Not to mention the environmental ramifications of travel too. My motto these days is “travel occasionally, commit to community regularly.” It helps that I can’t afford international travel these days anyway.
I think you’re really on to something. Travel can be invigorating and even healing, but the trajectory we’re on now is traveling for the aesthetic or for the sake of saying we’ve been somewhere. It’s a to-do list, not a true exploration of a new place and people. I’m starting to shift how I view my travels. I’m focusing more on slow days or a slow uncovering of a new city rather than feeling like I need to run from place to place to place. Or to monument to monument to monument. My favorite travel memories are the moments I’ve stumbled upon something beautiful, randomly. Slow travel is my new mantra.
I could not agree more about the effects of travel on your body and on the environment. I’ve been a flight attendant for 24 years and I’ve come to realize I can never be truly healthy until I’m on the ground full time.
Wanderlust can be addictive, but the longer I live the more I long to be home making dinner with friends.
As someone who just had a conversation with my wife where we concluded that we would both be happier if we never got on a plane ever again, this article popped up at just the right time. The desire for deeper community connections multiplied greatly after having kids and that is not possible unless you stay put.
When I had my first kid 13 years ago I decided not to fly anymore. We‘re in Germany and travel to our neighboring countries. There’s so much to see and experience. Why do my kids have to fly to far away places if they don’t even know Europe? My parents traveled quite a lot with us when we were kids and I remember that I was often stressed, probably because my parents were stressed… Apart from the environmental consequences that’s reason enough to travel somewhere close.
thank you so much sharing your lived experience. I completely resonate with this part: "Why do my kids have to fly to far away places if they don’t even know Europe?" We don't know and often don't care what's in front of us, but reach for what's far away.
I think more people need to say this out loud. There’s also the very real impact of over tourism to contend with. Here in Amsterdam it feels like everyone is traveling all the time. I do have a friend who only takes trains because of the environmental impact, and I admire her so much.
It’s also true that I mostly hear this sentiment from people like you and me, who have done more than our fair share of travel already. For me, I had a big desire to see the world in my twenties, then started feeling more of an urge to settle down.
This year our only trips are to our own house in Italy, where we would have been moving this year had we not been delayed. After we move there, what I want to do most (besides living in my lovely Italian town) is ride the train to different parts of Italy. During the pandemic, we took short trips to parts of the Netherlands that weren’t famous, and got to know the country in a way we never would have otherwise. Traveling locally is a really nice way to feed the desire for new landscapes and escape front the mundane without overtaxing the planet and famous tourist destinations.
Love, love, love this. I travelled so much when I was younger and I am still a bit surprised at how much of a 'homebody' I am now. I'm even back living in my childhood home in my old hometown, and I am the happiest I have been in a long time. Your writing reflects so much of what I've been feeling but could never quite articulate. Thank you for sharing these thoughts 💚
Me too. When I stay, but truly stay without disruptions, I'm the happiest. Also, I have a life which I don't want to move away from. Thank you for your comments.
"Anthropologically, travel wasn’t meant to be an activity people did just to take the same suboptimal selfies in front of the same monument, the same restaurant, the same shopping mall." such a well-put perspective!
i would be interested to read more of your reflections and experiences with "Instagram tourism." thanks for sharing this wonderful read!
I think travel needs to change... because genuine "enlightenment" and cultural exchange comes from meeting people and sharing their thoughts. A trip around the world seeing as many monuments as possible for 2 weeks (because work requires) will not change perspectives much, unless its by way of backpacking and collabing with locals.
But the biggest issue with all of this is western work culture and the pressure of consumerism/status attached to an adventurous lifestyle.
This being said, I dont think staying in your neighbourhood grants the kind of diversity of thought that travel can
I wrote something similar to this after feeling the same following 5 trips last year (the most I’ve ever travelled), where I was spending money I didn’t have and throwing my home life out of balance in the process. I’m trying to get comfortable being at home this year and really committing to making my life here the best it can be!
As someone who has had the privilege of living outside of my country of birth for longer durations several times, people are sometimes surprised that I find both work-travel (which of course many people dislike) but also private travel quite unappealing (unless there is a personal reason).
Much of it really seems to come down to the commodification and standardisation of travel you so eloquently describe.
Also worth highlighting that regularly travelling by plane, as normal as it may seem to some of us, means we are complete outliers: in any given year, only 10% of the world’s population takes a flight and 80% of the world’s population has never flown.
this is such a great point: "Also worth highlighting that regularly travelling by plane, as normal as it may seem to some of us, means we are complete outliers: in any given year, only 10% of the world’s population takes a flight and 80% of the world’s population has never flown."
To be honest, I travel because there are things I’ve always wanted to see. And when I see them, I feel empowered, among other things, by my ability to live out my dreams.
But I don’t have that many dreams. Not as many as getting on a plane once a week would entail. I do think travel is hard on our bodies and emotions and minds.
We are in an age of performative and competitive travel, checking off lists and coming home with selfies but not enriching experiences and life-shifting perspectives.
I agree with you entirely for the reasons you state. T.S Eliot in 4 quartets refers to the contrast between meaning and experience. When I was a young man ,I leant towards experiences all day long. But now much older I know experiences come and go. What counts is meaning.
Not to mention the environmental ramifications of travel too. My motto these days is “travel occasionally, commit to community regularly.” It helps that I can’t afford international travel these days anyway.
I love your motto!
I think you’re really on to something. Travel can be invigorating and even healing, but the trajectory we’re on now is traveling for the aesthetic or for the sake of saying we’ve been somewhere. It’s a to-do list, not a true exploration of a new place and people. I’m starting to shift how I view my travels. I’m focusing more on slow days or a slow uncovering of a new city rather than feeling like I need to run from place to place to place. Or to monument to monument to monument. My favorite travel memories are the moments I’ve stumbled upon something beautiful, randomly. Slow travel is my new mantra.
