Missing out by not traveling?

[Krombopulos]

I've never left my home state of Ohio. And everyone, everyone I tell this to is so shocked and always urging me to travel and see the world. I get it, see new places, interact with different cultures, try different foods etc but traveling is just so expensive I'd hate to spend all that money and not even have a good time. And here's where I really start to lose people, I'd rather take the money that I'd spend on traveling and go to the strip club with it because I almost KNOW I'll have a good time. I just feel like the praise and validation I receive there is better than "seeing the world" or whatever it is people see in traveling

[Lambert]

I don't think the point of traveling is to receive praise and or validation. Rather traveling is an opportunity to grow as an individual, which greatly improves one's life in ways that are very specific to that person. 

It's sad bought validation & praise is so valuable to you. 

 

[Seraphim]

Travelling is about expanding your experience and mind . 

[Cherylyn]

Don't feel bad or guilty for not traveling.  Don't feel that you're missing out.  I don't enjoy living out of a suitcase.  I don't enjoy packing my suitcase,  scrambling and rushing off to airports.   I don't like airports.  I don't enjoy flying and I become a bit queasy from motion sickness whether it's in the air, on sea or long road trips.  I don't enjoy the hustle and bustle of traveling.  Then during travel,  we're on a strict schedule and timeline.  Hotels, living out of a suitcase, long road trips, eating on the road, paying a lot for travel expenses, rental car, eating out constantly grows tiresome for me.  I want to go home, relax and enjoy my bed!  My husband and sons share the same sentiment.  I've enjoyed islands,  museums, historic sites,  tourist spots,  constant dining out,  all of it.  For us,  home is best and the most comfortable.  We enjoy delicious home cooked meals.  There's lots to do where I reside.  We don't have to go far.  Traveling is an expensive inconvenience.  It's not everyone's cup of tea.  Been there done that.

Praise and validation from a strip club is insincere.  You do know this, don't you?  It's a living for them and they are paid to give you fake praise and validation or you're paying to give it. 

There's a way to have genuine, clean cut, very moral, decent friends and not everyone enjoys traveling so don't think you have to travel in order to be accepted by high quality friends.  Not everyone is interested in seeing the world.  People have their preferences NOT to travel and there's plenty to do at the home front or not too faraway. 

[Wiseman2]

7 hours ago, Krombopulos said:

 here's where I really start to lose people, I'd rather take the money that I'd spend on traveling and go to the strip club.

Just don't share that part with people. Whether you enjoy traveling or not is fine but people have a dim view of strips clubs. Use discretion when you talk to people. You don't have to tell people how you spend your leisure money. There's plenty of homebodies so who cares?

[Jaunty]

To each their own, but I can't relate to people who are not interested in seeing places and cultures that are different from their own.  

I have an in-law from Ohio who just recently came out to visit;  they had NEVER SEEN THE OCEAN.  This person is 46 years old and has lived in that state all their life.  I realize Ohio is not coastal at all, but you can drive to the coast in 9 hours.  

Can't wrap my mind around it.

[dias]

11 minutes ago, Jaunty said:

you can drive to the coast in 9 hours.

Only? 😄 

[Batya33]

I have to sometimes force myself to travel -push myself out of my comfort zone - (I am not from Ohio but spent a lot of time in Cincinatti late 90s/early 2000s as my then boyfriend's parents lived there and he was from there -loved it but never had Skyline Chili, just Graeters -yum).  Travel I've done is among the top of the life-enhancing experiences I've had (I even finally conceived our son in a haunted hotel over a thousand miles from my hometown LOL). 

It's hard -air travel these days, living out of a suitcase, jet lag, sleep deprivation, the what ifs especially when traveling with a child (illness or injury when far from home).  And always worth it -my husband is a great traveler and my 13 year old has become one despite loving his home comforts/video games.  He says his best memory of our trip to Portugal this past summer was when Portuguese pigeon consumed our left over fries and sandwich at an outdoor cafe -it was hysterical and the waitress came over -jaw dropped -not knowing if we were upset (we weren't).  I love seeing him interact with people who do not speak our language (English)- how at 7 he knew to say "merci" to a person who gave him a seat on a subway train in Paris, and how he insisted this summer on learning how to say thank you in Portuguese. 

