There is a spectrum of attitudes from which a traveler can choose. On one end, you immerse yourself in the unfamiliar; being invisible is desirable. On the other, you are fully cognizant of your identity, gazing on your surroundings as a mirror into yourself; you remain a conscious outsider.
My work as a management consultant provides me with a steady stream of travel. Before COVID-19, my default attitude was to localize. I believed there was nothing more mortifying than to be labeled a tourist. But much has changed in the post-pandemic era, including my approach to travel.
