I'm sure that Mark Twain didn't have today's tourists in mind, who are rushing from tourist attraction to tourist attraction, calling themselves "traveller" instead of "tourist".

To get from tourist to traveller, just add 8000km to any flight taken.

I'm very glad that OP included "at least a year".

All the distance in the world means nothing if a traveler is still mentally tied to their home country. There's a good number of expats in [country] who hang out at Irish pubs with other expats, bitch about [country], and don't bother learning the language.

You have to be willing to unmoor yourself, which I think deep down a lot of people aren't seeking to do.

You can say "English people in Portugal or Spain", and you've got a stereotype that's actually accurate.

Cheers--I didn't want to single out any country in particular because it's a fairly common stereotype in whichever expat scene.

I like the “unmoor” phrasing. Thank you :). To truly immerse oneself, primarily communicate in a language foreign to one’s country of origin, and eat local foods (no harm in indulging in foods from back home every once in a while). And give people the benefit of the doubt whenever possible.

Actually, check out his book, "Innocents Abroad." It's a great travel native and lampoon of his cruising companions who manage to stay small-minded in a big world.

That's neo-traveller, a different breed than the past. They do ruin the concept for others, as profit now leads enlightenment and disentanglement.