I didn't go on a plane till I was 15 and it was an 11 hour flight for a teen tour overseas. By myself -meaning I knew no one. Life changing.  We also do a lot of road trips and explore small towns and cities midway to our destination.  Great way to see other ways of life and build resilience.  In my own travels I've made good friends (club med resorts when I went alone), solidified friendships - traveling with a good friend can be dicey but we had a blast in Italy and were called "Thelma and Louise!" by locals as we walked in Rome. 

It's worth getting out of your comfort zone and I am a creature of routine  these days. Also consider traveling to a place where you will volunteer like Habitats for Humanity or similar.  Or start with a long train ride to a destination where you then hike or go to a major city and explore museums, parks, etc.  We've taken our son to Washington DC twice, and I've been there many times - it's amazing and almost all museums are free. 

My husband and I swam in the Blue Lagoon in Iceland before we got married and I helped him at a Paris museum when he encountered food poisoning -after dating two-three months.  And my passport made it down the luggage chute by mistake and we were given champagne and chocolate and strawberries to make up for it.  You know what -you can get sick from walking outside of your home, it's harder when you're abroad but honestly we have awesome memories of that trip in 1995. It really does broaden the perspective.

My son now talks about the immigrants he met in Portugal -they emigrated from Africa mostly. We had to buy a lot of bottled water during the heatwave and he ended up chatting with a few people who worked in the small shops and bodegas about where they were from. You just cannot get that even in your own city because I think the motivation to talk to people is not as strong as when you're traveling.  These people loved telling their stories to my son.  

I have friends who won't even take the subway into the big city and therefore miss out on a lot of culture because taxis/ubers are pricey as is parking.   I respect homebodies or people who are not just prefer not to travel (just as I prefer not to drive a car if at all possible) -even with all I wrote -I am just sharing my perspectives on travel.  I think you're seeing your life as narrow/limited so maybe you'll be motivated to change that. All the best. 

[Kwothe28]

13 hours ago, Krombopulos said:

I've never left my home state of Ohio.

Xexe, O-Hi-O. Sorry, always picturing anime girl saying that when I hear about that state. 😂

Different things for different people. Majority of people would see a strip club as a waste of money. You see it as something to receive validation and waste money there. While travel is not satisfying activity for you because you see it as a waste of money. You dont get validation there and you just waste time and money to maybe see some nice view and get a few pictures. Most people wont agree with you because, for them, what you do is a waste of money. While travel is an activity most people enjoy because they get a nice vacation and see something other then some rural American state. 

[Coily]

While I can, sort of, respect that travel hold no allure for you; I think you are approaching the adventure it is the wrong way. Travel isn't always about living out of a suitcase, or hopping flights and adhering to strict itineraries. It's not constantly eating out and tourist traps to suck your wallet dry.

For me travel is an adventure to see where the wind blows me, but I am a bit of a rambler at heart. Now I say this from the perspective of being fairly well traveled; some of the best vacations I have had cost me less than $800, I didn't stay in hotels, and only one meal that I didn't make myself. In those, I went camping, sometimes in a tent, under the stars, and sometimes just in the truck. I had a blast with those adventures, covered several states, and took in anything from a grand museum to just chatting with someone in the convenience store. Is that for everyone? No, but there are more ways to vacation than hotels.

I have also used Air BnBs, found a nice place where I could settle in for a week and meander off on adventures into new lands, or take a day and just have a cup of coffee, read a book, and enjoy not being in a routine or rut.

I've done beach houses, stayed in fancy hotels, roughed it in the back country, and just about everything short of a cruise ship. But if at heart you want to stay home, that's okay. We now live in a time when travel is more common than ever before, 60 years ago it would be rarer to travel as widely as many do now.

While I see the strip club as a waste of money for not even a memory of an adventure, you are perfectly right to spend your money as you see fit. But I would encourage you to at least plan a trip. It may never be one that you take, it's to think outside of your comfort zone. To make you think of broadening your existence and experience, some grand adventure seeing the sights and sounds of a new place.

