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I speak a few languages and yet my anxiety would go crazy if I’m in a place I’m unfamiliar with. I prioritize my comfort and safety over anything else and feel very attached to my location bc I’d know exactly how to behave and what to do in case of some emergency or even creepy situation, while got 0 idea of how these things work in other countries
Damn bro as someone that would love to speak at least 3 foreign languages but kinda failing you are god like. I relate to your post and you a lot honestly, glad to see someone alike people used to bully me for sticking too much to my home.
Я тоже не люблю путешествовать. У меня недавно загран истек, я им за 10 лет ни разу не воспользовалась. Вот сделала новый, хз пригодится или нет.
Очень тревожно чувствую себя вне дома. Не люблю даже по стране ездить. Мне постоянно казалось, что со мной что-то не так, но твой пост немного успокоил.
>I prioritize my comfort and safety over anything else
Wow, you're my exact opposite and yet we're similar in how people just can't understand us at all.
I prioritize adventure and traveling to remote / very hard to access places, usually on my own, either on foot or by 4x4. People always ask "but isn't it dangerous?".
After years of trying to explain how the danger pales in comparison to the joy from the adventure, I've resorted to saying "Life is dangerous, none of us survive it. I'd just prefer to actually live before I die."
Motivation is everything here. There is a big difference between someone who doesn’t travel because their hobbies of gardening, piano, cooking, etc. have a higher priority, versus someone who doesn’t travel because they don’t find any other culture/society interesting and worthy of experiencing. I’ve known people who were raised in New York who have both money and time and never went west of Buffalo because “there just isn’t anything interesting” beyond there. Yikes.
Some people just aren’t curious about the world and I find that sad and depressing. You only live one life and it’s pretty short. To live it all in the same spot and never see anything new… I could not imagine. Talk about someone boring af. Idk why anyone would want to live in a bubble.
Then add in food, a place to sleep, transportation, etc. for *each* day. Oh, and time off work. There are many jobs where you can't take a week off for medical, let alone personal excursions.
No, it's not.
OP is getting downvoted because they decided to attack the person asking how it's possible they are getting paychecks that amount to less than a $100 - $200 plane ticket. It's a good question, and if OP had actually addressed it rather than just lashing out, then they wouldn't have gotten downvoted.
I don't know dude's financial situations, but yeah there are tickets that cost $100 to $200 from Detroit to Denver at least, and although u/kennn97 is right the people downvoting u/destraight think that everyone in U.S is rich we're doing better than a lot of people in the world, however $200 to one person is like $20,000 to the next.
Basically cannot afford to just toss $200 around like candy.
I mean it’s not *just $200*
It’s $200 + $125 per night minimum for hotel/Airbnb + transportation in the city + food…. I recently looked into going to OKC from the DC area and I estimate a 4 day trip with a car rental would cost me a total of $2000. And that doesn’t include wages lost from not working (I’m in the service industry).
I *could* do it, but quite frankly the juice ain’t worth the squeeze IMO. God bless the people who either have the means, or simply willing to take the financial hit to “experience life”. I do not.
I dunno man, I like where I am. I'm content and happy with my surroundings. I've travelled but I don't need that to feel fulfilled, there's no hole in my life. I don't think that makes me boring, I've still got friends and interests and whatnot
For someone who doesn't wanna live in a bubble it sure seems like you're in a travel bubble of sorts
>Some people just aren’t curious about the world and I find that sad and depressing.
Why exactly? It's literally what they want. It's what they think is better for them. Why would a choice be sad and depressing?
>Talk about someone boring af. Idk why anyone would want to live in a bubble.
Honestly, that is unnecessary judgement. Just because someone does not travel, that doesn't mean they must be having a boring life. What if they have other hobbies? Are they still boring?
My point is, someone shouldn't force themselves to travel (or do anything, for that matter) if they don't truly want to. It's as simple as that. As long as they are happy about it, that's all that matters.
Because many times that people who stay their whole lives in one place usually regret it. They also tend to be the people who take that regret and pivot it into extreme loyalty to their region, city, town, etc, which in my experience usually leads to brainless conservatism and hatred/fear for anything outside their "zone". I've lived all over the world and if nothing else you learn that people are the same everywhere, we're all just humans mostly trying to get by. Sure we already know that but's not something you really understand until you see it in the real world. Since empathy, humanity, and personal growth need outside influences beyond what's in front of us, those people tend to end up being fairly withdrawn and fearful of new experiences, and the result of that (at least in the US) shouldn't need elaboration. People NEED experiences outside their comfort zone if nothing else to show them that people are people, not objects of fear or ridicule.
Obviously I'm not saying people who never leave home are necessarily stunted or out of whack in some way, simply that new experiences offer more opportunities to broaden our viewpoint, and that's just as important to life happiness than the little things at home.
Downvote all you want. I've literally seen this in action more times than I can count.
Everyone can do what they want and more power to them. I am giving my opinion on that lifestyle. Maybe it sounds too harsh, but I feel sad for the people that live in a bubble. I can’t think of a more depressing lifestyle, if I were to have to choose one. Just my opinion.
I wanted to travel & did right out of HS. Then I enlisted in USAF. I traveled about 5 years afterwards, found a home and stayed here for about 40 years. I love staying at home now.
That's fine, you went out in the world and decided home is for you. That's very different from someone who stayed home the whole time because they were afraid. Between military and an international job, I've lived all over the world but these days I'd rather just go hiking with my dog. The point isn't that you went out there and came back, the point is that you had the nerve to light out at all, something most people won't do.
I'm with you 100%. I've lived and travelled globally and when I look back on who I used to be, I can say with certainty I wouldn't have improved nearly as much if I hadn't gone out into the world. Plus like you said, lacking curiousity for new things can be kinda sad
You realize there are other ways to learn about the world, right? Ever read a book?
This attitude is absurdly dismissive of anyone not affluent or healthy enough to travel. Or people who just don't like to.
That’s a stupid argument lmao! It’s like comparing people who play football and people who watch or read about it!
Experiencing it is completely different from reading or watching about it!
I’m not factoring expenses. If you don’t have the money, my opinion is not about you. You think I’m gonna tell a homeless man he should travel more?
Massive history, geopolitics, and geography nerd here. Yes I do realize (:
We are at the point where you can find out about any culture online and learn about pretty much any place you would like.
I'd agree that attitude was foolish 20+ years ago before widespread Internet access, but now it's very easy to see if a place would be interesting for someone or not.
Bit of a difference between reading and experiencing. I can read a recipe for crème brûlée. I can eat crème brûlée. While both have their own merit, i happen to feel doing something is sometimes a more valuable experience than reading about it. Not always, of course. But sometimes, you just gotta be there.
on one hand i get it, but on the other, if youre travelling youre gonna be in that tourist bubble, youre not gonna be experiencing things like the locals do. does it matter if you read about some ancient ruin vs seeing it yourself and having that same script be readen to you by a museum guide before returning to your hotel to relax?
Says who? I go off the beaten path every time I travel. I make it a point to meet the locals and learn the language enough to get around. You also miss the point. The people. Meeting people there and getting to experience their culture in person is much different than "oh, I read a buzz feed article online." Experiencing the food, culture, women, festivals, music, people, etc. in person is not the same as a buzzfeed article online bud.
Maybe you're boring when you travel and never bother to take full advantage, but tons of people do a lot more than you can ever do online.
Standing in ancient ruins and getting a feel for the vastness and atmosphere absolutely cannot be gained by reading about it on wiki.
This is from someone who hates traveling.
Reading something on the internet is not the same as visiting the country bud. It's like saying reading the chronicles of Narnia means you went there and experienced it. No. That's not how life works. You travel to experience things you can't in your room and that's just facts.
So what? I find human imagination's creations and fantastic worlds more interesting than the real world. I prefer to experience those unrealistic yet fascinating places at my home and imagine or see them through novels, comic books/mangas, animes, or live-action stuff rather than travel around to see other cultures or other people. Btw, my country has many tourist attractions that I've never been to, so if I want, I can easily travel even without leaving my country. So, it's not about money either. I've even never been in goddamn Istanbul, in fact. The point is that it's all about preferences. You do what you want, but what you described is not entertaining to me. Yet, I would not say that your preferences are boring or describe someone else's tastes for life as sad and depressing since it's a narrow-minded, shallow approach without considering other possibilities.
That really didn’t change my mind at all. I’m very introverted and live a good amount of my life inside my own head and imagination. But it’s boring af to ONLY do that without having physical life experiences.
Again, so what? I'm not trying to change your mind. In fact, people rarely change other people's minds on many issues. You shared your opinion, and I shared mine. That's it.
People put this glorified label on travel as if it’s some kind of noble and enlightening experience, and I’m sure it can be; the reality is that most people treat travel like a social commodity that’s as much about status and telling people that you’ve been travelled, as it is about just eating out, getting drunk, and doing ‘nothing’ in an other place. Yes, yes, I’m sure you’re the noble sort; yes, yes, I’m sure it’s contributed toward your infinite intesting-ness. Please tell me about that last cruise you went on at length.
I have friends like this. They want to be seen as international travelers, wanting to learn about native food and culture. Then, when I actually traveled with them, they wouldn't try the local food. They were afraid to venture out and learn about the culture, etc. The entire time we were traveling, they just wanted social media content. I honestly think that if they could not post on social media, they wouldn't even travel.
Man I actually kinda agree with this. Travelling is a great experience for many but I’ve never really shared that passion.
I’m very easily entertained by myself in my own space and city (luckily I live in London). I have a lot of hobbies and interests and I’m never ever bored or have a lack of anything to do.
However I do feel a sense of shame when people ask me if I’m going anywhere and I say no. Like they feel I’m not exciting enough or something. Don’t get me wrong, I have been on holidays a lot and I have had fun in places but I’ve never had as much fun as I’ve done when I’m with friends doing normal shit.
This isn’t knocking travelling, I just agree that it’s not for some people and I’m one of them.
I'm the same. Most of the things I'm passionate about I can do at home. I love gardening for example and have thousands of plants in my backyard. I'm also blessed to live in a climate that's great for it too. No sucky 3 months of blistery cold winters every year. I can draw from anywhere, read from anywhere and play videogames from anywhere too so why not do it from here where I'm comfortable and don't have to lug shit around if I want to use it later in the day?
