The Millennial Relationship with Travel (part 2)

Traveling is the most romanticized hobby in today’s world. After all, what is there to not love about traveling. You get to explore new places, immerse yourselves into absolutely new cultures and get the easiest opportunity to step out of your comfort zone.

The top 3 positives outcomes of My Relationship with Travel are elaborated here. But not all sides to the story are rosy, no. While traveling is a great journey to explore unchartered territories, anything in excess comes at a cost. With travel becoming commoditized and curated with every destination falling under a 5D6N package, the journey is slowly losing its value.

A quick look at the not so positive sides to excessive traveling

1. Travel is the easiest path to escape reality

Travel is a great way to obtain more exposure, it is freedom from monotony but there is a very thin line between traveling to gain perspective and running away from daily life.

If it is just a respite it is okay. But travel has become the crutch we rely on to escape reality sometimes. To continue working in jobs we dislike, to continue reporting to the most idiotic of bosses, to pretty much survive the long haul. Travel gives you brief doses of temporary relief. A break from the rat race, a breather from the madness, a pit-stop before the next lap. The respite is good, but the problem is when it starts becoming more than that. The brief doses of relief can actually camouflage the reality of our lives sometimes. We get used to these respites and eventually lead lives just for those vacations. We have countdowns to the next trip, a holiday calendar prepared every year and you just pass by your lives waiting for the next vacation blissfully ignorant.

2. Travel costs money

To those who claim otherwise, please suspect some other ulterior motive. It can take a lot of money or some money depending on your tastes but it definitely needs money.

The money to travel is usually taken out of your income which could have otherwise been your savings or investments. If you are lucky enough all your life never to face a medical emergency yourself or amongst your close family members, then that’s great. But what if by any chance there is an emergency, rich travel experiences do not pay your bills.

However, having said that, you can always be prudent in setting aside some savings and still go ahead and travel. The first 14 countries I traveled were on a student loan as well. But, since I have started working, it has always been either the outcome of my investments or a portion of income carved out from expenses NOT Savings.

3. FOMO calls shot-gun

With social media influences at its peak, with its beautifully edited, photoshopped and well-crafted images, it is but natural to feel like you are missing out. You see notifications of your friends trekking in Peru, road tripping in Spain, dipping into crystal blue waters in Iceland lagoons, it is but natural to feel like you are missing out.

We are constantly bombarded with social media posts with a multitude of must-see places or must-have experiences. Every trip you plan to a certain location you want to see them all, experience them all. You jump from one place to another in an attempt to cover all the checklist must visit places and it becomes more about checking off places than experiencing the place.

I used to be like that too. I go to a place I want to see them all, so much that I used to feel like taking a vacation after these vacations. It is an effort to cover all the places in two days that bloggers write about after staying there a month. Trust me, it is not worth it.

As beautiful a journey as travel is, remember, do not let it be a crutch that robs you of living a fulfilling life altogether. Rather make your relationship with travel a pedestal that makes you one of kind with your unique perspectives, absorbing in you all the good lessons your travels have taught you and become unstoppable.