about Cohen’s tourist typology. They explained it as a way of classifying tourists into four categories: the organized mass tourist who wants everything planned, the individual mass tourist who follows plans but with some flexibility, the explorer who likes adventure while keeping some comfort, and the drifter who avoids tourism and lives more like the locals. They saw themselves as an explorer because they enjoy discovering all aspects of a place when visiting.

The second colleague described their experience as very nice. They said they enjoyed learning about another student’s hobbies like reading, playing music, and traveling. They liked how the breakout rooms made it easier to connect and answer the questions that were given to us. They reflected that the meeting taught them how to improvise their thoughts and be more attentive. They also said it made them realize that people can have very different lives but still live them well. When I asked them about Cohen’s tourist typology, they remembered it was about different kinds of tourists, but they could not recall all the details.

As for myself, after reading about Cohen’s tourist typology, I think I am closest to the explorer type. I don’t like strict schedules or trips where everything is controlled, but I also don’t feel comfortable going with no plan at all. I want to experience adventure and try new things, but I still like knowing I have some stability and comfort to fall back on. For example, when I travel, I usually research the main sites and culture beforehand, but I also make room for unplanned moments like wandering through neighborhoods or eating in a small local restaurant I didn’t expect to find.