-what his parents wanted him to become and what he decides to instead.
-the reason why Santiago decides to travel, what makes him do that instead of becoming a priest.
Santiago told his father that he didn't want to become a priest, that he wanted to travel. His father responded that travelers might see other lands and have different experiences, but that they do not change as a result of those experiences; they just end up wishing for the past. Because the only people allowed to travel in their class (caste) were shepherds, Santiago's father gave him three gold coins to purchase a flock of sheep. He encouraged his son to travel, but he also said that Santiago would learn that their own countryside is best. Through this exchange, Santiago realizes that his father might have enjoyed travel, but he could not afford to while raising a family.
The Alchemist
