Are you a luxury traveler, backpacker or flashpacker, solo traveler,  mini-retirement traveler, adventure traveler, experiential traveler, experimental traveler or some other kind of traveler? In recent years there has been an explosion in such travel nomenclature to define and segment particular groups of travelers.  No one fits the mold precisely, let alone all the time. But it doesn’t matter because, ostensibly, there are two basic ways to get up and go – traveling to seek new experiences and traveling to seek escape.

Escape is a short term break from a long term problem. After returning from a week of relaxation, the daily grind begins anew. Barring life-altering poolside insights, the rats will still be racing and stress will resume its steady upward climb. A weekend getaway or a pampering cruise might be just what is needed to relax and unwind. But, in the end, the tension and stress that so pleasantly unwind will inevitably wind up until another travel escape brings another transitory respite.

Traveling to seek new experiences is an entirely different form of travel that addresses much different needs. Rather than being an escape from life, it is life. Being in a different place does not change who you are or how you act. It is the most fulfilling form of travel because it authentically represents your lifestyle and your values. It is about maintaining the same pace of life, albeit in a different place with different people.

When I get an urge to travel I like to think about these two types of travel. If I feel a burning desire to escape to a tropical sanctuary free of worries, I know my life is slightly out of balance. I may be working too hard or putting too much pressure on myself. A weekend getaway might be exactly what I need to unwind. But it will never fulfill me because my hectic life has led me astray from my core values. The travel that is most exciting is when there is an urge to see something new, to interact with people with different lifestyles and different traditions. This type of travel is invigorating, memorable and exciting.

The next time you feel an urge to travel, remember that if you are seeking to escape burnout, you will get a sunburn, I guarantee it!

The World Cup is a fantastic global event that unites people and gives the sport of football a deeper and more significant meaning that transcends the sport itself. And that is a good thing, because taken on its own, the sport of football can be alarmingly devoid of honor (how do those overpaid actors sleep at night?). But the international nature of the sport – anyone with a ball can learn to play – makes it the great equalizer. On the pitch, especially during the World Cup, any team can conceivably beat any other team. But what I find so refreshing about the World Cup is not the football itself, but rather the people of each country who join together to support their team and their country. The tears you see on television when a country crashes out of the tournament are very real and represent the collective grief of an entire nation that has invested so much emotionally during a very short period of time.

I look at these passionate supporters with a mix of sadness and joy. Here is why.

I hold 4 citizenships. My wife adds another citizenship to our family, further splitting my allegiances and diluting any sense of nationality I might have. Holding so many citizenships has its appeal of course, and drawbacks such as tax complications, military service and never-ending passport renewals are a worthy trade-off, in my mind. But the biggest drawback is one that I can never eliminate, even if I renounced 3 of my 4 citizenships. My heart will forever be torn. I will never cry for a country that crashes out of the World Cup. I will never feel part of something bigger, something that binds a nation together.

Yet, every four years, I am oddly drawn to the World Cup. I put my misgivings about the sport aside and marvel at the unity and passion shown by countries around the world. When a small country like Ghana advances deeper into the tournament and becomes a continent’s sole remaining hope, I cannot help but feel a sense of excitement for the country and its people.  I get a sudden urge to travel to these countries and share the moment with them. While I will never cry for a country, I certainly feel the joy that is felt by its people. This isn’t bandwagon hopping because I am never on a wagon to begin with. Rather, like a traveler, I am simply an observer who picks a destination to travel to where there is hope, joy and happiness.

As a kid growing up in Mexico, my head was constantly being rubbed by locals because they saw blond hair as good luck. Because I was a little kid, the locals were uninhibited when it came to touching my hair. I developed a defense mechanism by burying my head in my arms whenever I saw another good luck rub approaching. Eventually, as I approached an age where it was no longer socially acceptable to touch the hair of a random stranger, the practice stopped. This experience taught me at an early age that I would never be able to shake my gringo past and be accepted as a true local.

Is there such a thing as an authentic local experience while traveling? To me, having a local experience means blending in with the locals so that you can experience life exactly the way they experience it. After years of traveling across the globe, I would argue that it is not possible – as a tourist. And if the language or cultural barriers are too great, it will never be possible as an expat or “slow traveler” (which simply means you are an expat with restless, nomadic tendencies). No matter how authentic you think the experience is, you will always be the outsider looking in.

