Why Travel?

[Midpack]

A decidedly stupid question for some, but DW & I always struggle with it. We love seeing see new places, experiencing different cultures, etc. - but travel isn't cheap. And we've both traveled a lot growing up and in business already. We've planned several trips each year, only to talk ourselves out of it about 3 out of 4 times - thinking 'look at the other things we could do with that money.'

Here's one source's published reasons (some we can do without travel, many we can do with day trips vs more elaborate vacations):

1. Find Your Self-Confidence by Dealing with Unexpected Situations
2. Happiness is Infectious
3. Being Away Makes You Appreciate Family and Home
4. You Make New Friends
5. Detox from Social Media
6. Getting Some 'You' Time
7. Education, Education, Education
8. Get a Vitamin D Boost
9. You're More Interesting
10. New Experiences Give Us Moments to Remember
11. The Effects of Traveling Aren't Just Short-Term

11 Reasons Why Travel Makes You a Happier Person

 

[Ronstar]

#7 Education & # 10 New experiences Give Us Moments to Remember.

And a means to satisfy my curiosity of what places that we haven't yet visited are like.

 

[Big_Hitter]

I hate travelling, DW loves it. I get most of the listed benefits by staying put.

 

[Sojourner]

For me, traveling and experiencing different places and ways of life is pretty much the ideal way to recharge my batteries and feel truly connected to the world. I'd say #3, 7, and 10 on the list are my main reasons for traveling, with #3 being the top. I can't count the number of times when I've been away somewhere, soaking in a unique experience in a "faraway land", only to have a few thoughts of home creep into my head and make the experience that much more sweet in the moment. For me, a very depressing thought would be to spend the rest of my days just puttering around here at home or around town, never venturing far, doing the same things and seeing the same landscapes all the time. It's kind of like having basically the same dinner every night. Even with some minor variations, if you're having spaghetti with meatballs night after night, then dinner pretty quickly becomes a dreadful bore. There's so much more to eat and enjoy than spaghetti, so get out there and eat like a king while you can! Variety really is the spice of life, and IMHO traveling is a very important part of that variety.

 

[Nemo2]

#10. Walking around places, (such as the old city of Jerusalem, but there are many, many, others), and contemplating the people and events that preceded my visit, be it by centuries or millennia, is, as 'they' used to say, "A total rush".

 

[Meadbh]

3,7,8,10

 

[Bestwifeever]

That's a pretty funny list.

 

[Marc]

I am a dedicated traveler; all free time and money spent on traveling. I like the experiences. i like my fellow travelers (for the most part). I like the people i meet from all over the world.

Also, I am a bit of an existentialist that believes experiences one of the purest reasons for living. I have no kids (allergic) and my wife and I love to travel. Sometimes it does become just checking the boxes; but those once in a blue occurrences do happen.

I also like to eat (not that adventurous) and drink; so always looking for new experiences there, too. If you think of eating and drinking as just sustenance of life; you could eat the same thing every day; maybe in a pill form. However, must of us like to have variety in our food; why not have that same variety in where we spend the night?

Marc

 

[Moemg]

I have noticed that a lot of my friends who traveled a lot are now losing interest in it . Usually the men lead the way and after a few years of the women doing solo travel or with a friend they also lose interest .I think it is a combination of aging ,health issues and lower tolerance for the hassle of travel .We have slowed down the travel to one interesting trip a year plus my regular visits to my grandchildren .

 

[aja8888]

I have noticed that a lot of my friends who traveled a lot are now losing interest in it . Usually the men lead the way and after a few years of the women doing solo travel or with a friend they also lose interest .I think it is a combination of aging ,health issues and lower tolerance for the hassle of travel .We have slowed down the travel to one interesting trip a year plus my regular visits to my grandchildren .

I have to agree with the above. I'm done after many years of travel (mostly business to great and not-so-great places). DW still likes to travel but her interest is waning. We are getting up there in age, tired of the baloney with air travel, crowds, over-priced places, etc. Now it's the occasional trip to a wedding, funeral, family get together, etc. Being home is just fine, too.

 

[audreyh1]

Pretty much 10.

And we travel because we really enjoy it. It's a very enjoyable adventure. We probably enjoy it more than anything else.

 

[LOL!]

I have noticed that a lot of my friends who traveled a lot are now losing interest in it.

Once you've seen one art museum, you've seen almost all of them. Every place has much of the same things and only a small amount of uniqueness. After years of traveling, there may be no uniqueness left.

I also think that with Virtual Reality devices that there is a future in "stay-at-home travel." You can have Total Recall. Or maybe you can send a younger person with VR cameras to go in your stead and get to experience what they experience in real time from your couch (avatar?). Isn't that how we all experienced landing and walking on the moon?

 

[Ronstar]

I have noticed that a lot of my friends who traveled a lot are now losing interest in it . Usually the men lead the way and after a few years of the women doing solo travel or with a friend they also lose interest .I think it is a combination of aging ,health issues and lower tolerance for the hassle of travel .We have slowed down the travel to one interesting trip a year plus my regular visits to my grandchildren .

I agree with this as well. We met an older couple (upper 70's) in Yosemite that have been to 78 countries and continue to travel, yet not as much as they used to. They mentioned that they have a few more countries to visit and they expect to stay at home a lot more.

Their age and lower tolerance to travel were probably the reasons that they stayed on the shuttle bus, in the b&b and lodge, while passing on hiking/biking to the scenic spots.


