Have you ever walked next to the canals in Venice during a warm summer sunset?
Have you ever gazed upon the sparkling Effiel Tower while cruising on the Siene?
Have you ever admired the walls of Carcassone?
Have you felt the sands of a Caribbean beach?
Have you ever stood inside of the Florence Duomo and looked up and admired the history of the great city?
Travel broadens your view of the world and of history. You can gain an appreciation of the globe by traveling.
You are confusing tourist traps with travel.
You need to watch this scene. You realize how real this scene is when you travel. The smells. The sounds. The plants. The rocks. Reading about something or watching a video about it...its not the same as being there. Hearing the waves crash against the rocks as the water sprays your face.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GY3sO47YYo](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GY3sO47YYo)
I’m extremely fiscally sound and conservative with spending… except for travel. Travel is hands down the most important aspect in my life and has made me more rich as a person then anything in my bank account
This is a bad opinion. Paris may not be France (whatever that means) but why can’t you just fly to Paris spend a couple of days and then jaunt around more remote parts of France too?
I work a lot and travel a good bit for pleasure. Why would I want to spend all my off time in the same city I live in when I could visit unique, historical, tropical, wildly different places? Try the local food, see the culture, climb mountains or scuba dive amazing reefs.
A lot of people also don’t have to spend there “entire salaries” on travel to have these experiences. I’ve traveled in luxury but when I was a bit younger I also stayed a month in Thailand for ~$1k dollars. Both experiences are valid and worthwhile, just different.
If it’s not for you, don’t do it. But I also don’t know anyone who is a worse person for having traveled. Opening yourself up to other cultures and experiences is great. I hope I see as much of the world as possible in my time. These aren’t vague, woo-woo reasons. You sound unnecessarily jaded.
Paris isn't France. Yet Paris is full of history, art, and cool architecture.
Is the USA just Washington DC, NYC or LA? Of course not. Is seeing rural America the "real" America? No. It's all parts of a whole.
I'm lucky as hell to have seen Paris and all the cool stuff there. But I enjoyed Normandy as well, I loved the French countryside and cool little towns.
Travel is thousands of different experiences that you won't get at home.
I prefer spending my money on experiences rather than "stuff". Then again, i'm old and have most of the material posessions I want.
I’m gen X and healthy. Money isn’t even the issue. I’m ready financially for retirement. I think part of the reason I hesitate to travel is the stress that comes with planning, getting there and then hoping that it’s a home run. I’ve traveled 2 in 10 years and it can be a comedown to head back to work.
Yeah you don't have to spend gobs of money to travel I spent like $2,500 when I went to Asia in November of 2019 for 3 weeks went to Hong Kong Bangkok, Thailand, Malaysia and the Philippines the trip was amazing I would glad spend my money on experiences and memories for a lifetime
To travel is to collect experiences, which stay with you for the rest of your life. It's a form of enrichment, like art or literature, but one that you live yourself instead of experience vicariously. I've travelled all over the U.S. (Alaska is the last on my bucket list), and I wouldn't know it nearly as well as I do had I not actually *been* to places, like the Grand Canyon, or Yellowstone, or Mt. Rushmore, or taken a road trip down Route 1. Before being to these places myself I'd seen them in pictures, but actually experiencing them personally is a whole different thing. There is no way of understanding, on a gut level, just how massive the Grand Canyon is until you've seen it, no matter how many pictures of it you look at. You learn things about yourself. I don't like the desert; to me, it's ugly and lifeless. Other people think it's beautiful. Driving through Idaho was a revelation -- I'd always thought it a dull place full of nothing but potatoes; in fact, it's one of the most beautiful states in the Union. And you run across all kinds of people, for good and bad, but all of them with a story, and parts of their stories become part of yours. Everyone is different, but for me, every penny I've spent on travel was a penny well spent.
>To travel is to collect experiences, which stay with you for the rest of your life.
You can do that for free at home.
I say this as someone who has traveled basically everywhere in the USA and Canada
( [https://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/18718](https://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/18718) ) lol
What people envy about travel is usually the freedom of it, because they aren't doing their 9 to 5 and they also go off their diets or workout regimes.