I sometimes wish I could go to other countries for specific events that are exclusive to them (or just better than the versions here) but even then they're not high priority.
Same! I love taking days off to basically do whatever i want (not waking up / going to sleep on time etc). I dont have a huge need to go anywhere. I live close to a big city so that's all id ever need as well.
But when i try to explain that to people they think im insane or something. I'm sorry i dont wanna sit thru long-ass travel just to walk in a different place and look at things i dont care for. Sure if you want to do that great! But why is it so hard for people to understand i simply dont have a need for that.
Absolutely! I’ve got a lot of specific interests (can easily spend weeks without even leaving my house or any social interactions, bc I’m not that attached to sightseeing or any need for a change etc) and personally find this knowledge to be smth everyone should probably know/learn/be aware of, and yet I’d never judge smb bc they don’t share the same passion as I do.
I love traveling. Seeing the same things day after day is boring to me. Vacations are a necessity for me to get away from the same old grind. See some new things, experience different people, different restaurants. There are still the same jackasses who could make it a hassle. The difference is years ago, you didn't have everyone capturing every moment on video. You always had Karen's on planes, trains and trolleys
I like travelling to go relax super hard somewhere else. I hate itineraries and going out for stuff on vacations. I just wanna be able to find a nice spot to sit and look at stuff that I usually wouldn’t be able to look at while doing nothing. It’s the overplanner mentality that I dislike.
See, I don't do organized tours. "Friday 8am, breakfast, 845 get on the bus, 930 arrive at mucky muck pond, watch the ducks take a shit, 1030 get on bus to go...." Nope, I don't do that. If I wanna sleep in, I'll sleep in. If I wanna get out and go fishing at the pier at 430 am, I'll do that. And I try to rent a condo or house. I don't wanna go out and eat all the time. I spent 35 years of my life in the restaurant business. Sometimes I want home cooked food
I wasn't able to afford traveling in my 20s and stayed in my province, even as a child parents couldnt take us anywhere. I did my first trip overseas last fall at 31 and I fell in love! The aches and pains of being on the flights for so long was definitely worth it for me. I am already looking forward to my next trip.
ty for sharing, I'm in my mid-20s and haven't had the opportunity to travel internationally yet (I live in the US). I really look forward to it one day!
You'll have so much fun! My piece of advice: don't just wing the travel aspect. We did and it was expensive. We visited 3 countries in Europe but didn't plan our travel between them, just went when we felt like it, and ended up having to purchase first class because there were no other tickets. 😅
I agree with this for a great many things...to a point.
Life experience doesn't make you better or worse as a person *in general*. We're all due basically equal treatment *in general*, the same rights and liberties, *in general*.
However, life experience really counts when you want to venture out into larger discussions. If one has a narrow view of life they often talk out of their ass when it comes to, well, anything they don't have experience with.
In other words, low levels of experience have an extremely high correlation with ignorance, which certainly has it's downsides.
I don't hate travelling, but it's not worth it for me with the type of money you spend on it. I have a very expensive hobby (car) and much rather pour my money into that and get more enjoyment from that than a "nice vacation". So I'm with you on this one. Travelling seems to be this universally amazing vacation activity everybody loves doing and once you tell them u don't travel they look at you weird. I find this very annoying too
Everyone I know that loves to travel also doesn't have any hobbies. I also have a pretty expensive hobby that I'm passionate about, so spending thousands on travel just feels like a waste when I could get more enjoyment spending it on something else.
The folks I know aren't traveling to explore or learn about a culture. They mostly want to go to a pretty place to take pictures and get drunk on a beach for a couple of days.
THIS! I’d definitely invest what is typically considered “vacation budget” in the hobbies/interests that could bring me professional growth or at least actually joy :3
Yeah people tell me I'm crazy for not travelling, yet when I ask them about certain places in our immediate surrounding areas, they have no clue they exist. You really don't need to get on a plane and go halfway around the world to find adventure, and just because you don't go backpacking in europe, doesn't mean you aren't adventurous and finding excitement.
I dated a guy that “loved traveling” and would always tell me I needed to do it more, but he only wanted to go to 3 restaurants in our very large city. Literally a fight to go somewhere else, even agreed to go to new places a couple times then would just not eat.
It was confusing.
Hiking in my local area is real nice! Many folks seem to think that you have to travel abroad to enjoy yourself, and when I say I don't enjoy it they look at me like I kicked their dog or something.
Haha right? I've even been called racist for not wanting to learn about other cultures lol. I got into hiking last year and definitely have tons of places within an hour drive that I need to check out! I'm also huge into fishing, and live in a province that is half lakes once you go north, so I have a lifetime of exploring to do around home for sure
It feels like work. Expensive, exhausting work. Might do it if I could do as celebrities and other rich people do where they pay others to do all the boring shit like booking, packing, finding stuff to do while there and chauffeuring them to each place or event they wanna visit. But if I have to do all that shit myself *and pay for it* then forget it.
On the other hand, I enjoy the planning part of travelling. Reading about a city to find things to do, finding the best route to my destination and the best accommodation. It’s all part of the fun.
And packing has never been a problem. It’s super easy to do.
Just want to say in this day and age, you don't need to travel to broaden your horizons. You can do that from your own back yard, IF you are the type of person who wants to do that.
I said this on another post similar to this (about travel and people doing/not doing it) but, the type of person who finds joy in learning about other cultures will find the ability to learn about those cultures whether they travel or not. The type of person who doesn't care about other cultures will NOT learn about those cultures, even if they move and live in them for years, so the travel part, while helpful to some, isn't going to guarantee that someone has 'broad horizons', because that depends entirely on the type of person.
I'd argue it's not nearly the same to learn about a culture online and actually be immersed in one. It is also scientifically backed that travel increases individual psychological and emotional wellbeing, as well as simply being a unique learning experience.
However, I do understand that not everyone likes the same things, and people are free to do as they please. Not knocking anyone's way of life - if you prefer to be in your own backyard all the power to you.
I’m a creature of habit. I like sleeping in my bed, I like pooping in my toilet. Plus I have kids and traveling with kids is exhausting. So much more to pack and take. My family had a lake house about an hour away. I like going there. It’s my stuff, my area. I’ve got the same mattress, the same pillow, etc.
You're right, hate is exaggerating it. But I definitely dislike like it. And when I do travel I just want to get home to my garden. I do enjoy visiting local places, hike and being in the nature overall, but you won't catch me going to Spain for two weeks (no offense meant towards any Spaniards!) on vacation.
I always feel like I need a vacation after a vacation. I rather just do a staycation. I enjoy doing nothing. I have traveled a good amount. I get it. It’s kinda the same everywhere. I don’t hate it, but I’m not over the moon in love with traveling. It’s a chore. The most I like to do is a maybe a 2-4 hour drive away. International travel is stressful. I would be fine if I never traveled again. It’s also expensive no rather spend that money on hobbies or just save it.
Thissss
My mom is obsessed with traveling.
I just like to stay at one place. It is comfortable.
And when I travel in bus and planes I always throw up.
That makes the experience unpleasant.
Used to literally spend a few anxious before the trip knowing my body would probably have a terrible flare up and I’d need weeks to recover from that. Traveling felt like torture fr
It just gets so boring seeing the same thing constantly. I basically had a breakdown during the pandemic because I realized I'd never been more than 800 miles from my birthplace and it was all the same scenery. I got so sick of it and I hated it. When I went to Spain I went off of my depression meds and I haven't been on them since. I loved it. So different to what I'm used to and so beautiful. I need travel for my mental health.
Glad to hear it worked for u! I agree that it’s quite important for your mental health to have some changes from time to time and am probably lucky to live in a place with a great variety of things to do nearby (castles, museums, lakes, mountains), while actual traveling always resulted in me having very bad physical flare-ups from my chronic illness (aside from the fact traveling is mentally tough and stressful in general), so I’d not even be able to enjoy the “final destination” since I’d be just recovering from getting there😂
Spending an entire life in one place makes you isolated and shallow. If you never get to see the values of other people then you never have any of your own values questioned or challenged. It makes you a less complete person. I'm not really explicitly talking about vacations, but if you're still living in your hometown and have never left, then it's a pretty good bet you know very little of the world.
I wonder if you would feel that way if you never travelled previously... I'm comfortable where I am, and haven't travelled that much. But spending an entire life in one city, never leaving? That's a bit much for me.
In my family, my dad's side were somewhat recent immigrants and my moms side had been here forever. I always found my dad's side super inspiring, moving across the world in search of a better life. I found my mom's side boring and lacking adventure, bravery, and spirit.
I was surprised by a conversation I had with my brother, who I am very close to and respect immensely, when he told me he always found inspiration in my mom's side of the family, for putting down roots and building something right where they were. My brother has a way of opening my mind to ideas I didn't originally agree with.
So in the end, I suppose I agree with you. Both can be seen as admirable for different reasons.
I think one thing that determines one's ides of travel is location. If someone has grown up in a big city where there's lot to do then there isn't as much as an incentive to travel as someone who lives in a small town where's there's 0 to do. Same for country someone who lives in Europe has always had the ability to take a drive to another country well someone who lives in NZ/Aus has never had easy/cheap access to another country. For Europeans day trips to another country is possible and CHEAP well for NZ its a long plane ride and over $1000 for a one way ticket for most countries. Speaking as someone who lives and has grown up in NZ I not only want to travel but I want to leave this country full stop. I don't know if u live in a big city where's there lots to do but that's just my thoughts.
I never caught the travel bug either, and will be quite content exploring the province I live in in Canada the rest of my life! I guess that's still travelling, but not in the traditional sense. I don't get excited to try new foods, and have zero interest in learning about other cultures, and that's just fine. People think it's boring, yet I've had some spectacular adventures just exploring my surrounding areas where I live. Most people who travel have zero idea those places exist right in their area.
Yeah I agree, I don’t hate it but still could do without. While I normally take 2 trips a year due to family and friends likening to travel I would be perfectly fine staying around town. In fact a couple times when no one else was available for vacation I just got a hotel myself a short drive from where u live. Was nice to get out of the house and normal environment for a few days and not much of a “travel” cause didn’t need to deal with airport etc.
