Why do people like to travel?

I don't understand what it is about travel that people find so irresistible... My girlfriend says travel is really important to her, and I guess I'd be willing to travel, but it's just not important to me. It's expensive, impractical, very harmful to the environment, and all for what? So you can say you saw something in person, as opposed to reading about it on the Internet?

I feel you can immerse yourself in foreign cultures right here in the US, just by talking to people from these other cultures. I can visit Budapest and get a quick glimpse of a small little piece of it right now, or I can read a book on it and look at photos and paintings of it from throughout its history.

I'm one of the only people I know who isn't interested in traveling, and so many people just think its wrong that I don't want to travel. Absurd as the question sounds, why do people even like traveling in the first place?

Actually being in another place is totally different than just learning about it. Like you can read about sex, or talk to people who have had it, or watch it on tv. But once you experience it, it has a personal meaning for you and it changes who you are.

When you are close to a mountain or in a cathedral or at the edge of the ocean, you feel awe. Awe gives you a perspective on your place in the world. You feel infinitesimally small, yet at the same time, you're an irreplaceable part of something so much greater than a single ego.

In other words, you get a new perspective on the word, "awesome." It's worthwhile. But so is staying home all cozy with a cat and a book and a hot toddy (what is a hot toddy, anyway?). You can do both, just at different times.

Traveling isn't just about seeing things. It's also about interacting with people of an entirely different culture than your own. Eating the food, hearing different accents and languages, experiencing rituals, customs, festivals, etc. Stuff you can't do on the internet.

And also, regarding the internet- seeing artwork like the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in person is radically different than seeing it on the internet.

Traveling isn't just about seeing things. It's also about interacting with people of an entirely different culture than your own. Eating the food, hearing different accents and languages, experiencing rituals, customs, festivals, etc. Stuff you can't do on the internet.

 

And also, regarding the internet- seeing artwork like the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in person is radically different than seeing it on the internet.

You don't have to travel far to meet people of different cultures. I worked with a bunch of Germans, ate German food with them, went to the bars with them, learned to speak German, and I was very immersed in their culture. They were all a little homesick and loved to share what Germany was like when I asked. The same thing applied to college, where I was friends with a bunch of Arabs, went to the mosque with them, learned some basic Arabic, and so forth.

As for seeing things, I guess I'm ok to live life vicariously. The vast majority of the world doesn't get to travel, and so why should I? Besides, I find things are often better left to the imagination... And I do have a very vivid, active imagination, so maybe that's part of it, too.

Nothing wrong with you. Lots of people hate traveling.

Nothing "wrong" about your preference but I disagree that reading about it/looking at artwork is the same. I've done both - drastically different experiences. I'm glad I've done the traveling I have and hope to do more (I haven't since I had my son 4 years ago).

Couldn't agree more with this.

Traveling is a personal preference so there's nothing wrong with not liking to travel. But, I also disagree with you that reading about something and experiencing something are the same. For example, you can talk to Germans and go out and have food with them - but the truth is they still act differently in the US than in their native home. People from other countries assimilate to the US culture in varying degrees. So you don't get the full experience/picture of what they are like in their culture and homeland.

Also traveling puts you out of your comfort zone sometimes or your own element and it's thrilling to learn more about the outside world but also about yourself and how you relate to new experiences and new culture. But some people also find that stressful. For example, I like to travel, but only to a set of countries that I consider is pushing my comfort boundaries, but my more travel experienced friends would consider vanilla and tame. So it's completely personal preference.

I used to think exactly like you. Then I got on a plane and saw from so many thousands of feet high and I realized how beautiful the world could be. Every since then, I now have this affinity for travel and going everywhere I possibly can.

You don't have to travel far to meet people of different cultures. I worked with a bunch of Germans, ate German food with them, went to the bars with them, learned to speak German, and I was very immersed in their culture. They were all a little homesick and loved to share what Germany was like when I asked. The same thing applied to college, where I was friends with a bunch of Arabs, went to the mosque with them, learned some basic Arabic, and so forth.

 

As for seeing things, I guess I'm ok to live life vicariously. The vast majority of the world doesn't get to travel, and so why should I? Besides, I find things are often better left to the imagination... And I do have a very vivid, active imagination, so maybe that's part of it, too.