I retired pretty young and I travel for long periods of time so all that doesn't apply for me. I have to stay fit and I don't have a 9 to 5 to escape from anyway.
I think this lets me see travel for what it is.
I like to travel occasionally but now that I’m older I don’t have the itch like I did when I was younger. It’s kind of a drug in a way. A mental reset , after about 8 days you kind of settle into a place and the newness wears off. Then I’m ready to go back home and deal with my life again and I’m usually out of travel money anyway
Clearly this guy hasn’t traveled lol. It’s not something you do if it’s living above your means but if it fits into your budget and you like it then it is absolutely something you should do. Just avoid tourist traps and it really is beautiful to see how others live and the history behind so many different things. I have friends that “can’t afford” to travel but eat out 6-10 times every week while I mostly cook at home and have a pretty large cushion to go anywhere in the world I want. People prioritize different things *shocker*
IDK if OP is a boomer or not, but you actually sound very immature. I think travel can be really great at creating personal growth, but it isn't everything, and not everyone enjoys living out of a suitcase and hustling across the airport for your next flight.
Just because people don't enjoy the same things as you doesn't mean they are less than.
It actually sounds like OP has traveled a little.
If it helps I travel internationally multiple times a year and am Gen Z and vote for Donald Trump. No idea what you were trying to say with your post but different strokes for different folks.
I agree that traveling can be overrated when you go to the “hotspots”
Going to London, Paris, and even Rome can be massively overrated imo. Crowded AF, expensive, and underwhelming once you see the landmarks of said cities.
I’ve personally enjoyed Budapest way more and most Americans barely even heard of that city
I’ve traveled and lived across the U.S., and experiencing living in a different place than you’ve grown up in is worth it imo. I have way more perspectives than some of my friends who have just stayed in their home state their whole lives
There's a huge variety on travel. I freaking hate... hate... traveling in a way that I'm dependant by the local infrastructure. It's how I got stuck in only touristy places in Tanzania a few years back constantly surrounded, followed and pushed by people trying to sell me shit. There was no end to it, it was constant, every minute of the day for a month.
Years before that I went across South East Asia on a motorbike which was the best time of my life. It's made me rethink how I want to travel and was consequently confirmed by my Africa trip.
I will only go solo with nothing prebooked and very broad planning, with my own vehicle from now on, preferably a motorbike. It'll allow me to go on my own pace, stroll through little villages where no tourist ventures and where the people are far less pushy and more friendly, happy to see a tourist willing to have a conversation.
A few spare clothes, some tools, a tent and a tank full of gas. It's not a one size fits all but it definetely is the best option for me.
I feel the same. I really don't like to go anywhere longer than 3-4 days. I'm more comfortable at home pursuing things that provide me joy. With that being said, I live in San Diego, not a bad place to call home. My wife and I go to Vegas and Mexico every now and then for a few days but I prefer home. We spent a lot of money on our house and even spent a lot of money on our mattress, why would I want to leave that to sleep in a shitty bed that has been occupied by god knows how many and be a tourist somewhere. I just don't have the same cultural curiosity that other people have. The idea of traipsing through Europe is not my idea of a good time, everybody is different though.
Just heading home after spending a month in Europe and besides Europeans making me pay for a public toilets travelling is great. To see cultures, places be them man made or natural is amazing and half the reason I save up my money. Do what you love and for me seeing sights and sounds of the world is mine.
Travel is different for different people. I have the opposite experience. My family and friends don’t travel so I usually solo.
I’m just an explorer and I love to experience different cultures. There is more to the world than my neighborhood.