Sure, you can go off the beaten path. You can even go beyond that. But the further you venture away from the white socks and sandals, the more different and unique YOU become to the locals. At the end of the day, you will return to your hotel where you left your guidebook (because you wanted to see the real stuff and experience local life) to plan your next day of adventure. And the locals will go to their homes, where they will crawl into bed, look back briefly at the evening but mainly focused on tomorrow, with all the hardship and struggle it may bring.

But this is an argument that I don’t want to win. The fact is, I like having local experiences, however superficial they may be, because they are as close as I am going to get to the real thing. The fleeting glimpse into the hardships of a local is sobering and teaches gratefulness and humility. Drinking a beer and sharing a laugh and a dancefoor with locals in a bar is energizing and welcoming.

By seeking these experiences, our own crazy lives get put into a new perspective. We realize that our worries are not worries in the grand scheme of things and that we really ought to be doing more to help the world. The benefits of these experiences are huge. Just don’t kid yourself that this is authentic. Enjoy it for what it is – a serendipitous glimpse into local life with an emergency eject button in case things get too uncomfortable.

The Souks of Marrakech in Morocco are a market that will test and sharpen your skills at negotiating. The market, which is a disorienting maze of shops that winds through part of the old town adjacent to the Jemaa Al-Fna square, is full of textiles, ceramics, spices, ailments and cheap knock off goods. Shopkeepers have mastered the art of persuasion and use every trick in the book to convince you to part with your money. Bargaining is a big part of the game here and you need to be willing to play. You can expect a discounted price of over 80% here, but it will take some skill to avoid being taken full advantage of by these intrepid salesmen. This is as good a place as any to master the art of negotiation – or at least to get some invaluable firsthand experience in the art of selling.

Some of the many tricks you will encounter here include the following:

Personalization – I was wearing a North Face jacket when negotiating for a Tajine pot. The salesman looked at me, then at my jacket, and then proceeded to tell me that he owns a ski lift in the Atlas Mountains where the skiing is unbelievable. When I pressed him about the altitude of the lift, he answered carefully, 3,179m. Now, even if you don’t fall for this trick, he already achieved his goal by establishing a personal connection.

Oppression – One salesman insisted I would not be a good husband if I did not provide for my wife by buying her a scarf. He tried to make me feel guilty that I was haggling over a couple of Dirhams rather than focusing on making her happy. This is a dirty trick but it can work. Just remember, these are just tricks and you can get the same scarf in the next stall.

Guilt – Because the Souks are so fascinating, it is easy to get caught looking at a particular product, wondering what it is or what it does. This is where the salesman pulls you in. When I lingered at a spice stand, the shopkeeper patiently explained to me what each spice is, what it is used for, and what health benefits it has. At the end of this short education session, I felt more or less obligated to buy some of these spices. I even felt bad bargaining with him, seeing that he invested so much of his time.

Regain the upper hand

Ok, you will never have the upper hand, but you can take some steps to lessen the leverage of the merchant.

1. Start small

Hone your bargaining skills with some small items. Spend some time getting used to the process of bargaining back and forth and getting creative with your counter offers. The few Dirhams you spend here will probably be too much but practice makes perfect! As you get comfortable bargaining, move up to the items you actually want.

2. Start low

Learn the lower end of the merchant’s tolerance by testing with some absurdly low offers. If they laugh and turn away, you made such a silly offer that they didn’t take you seriously. Good. Now try again at another merchant with a slightly higher offer. If you get a counter-offer, increase your offer by a small increment, especially if the merchant slashed the original offer by a large amount. The goal here is not to get a deal, rather it is to get a feel for the true price. Being informed is the best way to level the playing field.

3. Walk away

There is nothing wrong with walking away from an offer. No matter how much time and effort you and the salesman have invested in the process, walking away is a perfectly acceptable decision. Sometimes it isn’t easy because you are tricked to feel emotionally invested, but stay calm and rational. The same product can be found elsewhere and the insights from this negotiation will make the next negotiation even smoother. Often, when walking away, you will find that your lowball offer is acceptable after all!

In the end though, no matter how well you think you did, remember, nobody in any market sells you something at below cost. A profit was definitely made. But enjoy the experience as you will be rewarded with not only some souvenirs from the famous Souks but also with some tools to becoming a master negotiator!