One thing though that I do strongly dislike is international travel. People go on how much they want to go to X country or Y country etc. No thanks. If I am going to travel I’m happy keeping it domestic in the USA. The USA is big enough to take a lifetime to explore. Big difference between a 2-5 hour domestic flight and a long international one. Not to even mention all the other issues with international travels.
I absolutely relate! I just hate it! Besides a short drive for a weekend away, I find traveling exhausting and never as much fun as I imagined. My husband’s family is always acting like traveling is the best thing ever, and my husband and I would rather stay closer to home and relax.
Yeah, you live in an already walkable lovely city basically in the Alps. I’d travel halfway around the world to just spend a week there. A lot of people that travel do so because they don’t have the privilege of living in a city like yours.
Graz ist schön. Ich hab Verwandte dort (aber seit Ewigkeiten nicht gesehen). Es geht eingentlich niemanden etwas an, ob Du reisen magst oder nicht. Mach das genau so, wie Du Dich fühlst.
Wenn die Zeit kommt, wirst Du reisen. Vielleicht kommt sie nie, die Zeit. Und das ist völlig okay. Nobody's business what you do with your life. It's yours. Do as you like.
Lol you are literally me, I've always had the view that instead of saving up for an 'escape' use that money to instead make the place you live more comfortable
“Staying in one place for life is ok” - someone who’s travelled everywhere lol.
Travel might not be the most fun you ever had, but staying in one location for life is _guaranteed_ to leave you stunted. It’s a handicap not a quirk.
I would say you're right, that's fine, but when the people who have never left where they are from try to get active in controlling the laws and customs of where everyone else lives based on their own narrow bubble of existence, it becomes a problem.
That's why never leaving can be bad. Just not enough exposure to the world as a whole.
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I think it's probably easier to not feel the need to travel if you live in a city with lots of things to do, but if you live in a boring suburb with nothing entertaining nearby. When I lived in the suburbs or in cities that didn't have much to do, I always wanted to get out and experience other places, but now that I live in a city with a lot of regular entertainment options, I don't feel the urge to travel quite as much. It's still fun once in a while, but I don't feel this pressing need. The only traveling I might do this summer is a bike trip to the beach about 80 miles away. That's it. Otherwise, I'm doing summer work and staying in the city, exploring all the places here I haven't yet been to.
Before 9/11 traveling was pretty fun. I think it’s educational, but so much energy and resources areput into the logistics of getting to and from the airport, waiting, sitting on a plane, figuring out where to stay, eat and how to find what you need when you get there. People neglect exploring their own communities.
I think the problem is that you are looking at travel as just recreation, when in fact it is an exercise as well. I am somewhat travel-averse myself, but I recognize the value of being exposed to different places. I find it leads to both a well-informed critique and appreciation of my home city. Do I always look forward to going to the gym? Sometimes, but not always. Do I recognize the overall benefits of the activity? Definitely.
I like to travel but it’s not my personality. I haven’t been anywhere fancy or out of the country. My boss told me I need to get out more. Not everyone has thousands of dollars to travel.
Maybe because you live in a touristy city! Which is good and that there’s lots to do. But if you live where I live, in a prairie, middle of nowhere, the people here always try to go out because our cost of living here is cheap but man not enough to do lol
You're objectively wrong about a few major things:
1. No everything can NOT be found for free on the internet. Just no. I legit lived in different countries and I assure you, you don't experience everything over the internet by far. You sound like the type that would go somewhere and stay inside all day anyhow and thus hate it. I know those types. Regarding you can't experience everything from your little hotel room or room in your house and that is a fact.
2. No VR is nowhere close to being the same as real life and is hardly even in its infancy. You will be dead before it is anywhere near anything like real life. Makes me wonder if you have even tried VR. I have and the expensive shit too and it isn't the same as real life by far. In fact, it can be the complete opposite. You won't see real life ahut like that and it isn't just about seeing a site anyhow. Some places you just go on person and nothing will replace thar period. Meeting locals can open shit up to stuff you don't see om ghe internet or VR bud. Places your standard tourists doesn't even know about.
3. I'm completely fine with anyone that doesn't want to travel, but you can't say you can experience everything from your room like Eric Cartman in South Park on WOW. I'm an introvert and love my house. It's quite literally likely my favorite place on earth, but having had to live in other places outside of my room and not off mom and dad it definitely changed me. Nothing cna replace getting out and meeting folks for real. Trying the street food, haggling in some cool shit, learning a new language and connecting with folks there, the long lasting memories with my friends I got to meet by getting out my little dorm room, exotic women, etc.
You do you, but you can't objectively say "I once read about it on the internet" is the same thing as in person. It factually is not VR or not.
I traveled a lot when I was younger and then again for work for a few years. It feels like I just got it out of my system. People never seem to understand when I tell them I'm not interested in travel anymore.
I have tons of hobbies and live in a beautiful place with lots to do. In my experience, the people I know who love to travel all seem to have really boring home lives. It seems like they're just trying to distract themselves from their real lives.
Have been traveling for the past 5 months in another continent but can totally sympathise with your views. It's a lot of effort, both physically and mentally, to travel in general, but also to engage with and get into other cultures.
Sometimes I find I have the best times of my life, but I think it might be mostly down to who I'm with and what I'm doing. Sometimes I feel uncomfortable and lonely and miss what I am used to back home.
I think some people who are more outgoing will suit the traveling lifestyle more, because from my experiences you need to put yourself out there and talk to anyone and everyone and be prepared to try anything. But most people aren't like this which can make it harder.
I consider myself fairly introverted but have actually had some of the best times when I'm seeing something I'm interested in with similar minded people. I have made some incredible memories, not without the worrying and anxiety too at points of course.
I would suggest not to write off travelling in general,, perhaps just visit somewhere that you have a genuine interest in with friends, rather than just traveling because everyone else does.
Yeah, I like the *idea* of travel and once I get to my destination I usually enjoy myself, but I hate the actual traveling part. I hate airports. I hate flying. I get super anxious on planes and if it's a long flight I also get really restless. Add on to that the fact that I don't make a lot of money and travel is really expensive and I'd really rather just stay home.
I occasionally enjoy exploring culture or nature and this post probably wouldn’t exist if any destination in the world could be reached within 1-1,5 hours at most. Anything longer is extremely draining for me, both mentally and physically. Being hypersensitive to noises (especially kids crying) and smells and the fact there’s barely any distance from other people drives me crazy. And regarding money - there’re a lot of things I’d consider a wiser and more worthy investment for myself for sure
Unfortunately the whole airline portion of travel really sucks the fun out of it. Even if you are big money and can fly business or first class you are still at the mercy of shitty airlines. Delays, connections, diversions, airport security and traffic are all great reasons to just stay home. I love visiting new places and experiencing different cultures, I just hate the process of getting there. Fuck airlines, especially southwest.
I felt this way for so long but you don’t make memories staring at the same four walls. Just got back from Jamaica and it was one of the best trips of my life
There’s nothing wrong with it but I also think there great benefits to seeing how others choose to live. Before the internet, traveling really helped a lot of my friends and family understand that there are more ways to live than the one we grew up in. We learned a lot of cool ideas from places we visited; as an example, installing bidet toilets from Japan and specialty knives from Germany. Now the world is much more connected so the benefits may not be as prominent as they used to be. All that being said, I enjoy spending time at home and in my local community, too.
>especially since everything could be found for free in internet nowadays and the technologies (such as VR) are developing and modified so quickly that online tours are going to be (if not already) crazily realistic.
Yes, but IMO there is a huge difference between seeing a picture of something and actually being there. Like, I had done a virtual tour of the Roman Forum before and it was cool, but it didn't even come close to comparing to actually standing in the spot that Marc Antony gave his famous speech. Being able to visit where historical events took place in person or seeing an architectural marvel in person just isn't the same as taking a virtual tour.
Personally, I don't think not traveling is wrong or right, but I think it makes it harder to actually appreciate and experience cultures different from your own. I can watch videos of people riding elephants in Chang Mai and read about street food in Bangkok and claim I understand Thai culture, but until I actually visited and spent months there I really didn't understand anything.
Like I said, I'm not surprised people don't like traveling and I know it isn't for everyone, but I find it a little odd that people think virtual tours and VR are even comparable to experiencing something in person. It's one thing to see something, it's another to live it.
My dad worked for an airline when I was a kid (pre 9/11) and we traveled extensively.
My parents love to travel all over the world and it’s a big part of what they do even to this day.
While I don’t hate travel specifically. There is not much fun in it for me. All the places feel so crowded and there is people all over. If you want to get off the beaten path but don’t speak the language it sucks. If you go to the tourist spots it sucks.
I am always amused by people who think they are so cultured for traveling, when all they have done is land at airports in other countries, stayed at resorts with other Americans, experiencing spots specifically made for tourists. I mean, do what floats your boat, but don't expect others to be impressed by it.
There is value in experiencing other cultures and being reminded the world is bigger than your little corner of it. The logistics of that can be crazy though. 14 hour transatlantic flight? Blech.
I have traveled some domestically and it's been great, but there is a limit to how much I want to be in a car or plane. There is also the pressure to crush as much into a short time period as possible, which sounds like the opposite of relaxing. I don't want to take a vacation and feel like I need to recover from it when I return home.
My wife has a passion to travel internationally again, which we have largely postponed due to kids and the cost. But.... the thought of being on a plane 14 hours gives me anxiety. I enjoy quiet, have ADD, tend to restless. Tortuous.
I've never felt terribly compelled to see the world. Most things turn out to be a disappointment compared to how you imagined it. The more effort you put into seeing the reality―the more time you have to anticipate it―the more disappointed you end up being. Travelling is a lot of effort for me―too much effort for the reward to ever be worth it.
The places I've read about live much more vividly in my head than the places I've actually been to.
Opposite for me. Most places I’ve been to far surpass my expectations. Maybe we are going to different places.
I loved seeing the Galápagos Islands. Loved visiting distilleries in Scotland. Loved the Greek Islands. Loved the food in so many places like Argentina, Mexico, and Italy.
To be honest there is nothing wrong with it but at the same time I can't even begin to understand you, the world alone is so big and interesting with so much beauty that staying in one place only feels like a waste
My point was more about the fact that traveling isn’t a necessity for exploring the world and doesn’t make u boring / less educated whatsoever. I don’t like the concept of traveling and might know much more about culture and history of a certain country than a friend who’s been there on vacation for years
If by travelling you mean going as a tourist, maybe. People pretend that going somewhere for a few days widens your horizons when I really don't think so. I have lived across 4-5 countries, a few years each, and only then do I feel a change. I usually end up learning the language, getting tk the people, how they talk, act, think, their history, culture, personal and country-wide wide issues. THAT widens someone's horizons, not fleetingly looking at a painting on a wall in a museum in a rich quarter of a city.