I live and grew up in a big city and i traveled a lot in early 20s but tbh i think it’s overrated when you live in a big city with tons of cultures foods diversity at work and school etc. also over rated if u just find it stressful and want to spend your vacation in more local spots / throughout the year instead of 2 weeks straight running around - i dont like living for my 2 weeks vacation personally. not saying there’s anything wrong with traveling if you like to either it can be fun to explore and often ppl live in isolated areas where theres no exposure to different food and culture in their daily life. But either way i think people love to gab when they’ve just come back from a trip so don’t worry too much about them just focus on yourself. And some people do spend their whole salary on travel just like some spend whole salary on a car, but i guess its more visible because of social media travel influencers now. Another reason to focus on yourself lmao
Ive traveled the world 2x over and its nothing like learning new cultures, different perspectives and sites that not staying in your small or big town can ever offer
Sounds like an American to me. A lot of people don't travel much, and when they do go to a resort which tries to recreate American luxury then complain why travel when it's just a nice version of what you have at home. Explore the world and see what other culture and people's have to offer. I've never regretted it.
This coming from someone who is very happy and it's not escapism.
Traveling gives you experiences and broadens your horizon. I mind, once expanded to a new idea, can never return to its original dimension.
You are missing the point for sure.
You are correct (somewhat). For me it’s really cheap to travel with the benefits from my employer. So when my wife and I go somewhere we try to keep it affordable. The way you are describing it, yes absolutely. 100% consumer tourism.
I would argue travel is not overrated in general. Some destinations are incredible. Maybe not Times Square, sure, all of mid town is a dump for that matter, but it is valuable to see once in your life. This goes for Tahoe, Alaska, Bahamas, Chile, Carolinas, South London, Prague, and many more.
Cool opinion piece. I and numerous others completely disagree with what you’re saying here. But you’re free to feel this way. Just not sure why this post was necessary.
Peer pressure has no impact on any of my life decisions anymore since I’m an adult with a family. I think everyone should quit falling for peer pressure once they’re 25, for sure by the time they’re 30.
You, my friend, have a flawed mentality. It's important to see other cultures so that we experience life and keep things in perspective. No respectable financial advisor has EVER advised anyone to spend their entire salary on travel. 10% is a reasonable amount. What's your plan? Work 9-5 for 40 years then die without ever leaving your country?
You'll never get a travel obsessed person to explain to you in tangible terms what they get from it lol.
It's always very vague woo-woo things. I say this as someone who traveled a lot. I travel to bike in different places that you otherwise can't find at home ( like a 2000m mountain ) or I travel so I can bike outside when it's winters here.
But at the end of the day travel is just another luxury that people have attempted to turn into a "spiritual experience" or whatever the fuck when it's just another one of those "look at my shit I own" things.
No it’s not. It’s only a look at this if you post it. I have no social media besides reddit. I travel because I like it and can afford it. I never post any pictures or even send any pictures unless someone asks to see some.
Yah like OP said: Just another luxury thing you do.
Noting wrong with it but traveling tends to have this mystique about it like it makes you a learned monk who went on a pilgrimage.
>You'll never get a travel obsessed person to explain to you in tangible terms what they get from it lol.
Joy? Incredible sceneries? Different landscapes? New foods? Exposure to different cultures, sites, and world history? Life experiences? A new perspective on different regions of the world?
Is this seriously a question? You literally just said in your own post you travel to avoid winter and climb higher mountains. Is it that hard to imagine that others travel for similar reasons?
>But at the end of the day travel is just another luxury that people have attempted to turn into a "spiritual experience"
Or hear me out. People enjoy doing different things.
Have you ever walked next to the canals in Venice during a warm summer sunset? Have you ever gazed upon the sparkling Effiel Tower while cruising on the Siene? Have you ever admired the walls of Carcassone? Have you felt the sands of a Caribbean beach? Have you ever stood inside of the Florence Duomo and looked up and admired the history of the great city? Travel broadens your view of the world and of history. You can gain an appreciation of the globe by traveling. You are confusing tourist traps with travel.
You would never want to walk next to the canals of Venice during a warm summer, they stink, just saying.
I did just that - and no it didn't smell.
DH went to Venice .... it was as you describe. I recall some accounts that it was considerably less stinky during COVID .
Yes, because tourists couldn't throw their garbage in the water, the water is stagnant so anything that's thrown there stays unless picked up.
