The urge to travel is sometimes insatiable; A hunger that’s hard to feed and a pull towards learning and experiencing cultures which is as strong as a magnet.
Any trip to the local book store will surround you in endless novels about traveling to the mysterious orient or experiencing the enigmatic wildlife of the Sahara or visiting the bone chilling (pun entirely intended) catacombs of Rome.
It’s hard to look at these books, or even see the travel shows on television and not yearn for the life of a globetrotter.
The experience of someone who is not tied to a certain place, who can pack up and leave and experience the many wonderful and intriguing areas, cultures and beliefs of the billions of people we share the world with.
A globetrotter is usually categorised as a person who has an incredible desire to travel the world, and see as many things as possible.
They’re usually seen as people having either a great amount of money, or a great talent for being able to spend thriftily, research the right hostels, and blend in with the backpacker lifestyle.
Television programs tend to cash in on the concept of a globetrotter lifestyle, for example The Amazing Race, a program in which contestants in couples are to compete against one another in challenges across several countries, which tend to include the experience of several cultures in order to enlighten them and encourage them in their challenges.
The idea is generally to embody that of a globetrotter, in experiencing different modes of transport, communication between typically non-English speaking people, and accommodation. It’s generally implied that the less money spent, the better, due to the fact it can be used on other challenges and legs of the race.
As those are the people who seem more financially inclined to travel frequently, and across the globe, thus a perceived reason behind the term.