Eating and interacting with people from other cultures while in America is not really the same thing. But you seem determined to maintain your perspective, so I don't suppose it matters.

I also think it's a very strange argument to say that the rest of the world doesn't get to do something, so why should you? I'm not sure how that's relevant.

Interesting points, OP. I think travel is rewarding because you get to experience the totality of another place, unmediated by somebody else's (writer's, photographer's...) choices.

It's often the little, unexpected things you encounter when travelling that prove really thought-provoking and give you a different perspective on life, rather than the famous sights or experiences.

I will remember a certain street dog in Delhi for my whole life, I am sure, whereas I have already forgotten most details of the Red Fort (about which I could easily buy a book).

Sometimes traveling abroad makes you realize, what everyone else was always saying to you....where you are from is amazing.

why do people even like traveling in the first place?

Some people like travel because it's a form of escape (escaping from the boring reality of everyday job/life in their hometown), and I think this is the weakest reason to enjoy travel. It is better to work on improving your life here than to try to escape from it.

Some people like travel because they see and learn all kinds of intangible things and gain perspective on the world and life and the universe. This is a much better reason to enjoy travel. Maybe they could've approximated this experience from the internet/books, but they're not as good at doing that as you think you are.

Some people like travel because they have a craving to be out in nature (if they live in a big industrialized city) or be in a big city (if they live in an undeveloped area) and it's great to have different kinds of experiences like this. It's similar to how if you eat only dairy for a long time, you will start to "need" protein and vegetables, or if you eat only vegetables for a long time, you will start to crave the other kinds of food.

There's a social aspect to travel too, which can't be overlooked. People who have traveled can talk to each other about it; if you have not traveled then you can't participate in these conversations and, rightly or wrongly, you will lose out on social opportunities. This is kind of a lame reason to enjoy traveling (e.g. just because you get to talk about it) but it's probably a common factor.

I think some people just get bored easily, too, and if they don't go new places and see new things then they get impatient and irritable and depressed and miserable. Sometimes I think that although they claim to "love travel", what they really have is a boredom problem.

I like to travel because I want to experience as many things as possible. Reading the OPs post it doesn't seem like he's ever tried traveling, so how do you know you don't like it? Describing travel is like describing music- you can't recreate the experience, the feelings...

I agree not everyone loves traveling (like not everyone loves music) but you can't really decide that until you do it. So try! Then decide.

I love traveling .No book will ever prepare you for the majesty of what is real.

For me it's the people and the little experiences which make me adore travelling.

I don't think you could experience the extreme poverty yet happiness of the people in a Banjul (Gambian) market in the USA.

I also don't think you would be shoulder carried by a rasta hat wearing Gambian man onto an overcrowded local boat - the unexpected little highlight of my most recent travelling experience.

I love travel but the why of it I could not tell you, I just like it! As for a counter-argument for it being wasteful and whatever other reasoning you gave, so is sitting on the couch. It makes no sense to debate it. It is an activity that you must do to understand it, if you get it then you will be a traveler if not, they maybe you come away with an appreciation but never truly accept the joy of it.

Having said all that, I have family that abhors travel but are quite content to hear of places I've been. I suppose I became an audiobook for them at a very young. No matter, I'm glad I did and will continue to do so.

The world is bigger than your house, street, country or continent. It's there to be enjoyed, and it's there to educate you and make you a more interesting person.

People who don't travel might have good reason why they don't. But people who don't want to travel are often quite dull, honestly.

^ Hey! For the longest time I didn't see the thrill in travelling because I was dealing with depression and scared of moving out of my comfort zone. But I was and still am one of the most interesting people I know Some people find it anxiety-provoking or perhaps don't get it. This was true for me anyway. It's not for everyone I guess, but now, if I could afford to travel I'd love to. I agree with Raiden in that the world is a huge place, and it's our place. It's a privilege to be able to explore different parts of it and feel connection and belongingness with other cultures so different from what we're used to. I'm over the silly fears I once had of travelling- trying new foods, getting lost, etc., but I understand some of the reasons why people don't bother getting out there. Basically I feel like I understand both perspectives. But it feels great to be on the pro-travelling side. I used to travel with my school when I was a teen, and I didn't fully appreciate it back then. I think as I got older, I grew more conscious of the fact that I'm encapsulated in this protective bubble, and that I'm ignoring so much of my world. It's about feeling a sense of connection and wanting to see what's "mine" to see in this lifetime.