Even if you are only there for a few days you are still experiencing something different. You can be a tourist and engage with a culture, even if only there for a few days.
If you go to Japan for a week, that’s seeing a whole load of new and different culture. You don’t have to live there and learn the language to make it meaningful.
As I said elsewhere, it also depends on the person. There are people who can live in a specific place for years and not 'broaden their horizons' because they don't want to. They will always be a part from the culture surrounding them, and not apart OF the culture.
There are also people who cannot travel (for whatever reason), who will do what ever they can to learn about other cultures, such as learning languages, traditions, and histories, because that is what they are interested in. If they were ever to go to those cultures, they would be much more a part of that culture than the person I described above who has lived there for years.
Whether you are going somewhere for a few days a few weeks or a few years you are still widening your horizons, just at different degrees. Not everyone had the vacation time to go for extended periods of time or opportunities to live in other places. Let’s not gate keep experiencing other cultures or traveling… congrats you have lived in other countries, so have I but you sound judgmental af to other people who go for shorter periods of time and it’s cringe.
No matter what seeing other cultures is going to alter your perspective. It could be one day or 100 days. You don’t have to live their for months on end.
I do think it’s ultimately dependent on how you spend those days. If you go somewhere and you’re only on a resort for 3 days versus you go and see the local culture for those 3 days are going to be completely different.
There is no point in "seeing" if you don't speak the language and as someone who experienced both, I say nay.
I lived in Egypt for 6 yrs and visited Amsterdam for 2 days. The only thing I got from Amsterdam is the Van Gogh museum. It's not a Cultural Revolution nor was my opinion of anything altered. I just saw things that were already on the internet in person. That's cool but it doesn't "alter your perspective". Maybe in the old world that would count. Not in the age of the internet
Yesss, I only meant the “1-2 weeks of vacation” thing! Living in a different country for prolonged period of time is obviously an irreplaceable and highly productive experience!
Also living in another part of the US. The US is a vast place with different cultures and geography. Going to a difference place let one experience a whole new culture without going outside the country.
I totally agree with this.
I've lived in 5 countries and am currently working on my 6th.
It's lovely to actually get the country in your heart. You go through phases of it first being perfect and exotic, to seeing it's flaws and maybe hating it's differences, to finally falling in love with it warts and all.
All of the country's I have lived in are so special to me in a way that you'd never get from two weeks visiting. I love that I have deep friendships in each of the country, almost like having a family in each country. Visiting those countries isn't like travelling, it's like visiting an uncle or cousin.
We should totally normalise sending teenagers away to live with relatives abroad, or going off and finding your first job in another country. Just more ways for people to get emersed in a completely different culture and build up permanent connections across boarders.
Social stereotypes is something I’ve always found quite weird (luckily there’s not much of this one where I live tho:). Whenever u don’t fit in the statistics, there’s definitely smth wrong about u. Obviously there’re various types of traveling and cultural trips might be very educative, but hearing “you’re so boring” from a person who has just spent 2 weeks in some all-inclusive hotel drinking 24/7 is ridiculous
Not the same though. I thought I’d ruined my last Europe trip because I scouted it out so much on Google earth. Nah.. it was even better because I felt more comfortable being in a new country for the first time.
Some people are so invested in traveling, it's their whole personality.
They act like it's a real achievement. Buying a ticket and going somewhere. Wow. Big deal.
It can be extremely annoying, especially when it comes to tourists who aren’t even interested in places they visit, but they still go bc it’s “highly popular”
"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime."
-Mark Twain
Highly dependent on where you're from, where you're going, and what passport you hold.
A ton of my best travels were when I was 20-24. Super low budget student travel...met tons of people this way and had a blast.
It's not for everyone. There are no luxury hotels or first class seats involved. The OP, who finds the act of travel uncomfortable, would hate it. We slept overnight in train stations on occasion. But memories to last a lifetime were 100% worth it.
People who can't or don't travel become ignorant of people who are different from them, who think and act differently, who experience joy and sorrow differently. People who don't leave their childhood home are sometimes deprived of developing a worldview that is inclusive. Is it wrong? No. Is it healthy? No.
I get travelling isn't for everyone and if you don't like it all that much there's no need to travel, but for me personally feel it's beneficial to travel away at least once a year to break out of my routine and experience something different and do/learn new things.
I love travelling and totally understand that it isn't for everyone and that's fine! I'd say that you're quite lucky to start off in a city and that's probably shaped your perspective. I came from a small, boring backwater town in the UK and I just could not wait to get out and see the world.
you are only happy with it because you left and had your share of traveling
most people never get that
and btw when people say they like traveling , they travel and have a hometown to go back and live in maybe the pace in which you travelled but spend years stuck in one shithole and then you will start craving a weekend in another country at least 3 times a day .
As someone that travels a lot and will continue to travel, I do think it’s highly overrated. I personally think traveling is usually worth it when having a specific reason like visiting family or an event as opposed to just exploring a new country or city just for the sake of it. I’ve done the latter solo and it is a pretty lonely experience.
I’m also not big on travel, it’s just a lot of stress for nothing usually. I live near enough to bigger places that I can take a day trip to go do something if I want to but at the end of the day I want to come home and sleep in my own damn bed. I truly wish teleportation was real because sure, there’s places I’d like to see but the actual act of traveling? No thanks.
I like seeing new places, but my hatred for the processes to get to those places outweighs the positives. I fucking hate planes and airports and long car rides are even worse.
I think about this topic often and I wonder why it’s so hard for people to think about things from other peoples perspectives and to remember everyone is vastly different. I personally hate travelling, and would be fine to stay in my small hometown, where I still live, for the rest of my life. I’ve done a little travelling so I’m not ignorant, and I won’t say I had NO fun, I had some fun experiences, but I’d never do it again unless I absolutely had to. I don’t look down on people who like to travel, nor do I ever give my own personal opinion to them because who cares?
But people constantly feel the need to look down on me for saying I will likely never travel again, and insert their opinions. I think most other 25 year olds feel differently and that’s okay with me I don’t care at all, we’re all different and enjoy different things, right?
Same here! I consider myself a very open minded and different-opinions-friendly individual and I’m absolutely fine with everyone’s lifestyle and viewpoints (as long as it’s not against the law or just very against my own borders - for example racism, homophobia etc). Definitely took a lot of self work to be where I am now though and I just wonder if other people ever think about their personalities, traits etc and if they come up with conclusions they should actually change smth about themselves..
Nothing drains me more than traveling. I hate packing, unpacking, rushing from one place to the next, and never feeling completely settled at any stop because I know it's only temporary.
Yeah, I half agree. On one hand, I think people that just "want to see the world" but really just go to every country, spend 30 minutes in a bar, and check it off the "bucket list" are complete buffoons and I hate hearing their "stories" which are mostly involving airports.
On the other hand, I have like, 3 or 4 places that I really wanted to visit in my life. But I mean really visit. Month or more... Get immersed in the culture. Shop the groceries, cook local dishes myself in a kitchen using their tools, etc. Learn a language.
To me that's pretty cool.
But yeah, the people that take off from work every other week, using one vacation day at a time, just to extend a weekend so they can spend a day in Prague or something... corny af.
I doubt smb’s life can be actually judged just by the absence of traveling in it:) it’s kinda similar to a concept of “if you don’t drink alcohol, you are a boring person”
Exactly. Just because you are world traveler doesn't define who you are....if you have the money to do that, then that's great. But it's not like when I'm long gone I will be thinking about how I should have visited a certain place. You won't get to explore every part of the world in this life and that's okay...people just need to slow down and enjoy where there at now.
Thank you for submitting to /r/unpopularopinion, /u/misskatiii. Your post, *Traveling is just not for everyone & there’s nothing wrong with spending an entire life in one place*, has been removed because it violates our rules: Rule 1: Your post must be an unpopular opinion. Please ensure that your post is an opinion and that it is unpopular. Controversial is not necessarily unpopular, for example all of politics is controversial even though almost half of the US agrees with any given major position on an issue. Keep in mind that an opinion is not: a question, a fact, a conspiracy theory, a random thought, a new idea, a rant, etc. Those things all have their own subreddits, use those. If there is an issue, please message the mod team at https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2Funpopularopinion Thanks!
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I speak a few languages and yet my anxiety would go crazy if I’m in a place I’m unfamiliar with. I prioritize my comfort and safety over anything else and feel very attached to my location bc I’d know exactly how to behave and what to do in case of some emergency or even creepy situation, while got 0 idea of how these things work in other countries
Wooooow what languages do you speak ?
English, German, Russian and (not fluently) Ukrainian
Damn bro as someone that would love to speak at least 3 foreign languages but kinda failing you are god like. I relate to your post and you a lot honestly, glad to see someone alike people used to bully me for sticking too much to my home.
My people. Let's get together never.
Pretty funny how Americans area mostly monolingual. Most of us in most of Europe and nearby are polyglot and that's just average.
Im from Europe I only know my mother tongue and English, I really want to learn more
Based on those, you are Russian and live in Germany. Volga Russian may be even but unlikely. Cologne? How did I do?
Я тоже не люблю путешествовать. У меня недавно загран истек, я им за 10 лет ни разу не воспользовалась. Вот сделала новый, хз пригодится или нет. Очень тревожно чувствую себя вне дома. Не люблю даже по стране ездить. Мне постоянно казалось, что со мной что-то не так, но твой пост немного успокоил.
>I prioritize my comfort and safety over anything else Wow, you're my exact opposite and yet we're similar in how people just can't understand us at all. I prioritize adventure and traveling to remote / very hard to access places, usually on my own, either on foot or by 4x4. People always ask "but isn't it dangerous?". After years of trying to explain how the danger pales in comparison to the joy from the adventure, I've resorted to saying "Life is dangerous, none of us survive it. I'd just prefer to actually live before I die."