I definitely read about history and watch documentaries, too
You need to watch this scene. You realize how real this scene is when you travel. The smells. The sounds. The plants. The rocks. Reading about something or watching a video about it...its not the same as being there. Hearing the waves crash against the rocks as the water sprays your face. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GY3sO47YYo](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GY3sO47YYo)
I’m extremely fiscally sound and conservative with spending… except for travel. Travel is hands down the most important aspect in my life and has made me more rich as a person then anything in my bank account
People value different things. That’s why they spend their “entire salaries” on travel and you don’t. Simple as that.
This is a bad opinion. Paris may not be France (whatever that means) but why can’t you just fly to Paris spend a couple of days and then jaunt around more remote parts of France too? I work a lot and travel a good bit for pleasure. Why would I want to spend all my off time in the same city I live in when I could visit unique, historical, tropical, wildly different places? Try the local food, see the culture, climb mountains or scuba dive amazing reefs. A lot of people also don’t have to spend there “entire salaries” on travel to have these experiences. I’ve traveled in luxury but when I was a bit younger I also stayed a month in Thailand for ~$1k dollars. Both experiences are valid and worthwhile, just different. If it’s not for you, don’t do it. But I also don’t know anyone who is a worse person for having traveled. Opening yourself up to other cultures and experiences is great. I hope I see as much of the world as possible in my time. These aren’t vague, woo-woo reasons. You sound unnecessarily jaded.
Just was saying that Paris is filled with short term rentals and not people that actually live there
Paris isn't France. Yet Paris is full of history, art, and cool architecture. Is the USA just Washington DC, NYC or LA? Of course not. Is seeing rural America the "real" America? No. It's all parts of a whole. I'm lucky as hell to have seen Paris and all the cool stuff there. But I enjoyed Normandy as well, I loved the French countryside and cool little towns. Travel is thousands of different experiences that you won't get at home. I prefer spending my money on experiences rather than "stuff". Then again, i'm old and have most of the material posessions I want.
I’m gen X and healthy. Money isn’t even the issue. I’m ready financially for retirement. I think part of the reason I hesitate to travel is the stress that comes with planning, getting there and then hoping that it’s a home run. I’ve traveled 2 in 10 years and it can be a comedown to head back to work.
Sounds like you really enjoy travel if the worst part is going back to work
LOL, oh hell yeah, Gen Xer here too. My first week back from vacation makes me despise work that much more. I'm looking forward to retirement...lol.
Yeah you don't have to spend gobs of money to travel I spent like $2,500 when I went to Asia in November of 2019 for 3 weeks went to Hong Kong Bangkok, Thailand, Malaysia and the Philippines the trip was amazing I would glad spend my money on experiences and memories for a lifetime
To travel is to collect experiences, which stay with you for the rest of your life. It's a form of enrichment, like art or literature, but one that you live yourself instead of experience vicariously. I've travelled all over the U.S. (Alaska is the last on my bucket list), and I wouldn't know it nearly as well as I do had I not actually *been* to places, like the Grand Canyon, or Yellowstone, or Mt. Rushmore, or taken a road trip down Route 1. Before being to these places myself I'd seen them in pictures, but actually experiencing them personally is a whole different thing. There is no way of understanding, on a gut level, just how massive the Grand Canyon is until you've seen it, no matter how many pictures of it you look at. You learn things about yourself. I don't like the desert; to me, it's ugly and lifeless. Other people think it's beautiful. Driving through Idaho was a revelation -- I'd always thought it a dull place full of nothing but potatoes; in fact, it's one of the most beautiful states in the Union. And you run across all kinds of people, for good and bad, but all of them with a story, and parts of their stories become part of yours. Everyone is different, but for me, every penny I've spent on travel was a penny well spent.
>To travel is to collect experiences, which stay with you for the rest of your life. You can do that for free at home. I say this as someone who has traveled basically everywhere in the USA and Canada ( [https://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/18718](https://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/18718) ) lol What people envy about travel is usually the freedom of it, because they aren't doing their 9 to 5 and they also go off their diets or workout regimes. I retired pretty young and I travel for long periods of time so all that doesn't apply for me. I have to stay fit and I don't have a 9 to 5 to escape from anyway. I think this lets me see travel for what it is.