Sent from my iPad using Early Retirement Forum

 

[braumeister]

I dread the day I lose interest in travel.
I know the day is coming, but I hope not for a long time yet.

I've traveled extensively since college (military career, then w*rk consulting for numerous large companies with far-flung locations). Since ER, I've kept it up, although not quite to that level.

These days, about a trip a month, including two or three annual overseas jaunts of 2-3 weeks each.

On our recent river cruise, we met a couple who have averaged nearly a cruise a month for many years, including two round-the-world cruises. They still love it and plan to keep it up at that pace.

So in sum, I think it's just a matter of personal bias, like seafood. Some of us love it, others hate it, most are indifferent.

 

[aja8888]

That's a pretty funny list.

Looking back at that list, I could see how several of those numbered reasons could be very negative and turn you off on travelling.


Find Your Self-Confidence by Dealing with Unexpected Situations - You will need it after getting pick pocketed and trying to get a new passport and money in Croatia.

Being Away Makes You Appreciate Family and Home - Especially of you are stuck in a small Chinese airport for 4 days with no hotel room.

You Make New Friends - In a Mexican jail?

Getting Some 'You' Time - aka.. "airport and Customs delays"

Education, Education, Education - trying to understand traffic rules in Italy after a cop pulled you over. Finding out how many Euro's it costs to get the ticket paid.

You're More Interesting - Especially to con artists and thieves!

New Experiences Give Us Moments to Remember - Remember that Chinese airport you spent 4 days in?

The Effects of Traveling Aren't Just Short-Term - Especially if you eat something you shouldn't have and there are no pharmacies for 100 miles.

 

[Meadbh]

I am becoming more discerning about my travel. I'm no longer travelling just because "I need to get away" or "I have the time", but because I have developed a genuine curiosity about a place. I no longer try to see "everything" and I will no longer accept exhausting flight schedules. I have struck several places off my list, principally because of safety issues. There are many places that I'm glad I've seen, some of them on w*rk related trips, but have no desire to see again. Increasingly, I care less about other people's expectations. For now, I plan to continue taking two or three modest trips per year, and one major trip every year or two. I can certainly foresee a time when the hassle won't be worth it.

 

[Meadbh]

Education, Education, Education - trying to understand traffic rules in Italy after a cop pulled you over. Finding out how many Lire it costs to get the ticket paid.

The answer is zero Lire. Italy uses the Euro.

 

[Bestwifeever]

DH and I do love to travel and do quite a bit of it but I think I could ask people why they do anything they enjoy and get the same answers. I did read the article (attributed to a luxury travel agency, what a surprise!) and perhaps it is all tongue in cheek--vitamin D? It makes one more interesting?

 

[CaliKid]

I am not retired yet so for me a vacation is a way to turn the real world off. I just don't do that as much at home. I like to have as few reminders, as possible, of my work. At this point of life sitting by the pool, drinking, in hot weather, is a total escape. Throw in some unique experiences, meet a few new people, etc... and life is good. We were in Hawaii last week and it was perfect as usual. I would retire there if it wasn't so darn expensive! Anyway, I look forward to longer trips once I retire.

 

[Packman]

This is interesting. Because travel is the ONLY thing I want to spend in our discretionary budget. Now my DW also likes to travel, but she would rather fill the house and garage with "stuff". So do we spend our life savings on 'experiences' or 'things'?

My brother thinks travel is stupid - in his mind, spending $10k on a trip that lasts for a week or two! With the same money, he could buy a (used) snowmobile or boat that would last years!

 

[aja8888]

The answer is zero Lire. Italy uses the Euro.

Brainfart so I fixed it, thanks.

 

[sengsational]

Once you've seen one art museum, you've seen almost all of them.

I thank the seven that this isn't what I think of when I consider what to do next. If that were all there was to travel, then I'd stay home. So booking a bus tour isn't going to do it for me.

But if you don't do anything, nothing will happen.

It seems that, in my experience, the more pedestrian the activity, the less interesting is the experience. Start with something you'd think would be cool, and wrap a trip around it. That, as opposed to "seeing" some tourist destination (just hitting the monuments and museums to say you've been there).

 

[Souschef]

In our relatively short marriage, we have done almost 50 trips of one sort on another. At this point in our lives, we have no desire to go on any more group travels.
In reflecting on our travels, we felt the most enjoyable ones were we had no time constraints because we were alone.

 

[COcheesehead]

I couldn't imagine life without travel and that is the big reason why I work longer to have more funds for my FIRE. When I read folks on this forum say they can live on $20,000 a year I always think NOT with travel and to me that is sad.

 

[NW-Bound]

For me, only the following from the OP's list apply.

7. Education
10. New Experiences Give Us Moments to Remember
11. The Effects of Traveling Aren't Just Short-Term

A time will come when the hassle of travel becomes greater than the joy I get out of it. When that happens, I will have a lot of experiences and memories (and old photos to look at) to cherish.

Whether one likes to travel or not is no different than the individual tastes in food, music, clothes, etc... Why ask why someone does not like a certain food, or not listen to some music?

I do not like spectator sports, and if I am forced to watch a game it would be like torture to me (people actually spend money to watch them?). I suspect that people who dislike travel ask the same question about people who spend a lot of money to go to some places instead of just staying home.

People are strange animals, aren't we?