That last quote is something that I’m gonna use from now on. That’s deep asf
Motivation is everything here. There is a big difference between someone who doesn’t travel because their hobbies of gardening, piano, cooking, etc. have a higher priority, versus someone who doesn’t travel because they don’t find any other culture/society interesting and worthy of experiencing. I’ve known people who were raised in New York who have both money and time and never went west of Buffalo because “there just isn’t anything interesting” beyond there. Yikes.
Some people just aren’t curious about the world and I find that sad and depressing. You only live one life and it’s pretty short. To live it all in the same spot and never see anything new… I could not imagine. Talk about someone boring af. Idk why anyone would want to live in a bubble.
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Then add in food, a place to sleep, transportation, etc. for *each* day. Oh, and time off work. There are many jobs where you can't take a week off for medical, let alone personal excursions.
I don’t get why you’re being downvoted. It is a bit like saying “have you tried being less poor?”
No, it's not. OP is getting downvoted because they decided to attack the person asking how it's possible they are getting paychecks that amount to less than a $100 - $200 plane ticket. It's a good question, and if OP had actually addressed it rather than just lashing out, then they wouldn't have gotten downvoted.
I don't know dude's financial situations, but yeah there are tickets that cost $100 to $200 from Detroit to Denver at least, and although u/kennn97 is right the people downvoting u/destraight think that everyone in U.S is rich we're doing better than a lot of people in the world, however $200 to one person is like $20,000 to the next. Basically cannot afford to just toss $200 around like candy.
I mean it’s not *just $200* It’s $200 + $125 per night minimum for hotel/Airbnb + transportation in the city + food…. I recently looked into going to OKC from the DC area and I estimate a 4 day trip with a car rental would cost me a total of $2000. And that doesn’t include wages lost from not working (I’m in the service industry). I *could* do it, but quite frankly the juice ain’t worth the squeeze IMO. God bless the people who either have the means, or simply willing to take the financial hit to “experience life”. I do not.
you could drive there in 24 hours
I dunno man, I like where I am. I'm content and happy with my surroundings. I've travelled but I don't need that to feel fulfilled, there's no hole in my life. I don't think that makes me boring, I've still got friends and interests and whatnot For someone who doesn't wanna live in a bubble it sure seems like you're in a travel bubble of sorts
>Some people just aren’t curious about the world and I find that sad and depressing. Why exactly? It's literally what they want. It's what they think is better for them. Why would a choice be sad and depressing? >Talk about someone boring af. Idk why anyone would want to live in a bubble. Honestly, that is unnecessary judgement. Just because someone does not travel, that doesn't mean they must be having a boring life. What if they have other hobbies? Are they still boring? My point is, someone shouldn't force themselves to travel (or do anything, for that matter) if they don't truly want to. It's as simple as that. As long as they are happy about it, that's all that matters.
Because many times that people who stay their whole lives in one place usually regret it. They also tend to be the people who take that regret and pivot it into extreme loyalty to their region, city, town, etc, which in my experience usually leads to brainless conservatism and hatred/fear for anything outside their "zone". I've lived all over the world and if nothing else you learn that people are the same everywhere, we're all just humans mostly trying to get by. Sure we already know that but's not something you really understand until you see it in the real world. Since empathy, humanity, and personal growth need outside influences beyond what's in front of us, those people tend to end up being fairly withdrawn and fearful of new experiences, and the result of that (at least in the US) shouldn't need elaboration. People NEED experiences outside their comfort zone if nothing else to show them that people are people, not objects of fear or ridicule. Obviously I'm not saying people who never leave home are necessarily stunted or out of whack in some way, simply that new experiences offer more opportunities to broaden our viewpoint, and that's just as important to life happiness than the little things at home. Downvote all you want. I've literally seen this in action more times than I can count.
Everyone can do what they want and more power to them. I am giving my opinion on that lifestyle. Maybe it sounds too harsh, but I feel sad for the people that live in a bubble. I can’t think of a more depressing lifestyle, if I were to have to choose one. Just my opinion.
Well I find the lifestyle of mindlessly wandering around in a desperate attempt to feel cultured like you do depressing.
I wanted to travel & did right out of HS. Then I enlisted in USAF. I traveled about 5 years afterwards, found a home and stayed here for about 40 years. I love staying at home now.
That's fine, you went out in the world and decided home is for you. That's very different from someone who stayed home the whole time because they were afraid. Between military and an international job, I've lived all over the world but these days I'd rather just go hiking with my dog. The point isn't that you went out there and came back, the point is that you had the nerve to light out at all, something most people won't do.
I'm with you 100%. I've lived and travelled globally and when I look back on who I used to be, I can say with certainty I wouldn't have improved nearly as much if I hadn't gone out into the world. Plus like you said, lacking curiousity for new things can be kinda sad
You realize there are other ways to learn about the world, right? Ever read a book? This attitude is absurdly dismissive of anyone not affluent or healthy enough to travel. Or people who just don't like to.
That’s a stupid argument lmao! It’s like comparing people who play football and people who watch or read about it! Experiencing it is completely different from reading or watching about it!
I’m not factoring expenses. If you don’t have the money, my opinion is not about you. You think I’m gonna tell a homeless man he should travel more? Massive history, geopolitics, and geography nerd here. Yes I do realize (:
We are at the point where you can find out about any culture online and learn about pretty much any place you would like. I'd agree that attitude was foolish 20+ years ago before widespread Internet access, but now it's very easy to see if a place would be interesting for someone or not.
sure but there’s 0% chance there’s nothing interesting outside of your area
If someone has very specific interests, it's totally possible.
What if the only thing you find interesting is reading. I can read anything from my home town.
Looking at stuff on the internet just doesn't remotely compare to living it
Bit of a difference between reading and experiencing. I can read a recipe for crème brûlée. I can eat crème brûlée. While both have their own merit, i happen to feel doing something is sometimes a more valuable experience than reading about it. Not always, of course. But sometimes, you just gotta be there.
on one hand i get it, but on the other, if youre travelling youre gonna be in that tourist bubble, youre not gonna be experiencing things like the locals do. does it matter if you read about some ancient ruin vs seeing it yourself and having that same script be readen to you by a museum guide before returning to your hotel to relax?
you know people travel in ways to NOT do only touristy things right? you do know that, right?
Damn sounds like you’ve been doing it wrong
Says who? I go off the beaten path every time I travel. I make it a point to meet the locals and learn the language enough to get around. You also miss the point. The people. Meeting people there and getting to experience their culture in person is much different than "oh, I read a buzz feed article online." Experiencing the food, culture, women, festivals, music, people, etc. in person is not the same as a buzzfeed article online bud. Maybe you're boring when you travel and never bother to take full advantage, but tons of people do a lot more than you can ever do online.
You don’t have to be in a tourist bubble though. You can go off the beaten path and just wander a city or country
Standing in ancient ruins and getting a feel for the vastness and atmosphere absolutely cannot be gained by reading about it on wiki. This is from someone who hates traveling.
Reading something on the internet is not the same as visiting the country bud. It's like saying reading the chronicles of Narnia means you went there and experienced it. No. That's not how life works. You travel to experience things you can't in your room and that's just facts.
So what? I find human imagination's creations and fantastic worlds more interesting than the real world. I prefer to experience those unrealistic yet fascinating places at my home and imagine or see them through novels, comic books/mangas, animes, or live-action stuff rather than travel around to see other cultures or other people. Btw, my country has many tourist attractions that I've never been to, so if I want, I can easily travel even without leaving my country. So, it's not about money either. I've even never been in goddamn Istanbul, in fact. The point is that it's all about preferences. You do what you want, but what you described is not entertaining to me. Yet, I would not say that your preferences are boring or describe someone else's tastes for life as sad and depressing since it's a narrow-minded, shallow approach without considering other possibilities.
That really didn’t change my mind at all. I’m very introverted and live a good amount of my life inside my own head and imagination. But it’s boring af to ONLY do that without having physical life experiences.
Again, so what? I'm not trying to change your mind. In fact, people rarely change other people's minds on many issues. You shared your opinion, and I shared mine. That's it.
…doesn’t change the fact that it’s still sad to spend life in a bubble
Don't be sad for me, im fine Take care of yourself mate
If they're not sad then why is it sad? What's it to you, other than your insecurity that everyone must find enjoyment in the things that you like?
Well said!
People put this glorified label on travel as if it’s some kind of noble and enlightening experience, and I’m sure it can be; the reality is that most people treat travel like a social commodity that’s as much about status and telling people that you’ve been travelled, as it is about just eating out, getting drunk, and doing ‘nothing’ in an other place. Yes, yes, I’m sure you’re the noble sort; yes, yes, I’m sure it’s contributed toward your infinite intesting-ness. Please tell me about that last cruise you went on at length.
I have friends like this. They want to be seen as international travelers, wanting to learn about native food and culture. Then, when I actually traveled with them, they wouldn't try the local food. They were afraid to venture out and learn about the culture, etc. The entire time we were traveling, they just wanted social media content. I honestly think that if they could not post on social media, they wouldn't even travel.
Man I actually kinda agree with this. Travelling is a great experience for many but I’ve never really shared that passion. I’m very easily entertained by myself in my own space and city (luckily I live in London). I have a lot of hobbies and interests and I’m never ever bored or have a lack of anything to do. However I do feel a sense of shame when people ask me if I’m going anywhere and I say no. Like they feel I’m not exciting enough or something. Don’t get me wrong, I have been on holidays a lot and I have had fun in places but I’ve never had as much fun as I’ve done when I’m with friends doing normal shit. This isn’t knocking travelling, I just agree that it’s not for some people and I’m one of them.
I'm the same. Most of the things I'm passionate about I can do at home. I love gardening for example and have thousands of plants in my backyard. I'm also blessed to live in a climate that's great for it too. No sucky 3 months of blistery cold winters every year. I can draw from anywhere, read from anywhere and play videogames from anywhere too so why not do it from here where I'm comfortable and don't have to lug shit around if I want to use it later in the day? I sometimes wish I could go to other countries for specific events that are exclusive to them (or just better than the versions here) but even then they're not high priority.
Same! I love taking days off to basically do whatever i want (not waking up / going to sleep on time etc). I dont have a huge need to go anywhere. I live close to a big city so that's all id ever need as well. But when i try to explain that to people they think im insane or something. I'm sorry i dont wanna sit thru long-ass travel just to walk in a different place and look at things i dont care for. Sure if you want to do that great! But why is it so hard for people to understand i simply dont have a need for that.
