Personally, I hate the bucket-list-as-a-checklist idea, and have found the idea of visiting places and seeing things to feel pretty hollow to me, regardless of

Personally, I hate the bucket-list-as-a-checklist idea, and have found the idea of visiting places and seeing things to feel pretty hollow to me, regardless of whether the sites are well known or not. Except for beautiful parts of nature and architectural beauty, visiting places does little for my soul. I find cultural, people-oriented tourism, though, to be lifegiving for me. This is a bit surprising to me, given that I'm a kind of person that's lesser suited to it, as someone who tends toward shyness and also happens to be a picky eater (which is not great for sharing and enjoying meals in foreign countries). But on those times where I've been able to connect on a deeper level with locals, I've felt very fulfilled in my tourism experience. Having friends who invite me to visit the place they're now living in has been one gateway for me to be able to pursue this kind of cultural tourism (though I realize not every would-be tourist has personal networks that would provide this kind of opportunity.) Given our common language and culture and their local connections, these friends can help me enjoy their new home on a much deeper level much sooner than if I just went to that place by myself. I realize that my tourism preference is personal, and that various other forms of tourism are perfectly valid and more enjoyable to others. However, if I were to generalize, I'd say that tourism that values, respects, and enjoys the places, people, and cultures involved for their own sake is commendable, while tourism that simply uses such places and people for narcissistic motives should be questioned. (These narcissistic motives typically revolve around showing others how much richer, more beautiful, more refined, classier, more knowledgeable, worthier, and ultimately better you are than them.) Loving a place, people, or culture might even involve leaving it alone, and enjoying them vicariously through other's tales, photos, and videos. Speaking of motives, and on a somewhat-related note, you might enjoy this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V68SMFrpFt8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V68SMFrpFt8 (First Person To Run A Marathon Without Talking About It)