Well, there's a difference between saying "I don't want to go anywhere because of the anxiety caused by the mere thought of it" and "I don't want to go anywhere because it doesn't interest me". What you had there constituted a good reason not to travel, and I'm glad it was only temporary.

I Adore traveling ....but I a a chef and and art history freak for me it's about meeting new people and experiencing new things. I am an anti tourist gal though . I like to go where the local go and eat and stuff like that sort of off the beaten path?

It's not fr everyone cause he have to be ale to roll with the punches and be flexible and not afraid to ask for help and muddle through their language.

It's not fr everyone cause he have to be ale to roll with the punches and be flexible and not afraid to ask for help and muddle through their language.

Often those tiny little things - figuring out how to take a bus trip in a strange language and an alien culture, for example - are half the fun, though, aren't they!

I sometimes think that I'd like to take a month off work and blow some of my savings travelling around the continent a bit, but then I talk to those travelling-type-people and their stories just terrify me.

Somebody once told me about the amazing time he had when his wallet was stolen somewhere in Hungary, he'd lost his phrasebook and couldn't remember a single word of Hungarian. To him it was exciting and challenging and eye-opening and even fun.

I nearly had a heart attack just listening to him.

I don't enjoy travelling, even within the UK, but I do like seeing different sights, especially interesting geology and structures. I've never left the country so my experiences are quite close together and tame by a lot of people's standards, but I've seen quite a lot of things (I'm lucky to live somewhere that varies as much as the UK does).

I agree that looking up something on the internet is nothing like going to see it yourself. Two places that spring to mind are Pavey Ark and the Hole of Horcum. Look them up on Google images, they look... ok. A lump of rock and a valley, they aren't very significant. I don't even think I could describe what it is about these places that I find so... significant, I just felt something special about being a part of these landscapes. The view from the top of Pavey Ark made me feel alive, probably because I'd just climbed Jack's Rake (a simple but tiring climb) and I felt like I had just escaped death, it's all part of the memory. The Hole of Horcum feels... big, bigger than it first appears, like the landscape is trying to trick you into not noticing this huge scoop taken out of the ground. It's impossible to properly describe how it makes me feel, because it's part of a personal experience that other people may not ever have, even if they go to the same place. You have to see things yourself to get your own experience of them.

You don't have to travel far to meet people of different cultures. I worked with a bunch of Germans, ate German food with them, went to the bars with them, learned to speak German, and I was very immersed in their culture. They were all a little homesick and loved to share what Germany was like when I asked. The same thing applied to college, where I was friends with a bunch of Arabs, went to the mosque with them, learned some basic Arabic, and so forth.

 

As for seeing things, I guess I'm ok to live life vicariously. The vast majority of the world doesn't get to travel, and so why should I? Besides, I find things are often better left to the imagination... And I do have a very vivid, active imagination, so maybe that's part of it, too.

I see what you're saying, and it is completely valid.

I've travelled overseas a LOT, but some of my best/most revealing/exciting adventures have been close to home.

There is no reason to think you need to travel overseas to be travelling.

I think the biggest mistake people can make is travelling somewhere that holds no meaning, interest or intrigue for them. If that is the case then it IS just a waste of money.

Sometimes something just around the corner amazes me.

I recently turned down a trip to Germany to go on a cycling with some friends, because I realised I don't cycle where I live.

So why would I waste thousands of dollars on a new experience when simply using my bike locally could give me a experience as well (no, not the same experience, but still an experience).

Don't travel because you feel you have to, travel if, when and how far you want to.

And don't fall into the trap of thinking that people who don't travel are boring, some of my friends who have not travelled are the most creative people I know, they find interest in day to day life and thus don't need to travel far to find it!

If you can get lost where you live, do it. If a nature reserve is a short-ish drive away, then go there. Want new cuisine then find it. Having an experience overseas does not make it more real.

For some people it as about knowing they have invested time and money so they feel FREE to experience things, and do not feel chained to the seriousness of their life.

I'm not saying don't travel. And I do recommend trying it just once before you write it off. And going with your girlfriend could be really enjoyable, so if you do have the means and the time then why not try?!

Because of the "grass is always greener" syndrome

Because of the "grass is always greener" syndrome

Someone's been to Amsterdam!