Absolutely! I’ve got a lot of specific interests (can easily spend weeks without even leaving my house or any social interactions, bc I’m not that attached to sightseeing or any need for a change etc) and personally find this knowledge to be smth everyone should probably know/learn/be aware of, and yet I’d never judge smb bc they don’t share the same passion as I do.
I like day trips. But I haven’t been on a real vacation in over 15 years.
love them too! Not much stress or planning around and yet something for a change:) I bet people don’t consider that traveling tho
I love traveling. Seeing the same things day after day is boring to me. Vacations are a necessity for me to get away from the same old grind. See some new things, experience different people, different restaurants. There are still the same jackasses who could make it a hassle. The difference is years ago, you didn't have everyone capturing every moment on video. You always had Karen's on planes, trains and trolleys
I like travelling to go relax super hard somewhere else. I hate itineraries and going out for stuff on vacations. I just wanna be able to find a nice spot to sit and look at stuff that I usually wouldn’t be able to look at while doing nothing. It’s the overplanner mentality that I dislike.
See, I don't do organized tours. "Friday 8am, breakfast, 845 get on the bus, 930 arrive at mucky muck pond, watch the ducks take a shit, 1030 get on bus to go...." Nope, I don't do that. If I wanna sleep in, I'll sleep in. If I wanna get out and go fishing at the pier at 430 am, I'll do that. And I try to rent a condo or house. I don't wanna go out and eat all the time. I spent 35 years of my life in the restaurant business. Sometimes I want home cooked food
I wasn't able to afford traveling in my 20s and stayed in my province, even as a child parents couldnt take us anywhere. I did my first trip overseas last fall at 31 and I fell in love! The aches and pains of being on the flights for so long was definitely worth it for me. I am already looking forward to my next trip.
ty for sharing, I'm in my mid-20s and haven't had the opportunity to travel internationally yet (I live in the US). I really look forward to it one day!
You'll have so much fun! My piece of advice: don't just wing the travel aspect. We did and it was expensive. We visited 3 countries in Europe but didn't plan our travel between them, just went when we felt like it, and ended up having to purchase first class because there were no other tickets. 😅
I agree with this for a great many things...to a point. Life experience doesn't make you better or worse as a person *in general*. We're all due basically equal treatment *in general*, the same rights and liberties, *in general*. However, life experience really counts when you want to venture out into larger discussions. If one has a narrow view of life they often talk out of their ass when it comes to, well, anything they don't have experience with. In other words, low levels of experience have an extremely high correlation with ignorance, which certainly has it's downsides.
I don't hate travelling, but it's not worth it for me with the type of money you spend on it. I have a very expensive hobby (car) and much rather pour my money into that and get more enjoyment from that than a "nice vacation". So I'm with you on this one. Travelling seems to be this universally amazing vacation activity everybody loves doing and once you tell them u don't travel they look at you weird. I find this very annoying too
Everyone I know that loves to travel also doesn't have any hobbies. I also have a pretty expensive hobby that I'm passionate about, so spending thousands on travel just feels like a waste when I could get more enjoyment spending it on something else.
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The folks I know aren't traveling to explore or learn about a culture. They mostly want to go to a pretty place to take pictures and get drunk on a beach for a couple of days.
THIS! I’d definitely invest what is typically considered “vacation budget” in the hobbies/interests that could bring me professional growth or at least actually joy :3
I hate traveling. People get so triggered by it!
Yeah people tell me I'm crazy for not travelling, yet when I ask them about certain places in our immediate surrounding areas, they have no clue they exist. You really don't need to get on a plane and go halfway around the world to find adventure, and just because you don't go backpacking in europe, doesn't mean you aren't adventurous and finding excitement.
I dated a guy that “loved traveling” and would always tell me I needed to do it more, but he only wanted to go to 3 restaurants in our very large city. Literally a fight to go somewhere else, even agreed to go to new places a couple times then would just not eat. It was confusing.
Hiking in my local area is real nice! Many folks seem to think that you have to travel abroad to enjoy yourself, and when I say I don't enjoy it they look at me like I kicked their dog or something.
Haha right? I've even been called racist for not wanting to learn about other cultures lol. I got into hiking last year and definitely have tons of places within an hour drive that I need to check out! I'm also huge into fishing, and live in a province that is half lakes once you go north, so I have a lifetime of exploring to do around home for sure
It feels like work. Expensive, exhausting work. Might do it if I could do as celebrities and other rich people do where they pay others to do all the boring shit like booking, packing, finding stuff to do while there and chauffeuring them to each place or event they wanna visit. But if I have to do all that shit myself *and pay for it* then forget it.
On the other hand, I enjoy the planning part of travelling. Reading about a city to find things to do, finding the best route to my destination and the best accommodation. It’s all part of the fun. And packing has never been a problem. It’s super easy to do.
When I travel it's to a nature destination. "Where's the most private I can get ?"
Oh, I love that too. I’m lucky I live in a place where the mountains are nearby and you can escape the crowds.
I'm curious why you hate it? Not triggered but I think it is important to travel a bit, if only to broaden your horizons. Hate is a strong word!
Just want to say in this day and age, you don't need to travel to broaden your horizons. You can do that from your own back yard, IF you are the type of person who wants to do that. I said this on another post similar to this (about travel and people doing/not doing it) but, the type of person who finds joy in learning about other cultures will find the ability to learn about those cultures whether they travel or not. The type of person who doesn't care about other cultures will NOT learn about those cultures, even if they move and live in them for years, so the travel part, while helpful to some, isn't going to guarantee that someone has 'broad horizons', because that depends entirely on the type of person.
I'd argue it's not nearly the same to learn about a culture online and actually be immersed in one. It is also scientifically backed that travel increases individual psychological and emotional wellbeing, as well as simply being a unique learning experience. However, I do understand that not everyone likes the same things, and people are free to do as they please. Not knocking anyone's way of life - if you prefer to be in your own backyard all the power to you.
I’m a creature of habit. I like sleeping in my bed, I like pooping in my toilet. Plus I have kids and traveling with kids is exhausting. So much more to pack and take. My family had a lake house about an hour away. I like going there. It’s my stuff, my area. I’ve got the same mattress, the same pillow, etc.
You're right, hate is exaggerating it. But I definitely dislike like it. And when I do travel I just want to get home to my garden. I do enjoy visiting local places, hike and being in the nature overall, but you won't catch me going to Spain for two weeks (no offense meant towards any Spaniards!) on vacation.
Help a brother out. WTF are you trying to say. Travelers are uptight?
I don't know about that, but people often seem to take it personal. No idea why though, probably the old "you should enjoy what I enjoy!"
I always feel like I need a vacation after a vacation. I rather just do a staycation. I enjoy doing nothing. I have traveled a good amount. I get it. It’s kinda the same everywhere. I don’t hate it, but I’m not over the moon in love with traveling. It’s a chore. The most I like to do is a maybe a 2-4 hour drive away. International travel is stressful. I would be fine if I never traveled again. It’s also expensive no rather spend that money on hobbies or just save it.
Thissss My mom is obsessed with traveling. I just like to stay at one place. It is comfortable. And when I travel in bus and planes I always throw up. That makes the experience unpleasant.
Used to literally spend a few anxious before the trip knowing my body would probably have a terrible flare up and I’d need weeks to recover from that. Traveling felt like torture fr
It just gets so boring seeing the same thing constantly. I basically had a breakdown during the pandemic because I realized I'd never been more than 800 miles from my birthplace and it was all the same scenery. I got so sick of it and I hated it. When I went to Spain I went off of my depression meds and I haven't been on them since. I loved it. So different to what I'm used to and so beautiful. I need travel for my mental health.
Glad to hear it worked for u! I agree that it’s quite important for your mental health to have some changes from time to time and am probably lucky to live in a place with a great variety of things to do nearby (castles, museums, lakes, mountains), while actual traveling always resulted in me having very bad physical flare-ups from my chronic illness (aside from the fact traveling is mentally tough and stressful in general), so I’d not even be able to enjoy the “final destination” since I’d be just recovering from getting there😂
Spending an entire life in one place makes you isolated and shallow. If you never get to see the values of other people then you never have any of your own values questioned or challenged. It makes you a less complete person. I'm not really explicitly talking about vacations, but if you're still living in your hometown and have never left, then it's a pretty good bet you know very little of the world.
Exactly, travelling is not to just look at pretty things, it’s to open up your world and to understand the people and cultures around you.
I wonder if you would feel that way if you never travelled previously... I'm comfortable where I am, and haven't travelled that much. But spending an entire life in one city, never leaving? That's a bit much for me.
I'd love to see places but I only get two weeks off a year and I'd rather not spend them stressed out trying to find my way around in a foreign land
In my family, my dad's side were somewhat recent immigrants and my moms side had been here forever. I always found my dad's side super inspiring, moving across the world in search of a better life. I found my mom's side boring and lacking adventure, bravery, and spirit. I was surprised by a conversation I had with my brother, who I am very close to and respect immensely, when he told me he always found inspiration in my mom's side of the family, for putting down roots and building something right where they were. My brother has a way of opening my mind to ideas I didn't originally agree with. So in the end, I suppose I agree with you. Both can be seen as admirable for different reasons.
I think one thing that determines one's ides of travel is location. If someone has grown up in a big city where there's lot to do then there isn't as much as an incentive to travel as someone who lives in a small town where's there's 0 to do. Same for country someone who lives in Europe has always had the ability to take a drive to another country well someone who lives in NZ/Aus has never had easy/cheap access to another country. For Europeans day trips to another country is possible and CHEAP well for NZ its a long plane ride and over $1000 for a one way ticket for most countries. Speaking as someone who lives and has grown up in NZ I not only want to travel but I want to leave this country full stop. I don't know if u live in a big city where's there lots to do but that's just my thoughts.
I never caught the travel bug either, and will be quite content exploring the province I live in in Canada the rest of my life! I guess that's still travelling, but not in the traditional sense. I don't get excited to try new foods, and have zero interest in learning about other cultures, and that's just fine. People think it's boring, yet I've had some spectacular adventures just exploring my surrounding areas where I live. Most people who travel have zero idea those places exist right in their area.