Thank you for the read, Sema!
I love the sound of slow travel :) Thank you for your comment.
I could not agree more about the effects of travel on your body and on the environment. I’ve been a flight attendant for 24 years and I’ve come to realize I can never be truly healthy until I’m on the ground full time.
Wanderlust can be addictive, but the longer I live the more I long to be home making dinner with friends.
Thank you for sharing your lived experience. I can’t imagine how hard it must be on the body to fly all the time. Sending you hugs.
As someone who just had a conversation with my wife where we concluded that we would both be happier if we never got on a plane ever again, this article popped up at just the right time. The desire for deeper community connections multiplied greatly after having kids and that is not possible unless you stay put.
We literally have the same conversation with my husband all the time… 100% agree with what you said.
When I had my first kid 13 years ago I decided not to fly anymore. We‘re in Germany and travel to our neighboring countries. There’s so much to see and experience. Why do my kids have to fly to far away places if they don’t even know Europe? My parents traveled quite a lot with us when we were kids and I remember that I was often stressed, probably because my parents were stressed… Apart from the environmental consequences that’s reason enough to travel somewhere close.
thank you so much sharing your lived experience. I completely resonate with this part: "Why do my kids have to fly to far away places if they don’t even know Europe?" We don't know and often don't care what's in front of us, but reach for what's far away.
I think more people need to say this out loud. There’s also the very real impact of over tourism to contend with. Here in Amsterdam it feels like everyone is traveling all the time. I do have a friend who only takes trains because of the environmental impact, and I admire her so much.
It’s also true that I mostly hear this sentiment from people like you and me, who have done more than our fair share of travel already. For me, I had a big desire to see the world in my twenties, then started feeling more of an urge to settle down.
This year our only trips are to our own house in Italy, where we would have been moving this year had we not been delayed. After we move there, what I want to do most (besides living in my lovely Italian town) is ride the train to different parts of Italy. During the pandemic, we took short trips to parts of the Netherlands that weren’t famous, and got to know the country in a way we never would have otherwise. Traveling locally is a really nice way to feed the desire for new landscapes and escape front the mundane without overtaxing the planet and famous tourist destinations.
Thank you for your comment. Also -Where are you moving to in Italy ?😍
Love, love, love this. I travelled so much when I was younger and I am still a bit surprised at how much of a 'homebody' I am now. I'm even back living in my childhood home in my old hometown, and I am the happiest I have been in a long time. Your writing reflects so much of what I've been feeling but could never quite articulate. Thank you for sharing these thoughts 💚
Me too. When I stay, but truly stay without disruptions, I'm the happiest. Also, I have a life which I don't want to move away from. Thank you for your comments.
"Anthropologically, travel wasn’t meant to be an activity people did just to take the same suboptimal selfies in front of the same monument, the same restaurant, the same shopping mall." such a well-put perspective!
i would be interested to read more of your reflections and experiences with "Instagram tourism." thanks for sharing this wonderful read!
let me take note of that, perhaps I draft a follow up :) Thank you for your kind comment.
I love this so much.
I think travel needs to change... because genuine "enlightenment" and cultural exchange comes from meeting people and sharing their thoughts. A trip around the world seeing as many monuments as possible for 2 weeks (because work requires) will not change perspectives much, unless its by way of backpacking and collabing with locals.
But the biggest issue with all of this is western work culture and the pressure of consumerism/status attached to an adventurous lifestyle.
This being said, I dont think staying in your neighbourhood grants the kind of diversity of thought that travel can
Thank you so much for eloquently explaining how travel has become another commodity we over-consume.
I wrote something similar to this after feeling the same following 5 trips last year (the most I’ve ever travelled), where I was spending money I didn’t have and throwing my home life out of balance in the process. I’m trying to get comfortable being at home this year and really committing to making my life here the best it can be!
https://open.substack.com/pub/kayla513303/p/why-do-we-define-travelling-as-living?r=lxbkm&utm_medium=ios
Oh my!!! Reading this was cathartic. Can't wait to read more of your content.
Definitely related to this very strongly.
As someone who has had the privilege of living outside of my country of birth for longer durations several times, people are sometimes surprised that I find both work-travel (which of course many people dislike) but also private travel quite unappealing (unless there is a personal reason).
Much of it really seems to come down to the commodification and standardisation of travel you so eloquently describe.
Also worth highlighting that regularly travelling by plane, as normal as it may seem to some of us, means we are complete outliers: in any given year, only 10% of the world’s population takes a flight and 80% of the world’s population has never flown.
this is such a great point: "Also worth highlighting that regularly travelling by plane, as normal as it may seem to some of us, means we are complete outliers: in any given year, only 10% of the world’s population takes a flight and 80% of the world’s population has never flown."
Quite a contrary yet sane point of view. Much needed for this time and age.
Thank you!
To be honest, I travel because there are things I’ve always wanted to see. And when I see them, I feel empowered, among other things, by my ability to live out my dreams.
But I don’t have that many dreams. Not as many as getting on a plane once a week would entail. I do think travel is hard on our bodies and emotions and minds.
Thank you for sharing 🙂
Poignant that the point of travel went from discovering new places, like Mandalay or Bafa Gölü, to places that are viral on social media.
So true..
We are in an age of performative and competitive travel, checking off lists and coming home with selfies but not enriching experiences and life-shifting perspectives.
"performative and competitive travel". I like this concept.
I agree with you entirely for the reasons you state. T.S Eliot in 4 quartets refers to the contrast between meaning and experience. When I was a young man ,I leant towards experiences all day long. But now much older I know experiences come and go. What counts is meaning.
ah I love the distinction between meaning and experience. Thank you for sharing :)