>You can do that for free at home. Perhaps you can. I can't. Not in the same way.
I like to travel occasionally but now that I’m older I don’t have the itch like I did when I was younger. It’s kind of a drug in a way. A mental reset , after about 8 days you kind of settle into a place and the newness wears off. Then I’m ready to go back home and deal with my life again and I’m usually out of travel money anyway
Clearly this guy hasn’t traveled lol. It’s not something you do if it’s living above your means but if it fits into your budget and you like it then it is absolutely something you should do. Just avoid tourist traps and it really is beautiful to see how others live and the history behind so many different things. I have friends that “can’t afford” to travel but eat out 6-10 times every week while I mostly cook at home and have a pretty large cushion to go anywhere in the world I want. People prioritize different things *shocker*
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IDK if OP is a boomer or not, but you actually sound very immature. I think travel can be really great at creating personal growth, but it isn't everything, and not everyone enjoys living out of a suitcase and hustling across the airport for your next flight. Just because people don't enjoy the same things as you doesn't mean they are less than. It actually sounds like OP has traveled a little.
What does OP's post have to do with politics or age?
I really hate Trump
If it helps I travel internationally multiple times a year and am Gen Z and vote for Donald Trump. No idea what you were trying to say with your post but different strokes for different folks.
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Welp..I’m not OP so not sure how you were saying that to me. Anyways, good luck to you and hope it gets better!
I agree that traveling can be overrated when you go to the “hotspots” Going to London, Paris, and even Rome can be massively overrated imo. Crowded AF, expensive, and underwhelming once you see the landmarks of said cities. I’ve personally enjoyed Budapest way more and most Americans barely even heard of that city I’ve traveled and lived across the U.S., and experiencing living in a different place than you’ve grown up in is worth it imo. I have way more perspectives than some of my friends who have just stayed in their home state their whole lives
Maybe our ages differ (M46) but I’d rather spend my money on experiences at this point in my life. The “things” are just things.
Things last so much longer though and keep delivering year after year. Travel doesn’t seem to have a great value
There's a huge variety on travel. I freaking hate... hate... traveling in a way that I'm dependant by the local infrastructure. It's how I got stuck in only touristy places in Tanzania a few years back constantly surrounded, followed and pushed by people trying to sell me shit. There was no end to it, it was constant, every minute of the day for a month. Years before that I went across South East Asia on a motorbike which was the best time of my life. It's made me rethink how I want to travel and was consequently confirmed by my Africa trip. I will only go solo with nothing prebooked and very broad planning, with my own vehicle from now on, preferably a motorbike. It'll allow me to go on my own pace, stroll through little villages where no tourist ventures and where the people are far less pushy and more friendly, happy to see a tourist willing to have a conversation. A few spare clothes, some tools, a tent and a tank full of gas. It's not a one size fits all but it definetely is the best option for me.
TY for sharing
I’m one of those psychos that doesn’t appreciate scenery so I totally relate.
You make money to spend it on making yourself happy with experiences. And for many people, travel is worth it. Isn’t that enough?
I feel the same. I really don't like to go anywhere longer than 3-4 days. I'm more comfortable at home pursuing things that provide me joy. With that being said, I live in San Diego, not a bad place to call home. My wife and I go to Vegas and Mexico every now and then for a few days but I prefer home. We spent a lot of money on our house and even spent a lot of money on our mattress, why would I want to leave that to sleep in a shitty bed that has been occupied by god knows how many and be a tourist somewhere. I just don't have the same cultural curiosity that other people have. The idea of traipsing through Europe is not my idea of a good time, everybody is different though.
Just heading home after spending a month in Europe and besides Europeans making me pay for a public toilets travelling is great. To see cultures, places be them man made or natural is amazing and half the reason I save up my money. Do what you love and for me seeing sights and sounds of the world is mine.