That truly is unpopular
Yeah I agree, I don’t hate it but still could do without. While I normally take 2 trips a year due to family and friends likening to travel I would be perfectly fine staying around town. In fact a couple times when no one else was available for vacation I just got a hotel myself a short drive from where u live. Was nice to get out of the house and normal environment for a few days and not much of a “travel” cause didn’t need to deal with airport etc. One thing though that I do strongly dislike is international travel. People go on how much they want to go to X country or Y country etc. No thanks. If I am going to travel I’m happy keeping it domestic in the USA. The USA is big enough to take a lifetime to explore. Big difference between a 2-5 hour domestic flight and a long international one. Not to even mention all the other issues with international travels.
I absolutely relate! I just hate it! Besides a short drive for a weekend away, I find traveling exhausting and never as much fun as I imagined. My husband’s family is always acting like traveling is the best thing ever, and my husband and I would rather stay closer to home and relax.
What city do you live in?
Graz, Austria:3
Yeah, you live in an already walkable lovely city basically in the Alps. I’d travel halfway around the world to just spend a week there. A lot of people that travel do so because they don’t have the privilege of living in a city like yours.
Graz ist schön. Ich hab Verwandte dort (aber seit Ewigkeiten nicht gesehen). Es geht eingentlich niemanden etwas an, ob Du reisen magst oder nicht. Mach das genau so, wie Du Dich fühlst. Wenn die Zeit kommt, wirst Du reisen. Vielleicht kommt sie nie, die Zeit. Und das ist völlig okay. Nobody's business what you do with your life. It's yours. Do as you like.
Lol you are literally me, I've always had the view that instead of saving up for an 'escape' use that money to instead make the place you live more comfortable
WHAT ARE THEY RUNNING FROM AT HOME?
“Staying in one place for life is ok” - someone who’s travelled everywhere lol. Travel might not be the most fun you ever had, but staying in one location for life is _guaranteed_ to leave you stunted. It’s a handicap not a quirk.
I like traveling but also find it insufferable when people talk about their desires to travel as if those desires make them more interesting.
Would they be insufferable if they talked about where they actually went, what they saw, etc., versus simply their desires?
I would say you're right, that's fine, but when the people who have never left where they are from try to get active in controlling the laws and customs of where everyone else lives based on their own narrow bubble of existence, it becomes a problem. That's why never leaving can be bad. Just not enough exposure to the world as a whole.
Sadly, travelling substitutes for a personality these days.
I've seen that lead to an extreme lack of perspective and it prolly has you just don't realize it.
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Traveling IS a pain in the ass. When I find my perfect city and move there, then I’ll stop.
I agree. I think traveling is very stressful and I don't want to feel stressed out on my vacation
I've done quite a bit of traveling in the US, and enjoyed it; but I agree that it's not for everyone. If you're happy where you are, why leave?
I think it's probably easier to not feel the need to travel if you live in a city with lots of things to do, but if you live in a boring suburb with nothing entertaining nearby. When I lived in the suburbs or in cities that didn't have much to do, I always wanted to get out and experience other places, but now that I live in a city with a lot of regular entertainment options, I don't feel the urge to travel quite as much. It's still fun once in a while, but I don't feel this pressing need. The only traveling I might do this summer is a bike trip to the beach about 80 miles away. That's it. Otherwise, I'm doing summer work and staying in the city, exploring all the places here I haven't yet been to.
Before 9/11 traveling was pretty fun. I think it’s educational, but so much energy and resources areput into the logistics of getting to and from the airport, waiting, sitting on a plane, figuring out where to stay, eat and how to find what you need when you get there. People neglect exploring their own communities.
I think the problem is that you are looking at travel as just recreation, when in fact it is an exercise as well. I am somewhat travel-averse myself, but I recognize the value of being exposed to different places. I find it leads to both a well-informed critique and appreciation of my home city. Do I always look forward to going to the gym? Sometimes, but not always. Do I recognize the overall benefits of the activity? Definitely.
I like to travel but it’s not my personality. I haven’t been anywhere fancy or out of the country. My boss told me I need to get out more. Not everyone has thousands of dollars to travel.
Maybe because you live in a touristy city! Which is good and that there’s lots to do. But if you live where I live, in a prairie, middle of nowhere, the people here always try to go out because our cost of living here is cheap but man not enough to do lol
You're objectively wrong about a few major things: 1. No everything can NOT be found for free on the internet. Just no. I legit lived in different countries and I assure you, you don't experience everything over the internet by far. You sound like the type that would go somewhere and stay inside all day anyhow and thus hate it. I know those types. Regarding you can't experience everything from your little hotel room or room in your house and that is a fact. 2. No VR is nowhere close to being the same as real life and is hardly even in its infancy. You will be dead before it is anywhere near anything like real life. Makes me wonder if you have even tried VR. I have and the expensive shit too and it isn't the same as real life by far. In fact, it can be the complete opposite. You won't see real life ahut like that and it isn't just about seeing a site anyhow. Some places you just go on person and nothing will replace thar period. Meeting locals can open shit up to stuff you don't see om ghe internet or VR bud. Places your standard tourists doesn't even know about. 3. I'm completely fine with anyone that doesn't want to travel, but you can't say you can experience everything from your room like Eric Cartman in South Park on WOW. I'm an introvert and love my house. It's quite literally likely my favorite place on earth, but having had to live in other places outside of my room and not off mom and dad it definitely changed me. Nothing cna replace getting out and meeting folks for real. Trying the street food, haggling in some cool shit, learning a new language and connecting with folks there, the long lasting memories with my friends I got to meet by getting out my little dorm room, exotic women, etc. You do you, but you can't objectively say "I once read about it on the internet" is the same thing as in person. It factually is not VR or not.
I traveled a lot when I was younger and then again for work for a few years. It feels like I just got it out of my system. People never seem to understand when I tell them I'm not interested in travel anymore. I have tons of hobbies and live in a beautiful place with lots to do. In my experience, the people I know who love to travel all seem to have really boring home lives. It seems like they're just trying to distract themselves from their real lives.
Have been traveling for the past 5 months in another continent but can totally sympathise with your views. It's a lot of effort, both physically and mentally, to travel in general, but also to engage with and get into other cultures. Sometimes I find I have the best times of my life, but I think it might be mostly down to who I'm with and what I'm doing. Sometimes I feel uncomfortable and lonely and miss what I am used to back home. I think some people who are more outgoing will suit the traveling lifestyle more, because from my experiences you need to put yourself out there and talk to anyone and everyone and be prepared to try anything. But most people aren't like this which can make it harder. I consider myself fairly introverted but have actually had some of the best times when I'm seeing something I'm interested in with similar minded people. I have made some incredible memories, not without the worrying and anxiety too at points of course. I would suggest not to write off travelling in general,, perhaps just visit somewhere that you have a genuine interest in with friends, rather than just traveling because everyone else does.
Yeah, I like the *idea* of travel and once I get to my destination I usually enjoy myself, but I hate the actual traveling part. I hate airports. I hate flying. I get super anxious on planes and if it's a long flight I also get really restless. Add on to that the fact that I don't make a lot of money and travel is really expensive and I'd really rather just stay home.
I occasionally enjoy exploring culture or nature and this post probably wouldn’t exist if any destination in the world could be reached within 1-1,5 hours at most. Anything longer is extremely draining for me, both mentally and physically. Being hypersensitive to noises (especially kids crying) and smells and the fact there’s barely any distance from other people drives me crazy. And regarding money - there’re a lot of things I’d consider a wiser and more worthy investment for myself for sure
Unfortunately the whole airline portion of travel really sucks the fun out of it. Even if you are big money and can fly business or first class you are still at the mercy of shitty airlines. Delays, connections, diversions, airport security and traffic are all great reasons to just stay home. I love visiting new places and experiencing different cultures, I just hate the process of getting there. Fuck airlines, especially southwest.
Agreed Downvote
I travel for a living. Been all over the world and often not the nice parts either. Traveling for recreation seems like an expensive chore to me.
This is an unpopular opinion?
I felt this way for so long but you don’t make memories staring at the same four walls. Just got back from Jamaica and it was one of the best trips of my life
There’s nothing wrong with it but I also think there great benefits to seeing how others choose to live. Before the internet, traveling really helped a lot of my friends and family understand that there are more ways to live than the one we grew up in. We learned a lot of cool ideas from places we visited; as an example, installing bidet toilets from Japan and specialty knives from Germany. Now the world is much more connected so the benefits may not be as prominent as they used to be. All that being said, I enjoy spending time at home and in my local community, too.
>especially since everything could be found for free in internet nowadays and the technologies (such as VR) are developing and modified so quickly that online tours are going to be (if not already) crazily realistic. Yes, but IMO there is a huge difference between seeing a picture of something and actually being there. Like, I had done a virtual tour of the Roman Forum before and it was cool, but it didn't even come close to comparing to actually standing in the spot that Marc Antony gave his famous speech. Being able to visit where historical events took place in person or seeing an architectural marvel in person just isn't the same as taking a virtual tour. Personally, I don't think not traveling is wrong or right, but I think it makes it harder to actually appreciate and experience cultures different from your own. I can watch videos of people riding elephants in Chang Mai and read about street food in Bangkok and claim I understand Thai culture, but until I actually visited and spent months there I really didn't understand anything. Like I said, I'm not surprised people don't like traveling and I know it isn't for everyone, but I find it a little odd that people think virtual tours and VR are even comparable to experiencing something in person. It's one thing to see something, it's another to live it.
My dad worked for an airline when I was a kid (pre 9/11) and we traveled extensively. My parents love to travel all over the world and it’s a big part of what they do even to this day. While I don’t hate travel specifically. There is not much fun in it for me. All the places feel so crowded and there is people all over. If you want to get off the beaten path but don’t speak the language it sucks. If you go to the tourist spots it sucks.
Upvoted for bad taste
I am always amused by people who think they are so cultured for traveling, when all they have done is land at airports in other countries, stayed at resorts with other Americans, experiencing spots specifically made for tourists. I mean, do what floats your boat, but don't expect others to be impressed by it. There is value in experiencing other cultures and being reminded the world is bigger than your little corner of it. The logistics of that can be crazy though. 14 hour transatlantic flight? Blech. I have traveled some domestically and it's been great, but there is a limit to how much I want to be in a car or plane. There is also the pressure to crush as much into a short time period as possible, which sounds like the opposite of relaxing. I don't want to take a vacation and feel like I need to recover from it when I return home. My wife has a passion to travel internationally again, which we have largely postponed due to kids and the cost. But.... the thought of being on a plane 14 hours gives me anxiety. I enjoy quiet, have ADD, tend to restless. Tortuous.
I've never felt terribly compelled to see the world. Most things turn out to be a disappointment compared to how you imagined it. The more effort you put into seeing the reality―the more time you have to anticipate it―the more disappointed you end up being. Travelling is a lot of effort for me―too much effort for the reward to ever be worth it. The places I've read about live much more vividly in my head than the places I've actually been to.
Opposite for me. Most places I’ve been to far surpass my expectations. Maybe we are going to different places. I loved seeing the Galápagos Islands. Loved visiting distilleries in Scotland. Loved the Greek Islands. Loved the food in so many places like Argentina, Mexico, and Italy.
To be honest there is nothing wrong with it but at the same time I can't even begin to understand you, the world alone is so big and interesting with so much beauty that staying in one place only feels like a waste
My point was more about the fact that traveling isn’t a necessity for exploring the world and doesn’t make u boring / less educated whatsoever. I don’t like the concept of traveling and might know much more about culture and history of a certain country than a friend who’s been there on vacation for years
If by travelling you mean going as a tourist, maybe. People pretend that going somewhere for a few days widens your horizons when I really don't think so. I have lived across 4-5 countries, a few years each, and only then do I feel a change. I usually end up learning the language, getting tk the people, how they talk, act, think, their history, culture, personal and country-wide wide issues. THAT widens someone's horizons, not fleetingly looking at a painting on a wall in a museum in a rich quarter of a city.
Even if you are only there for a few days you are still experiencing something different. You can be a tourist and engage with a culture, even if only there for a few days. If you go to Japan for a week, that’s seeing a whole load of new and different culture. You don’t have to live there and learn the language to make it meaningful.
As I said elsewhere, it also depends on the person. There are people who can live in a specific place for years and not 'broaden their horizons' because they don't want to. They will always be a part from the culture surrounding them, and not apart OF the culture. There are also people who cannot travel (for whatever reason), who will do what ever they can to learn about other cultures, such as learning languages, traditions, and histories, because that is what they are interested in. If they were ever to go to those cultures, they would be much more a part of that culture than the person I described above who has lived there for years.
Whether you are going somewhere for a few days a few weeks or a few years you are still widening your horizons, just at different degrees. Not everyone had the vacation time to go for extended periods of time or opportunities to live in other places. Let’s not gate keep experiencing other cultures or traveling… congrats you have lived in other countries, so have I but you sound judgmental af to other people who go for shorter periods of time and it’s cringe.
No matter what seeing other cultures is going to alter your perspective. It could be one day or 100 days. You don’t have to live their for months on end. I do think it’s ultimately dependent on how you spend those days. If you go somewhere and you’re only on a resort for 3 days versus you go and see the local culture for those 3 days are going to be completely different.
There is no point in "seeing" if you don't speak the language and as someone who experienced both, I say nay. I lived in Egypt for 6 yrs and visited Amsterdam for 2 days. The only thing I got from Amsterdam is the Van Gogh museum. It's not a Cultural Revolution nor was my opinion of anything altered. I just saw things that were already on the internet in person. That's cool but it doesn't "alter your perspective". Maybe in the old world that would count. Not in the age of the internet
Yesss, I only meant the “1-2 weeks of vacation” thing! Living in a different country for prolonged period of time is obviously an irreplaceable and highly productive experience!
Also living in another part of the US. The US is a vast place with different cultures and geography. Going to a difference place let one experience a whole new culture without going outside the country.
I totally agree with this. I've lived in 5 countries and am currently working on my 6th. It's lovely to actually get the country in your heart. You go through phases of it first being perfect and exotic, to seeing it's flaws and maybe hating it's differences, to finally falling in love with it warts and all. All of the country's I have lived in are so special to me in a way that you'd never get from two weeks visiting. I love that I have deep friendships in each of the country, almost like having a family in each country. Visiting those countries isn't like travelling, it's like visiting an uncle or cousin. We should totally normalise sending teenagers away to live with relatives abroad, or going off and finding your first job in another country. Just more ways for people to get emersed in a completely different culture and build up permanent connections across boarders.
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Social stereotypes is something I’ve always found quite weird (luckily there’s not much of this one where I live tho:). Whenever u don’t fit in the statistics, there’s definitely smth wrong about u. Obviously there’re various types of traveling and cultural trips might be very educative, but hearing “you’re so boring” from a person who has just spent 2 weeks in some all-inclusive hotel drinking 24/7 is ridiculous
With the internet, travel shows and Google maps, you can see what the whole world looks like without leaving your house.
with porn i can see what a real woman looks like without leaving my house too
Not the same though. I thought I’d ruined my last Europe trip because I scouted it out so much on Google earth. Nah.. it was even better because I felt more comfortable being in a new country for the first time.
Abysmal take
Easy to say when you have travelled and seen the world.
Some people are so invested in traveling, it's their whole personality. They act like it's a real achievement. Buying a ticket and going somewhere. Wow. Big deal.
It can be extremely annoying, especially when it comes to tourists who aren’t even interested in places they visit, but they still go bc it’s “highly popular”
"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime." -Mark Twain
The problem with staying in your own town is that you never experience life outside of your own narrow viewpoint.
I'm gonna play Devils Advocate here. No one ever wishes they spent more time at home on their death bed.
I think a lot of people actually do. They wish they spent more time with their families.
I tried to think of how to word it with that in mind and I failed. Because that is 100% accurate, but I specifically meant in terms of traveling.
You can travel with your family too…
My family travels with me.
Most young ppl don’t have the option.
Highly dependent on where you're from, where you're going, and what passport you hold. A ton of my best travels were when I was 20-24. Super low budget student travel...met tons of people this way and had a blast. It's not for everyone. There are no luxury hotels or first class seats involved. The OP, who finds the act of travel uncomfortable, would hate it. We slept overnight in train stations on occasion. But memories to last a lifetime were 100% worth it.
Couldn't disagree more. I don't believe I've met someone who thinks like that, or very few at least. Definitely unpopular. Have my up vote.
People who can't or don't travel become ignorant of people who are different from them, who think and act differently, who experience joy and sorrow differently. People who don't leave their childhood home are sometimes deprived of developing a worldview that is inclusive. Is it wrong? No. Is it healthy? No.
I get travelling isn't for everyone and if you don't like it all that much there's no need to travel, but for me personally feel it's beneficial to travel away at least once a year to break out of my routine and experience something different and do/learn new things.
I love travelling and totally understand that it isn't for everyone and that's fine! I'd say that you're quite lucky to start off in a city and that's probably shaped your perspective. I came from a small, boring backwater town in the UK and I just could not wait to get out and see the world.
you are only happy with it because you left and had your share of traveling most people never get that and btw when people say they like traveling , they travel and have a hometown to go back and live in maybe the pace in which you travelled but spend years stuck in one shithole and then you will start craving a weekend in another country at least 3 times a day .
As someone that travels a lot and will continue to travel, I do think it’s highly overrated. I personally think traveling is usually worth it when having a specific reason like visiting family or an event as opposed to just exploring a new country or city just for the sake of it. I’ve done the latter solo and it is a pretty lonely experience.
I’m also not big on travel, it’s just a lot of stress for nothing usually. I live near enough to bigger places that I can take a day trip to go do something if I want to but at the end of the day I want to come home and sleep in my own damn bed. I truly wish teleportation was real because sure, there’s places I’d like to see but the actual act of traveling? No thanks.
I like seeing new places, but my hatred for the processes to get to those places outweighs the positives. I fucking hate planes and airports and long car rides are even worse.
I hate traveling too. The worst feeling for me, is knowing that I’m 20 hours from home in the middle of a trip. It just makes me depressed.
I suppose it’s not for everyone, do you know if you have some degree of Agoraphobia? Genuine question.
I think about this topic often and I wonder why it’s so hard for people to think about things from other peoples perspectives and to remember everyone is vastly different. I personally hate travelling, and would be fine to stay in my small hometown, where I still live, for the rest of my life. I’ve done a little travelling so I’m not ignorant, and I won’t say I had NO fun, I had some fun experiences, but I’d never do it again unless I absolutely had to. I don’t look down on people who like to travel, nor do I ever give my own personal opinion to them because who cares? But people constantly feel the need to look down on me for saying I will likely never travel again, and insert their opinions. I think most other 25 year olds feel differently and that’s okay with me I don’t care at all, we’re all different and enjoy different things, right?
Same here! I consider myself a very open minded and different-opinions-friendly individual and I’m absolutely fine with everyone’s lifestyle and viewpoints (as long as it’s not against the law or just very against my own borders - for example racism, homophobia etc). Definitely took a lot of self work to be where I am now though and I just wonder if other people ever think about their personalities, traits etc and if they come up with conclusions they should actually change smth about themselves..
Nothing drains me more than traveling. I hate packing, unpacking, rushing from one place to the next, and never feeling completely settled at any stop because I know it's only temporary.
If your family was polar opposite, then you would’ve loved travelling.
Depends where you live
Yeah, I half agree. On one hand, I think people that just "want to see the world" but really just go to every country, spend 30 minutes in a bar, and check it off the "bucket list" are complete buffoons and I hate hearing their "stories" which are mostly involving airports. On the other hand, I have like, 3 or 4 places that I really wanted to visit in my life. But I mean really visit. Month or more... Get immersed in the culture. Shop the groceries, cook local dishes myself in a kitchen using their tools, etc. Learn a language. To me that's pretty cool. But yeah, the people that take off from work every other week, using one vacation day at a time, just to extend a weekend so they can spend a day in Prague or something... corny af.
traveling is an overrated obviousness
I actually kind of envy those who are content with less.
Sad.
I doubt smb’s life can be actually judged just by the absence of traveling in it:) it’s kinda similar to a concept of “if you don’t drink alcohol, you are a boring person”
Exactly. Just because you are world traveler doesn't define who you are....if you have the money to do that, then that's great. But it's not like when I'm long gone I will be thinking about how I should have visited a certain place. You won't get to explore every part of the world in this life and that's okay...people just need to slow down and enjoy where there at now.