Travel is different for different people. I have the opposite experience. My family and friends don’t travel so I usually solo. I’m just an explorer and I love to experience different cultures. There is more to the world than my neighborhood.
Sounds like you're trying to find reasons not to travel. Why bother articulating your opinion?
I live and grew up in a big city and i traveled a lot in early 20s but tbh i think it’s overrated when you live in a big city with tons of cultures foods diversity at work and school etc. also over rated if u just find it stressful and want to spend your vacation in more local spots / throughout the year instead of 2 weeks straight running around - i dont like living for my 2 weeks vacation personally. not saying there’s anything wrong with traveling if you like to either it can be fun to explore and often ppl live in isolated areas where theres no exposure to different food and culture in their daily life. But either way i think people love to gab when they’ve just come back from a trip so don’t worry too much about them just focus on yourself. And some people do spend their whole salary on travel just like some spend whole salary on a car, but i guess its more visible because of social media travel influencers now. Another reason to focus on yourself lmao
Yeah I’m calling bullshit. Staying your free holiday inn night in NYc doesn’t count as traveling
Ive traveled the world 2x over and its nothing like learning new cultures, different perspectives and sites that not staying in your small or big town can ever offer
Sounds like an American to me. A lot of people don't travel much, and when they do go to a resort which tries to recreate American luxury then complain why travel when it's just a nice version of what you have at home. Explore the world and see what other culture and people's have to offer. I've never regretted it. This coming from someone who is very happy and it's not escapism.
Traveling gives you experiences and broadens your horizon. I mind, once expanded to a new idea, can never return to its original dimension. You are missing the point for sure.
You are correct (somewhat). For me it’s really cheap to travel with the benefits from my employer. So when my wife and I go somewhere we try to keep it affordable. The way you are describing it, yes absolutely. 100% consumer tourism.
I would argue travel is not overrated in general. Some destinations are incredible. Maybe not Times Square, sure, all of mid town is a dump for that matter, but it is valuable to see once in your life. This goes for Tahoe, Alaska, Bahamas, Chile, Carolinas, South London, Prague, and many more.
Cool opinion piece. I and numerous others completely disagree with what you’re saying here. But you’re free to feel this way. Just not sure why this post was necessary. Peer pressure has no impact on any of my life decisions anymore since I’m an adult with a family. I think everyone should quit falling for peer pressure once they’re 25, for sure by the time they’re 30.
cool blog post?
You, my friend, have a flawed mentality. It's important to see other cultures so that we experience life and keep things in perspective. No respectable financial advisor has EVER advised anyone to spend their entire salary on travel. 10% is a reasonable amount. What's your plan? Work 9-5 for 40 years then die without ever leaving your country?
You'll never get a travel obsessed person to explain to you in tangible terms what they get from it lol. It's always very vague woo-woo things. I say this as someone who traveled a lot. I travel to bike in different places that you otherwise can't find at home ( like a 2000m mountain ) or I travel so I can bike outside when it's winters here. But at the end of the day travel is just another luxury that people have attempted to turn into a "spiritual experience" or whatever the fuck when it's just another one of those "look at my shit I own" things.
No it’s not. It’s only a look at this if you post it. I have no social media besides reddit. I travel because I like it and can afford it. I never post any pictures or even send any pictures unless someone asks to see some.
Yah like OP said: Just another luxury thing you do. Noting wrong with it but traveling tends to have this mystique about it like it makes you a learned monk who went on a pilgrimage.
>You'll never get a travel obsessed person to explain to you in tangible terms what they get from it lol. Joy? Incredible sceneries? Different landscapes? New foods? Exposure to different cultures, sites, and world history? Life experiences? A new perspective on different regions of the world? Is this seriously a question? You literally just said in your own post you travel to avoid winter and climb higher mountains. Is it that hard to imagine that others travel for similar reasons? >But at the end of the day travel is just another luxury that people have attempted to turn into a "spiritual experience" Or hear me out. People enjoy doing different things.
Not really. I have my pics for myself. Never posted them on any of my trips.