As i write this, I also recall there are some virtual tours available out there too; started during the pandemic; these for a reasonable sum (probably a lap dance cost), you can get a tour of many cities around the world.

All in all don't be a stick in the mud and hide in your own bed, consider an adventure. Life should be more than just home, you need some delicious Skyline to liven things up!

 

[Batya33]

8 minutes ago, Coily said:

Travel isn't always about living out of a suitcase, or hopping flights and adhering to strict itineraries. It's not constantly eating out and tourist traps to suck your wallet dry.

For me travel is an adventure to see where the wind blows me, but I am a bit of a rambler at heart.

Agreed and this is also why I recommended traveling to a destination where you then volunteer with a group.  

My son and I went to Austin, Texas when he was around 8.  We took a bus to a science museum that turned out to be a nature center.  On the bus we met a mom and her two kids who were visiting also and they were Asian and English was not their first language.  Regardless -we teamed up -again because we were travelers - I doubt we would have at home - we explored the museum/nature center together then made our way to the bus stop in the other direction.  Except the bus in the other direction was across a highway with no crosswalk/pedestrian passageway.  Oops.  So we together asked for help at the museum.  We were told basically to take the long way around and across a park to find the bus the other way.  

Cool.  Then it started to rain.  Hard.  I don't think we had umbrellas.  We walked across a muddy field -likely took us 45 minutes to find the bus stop then wait under an awning for the bus.

We made it back wet but fine.  Guess how much my son whined/complained.  Not at all.  Or the other kids -mostly we trudged through the mud and the kids laughed at how dirty and wet they were getting.  Had we been home I am sure my son wouldn't have been as much of a trooper but he saw this as an adventure, got to meet other kids, getting dirty and wet part of being a kid.

I have many examples like that but it's not just kid-related.  I truly believe travel often forces you to get out of your head and accept challenges in a different way than you would at home.  I once scaled a rock climbing wall after recovering from traveler's stomach troubles because I was out of my comfort zone and was determined to show the obnoxious resort guest who'd mocked me the day before for not scaling the wall that darn it I was gonna scale that wall.  It's another travel-related experience (although obnoxious people are in every culture I suppose).

I don't think virtual travel is the same.  I think being well read in fiction and non-fiction does expand the mind though.  My in laws, RIP, had cheap charter flights during the summer because they were teachers. So my husband starting at age 4 was taken all over and they basically stayed at inexpensive hostels and friend's places in Europe.  He's a reserved, introverted private person but his experiences give him an insight into people and life he wouldn't otherwise have and he has great travel stories!

[boltnrun]

I thought you told your long term girlfriend you stopped going to the strip club.

Why do you crave "praise and validation"?  And why do you think this is the reason people travel?

[moodindigo91]

Preferring a strip club over traveling is an interesting perspective. You know, of course, there are strip clubs in other countries haha 

I agree that travel is expensive, and it can also be stressful sometimes. But you do get experiences and memories that you will cherish for a lifetime, which is not something you can really say about a strip club, imo. 

Either way, I can understand not wanting to travel. If that's the case, then just stick to your guns. Why do you need people to accept that about you? 

[Cherylyn]

My SIL (sister-in-law) and her husband travel all over the country and overseas frequently.  Then again, they're accustomed to eating out everyday (as is my MIL - mother-in-law) at the home front and have the 'entertain me' mentality.  They're in public a lot.  It's fine and whatever floats their boat. 

It's fine to be able to relate to those who don't enjoy traveling nor have interest seeing the world or wherever it may be.  Different strokes for different folks.

My husband,  sons and I've traveled.   We do a lot which isn't far from home. 

We've island hopped,  took many tours,  hit all the tourist and non-tourist spots,  ate out galore,  visited historical sites,  numerous museums,  all of it. 

Living out of a suitcase is not all that it's cracked up to be.  Making home arrangements in advance,  packing suitcases,  hurrying off to the airport,  being at the airport,  being in crowds,  rushing,  flying or taking long road trips, adhering to a strict schedule and timeline, hustling here and there to squeeze it all in,  repeating this entire ordeal to come home, unpacking,  laundry,  catching our breath and we're worn out.   Traveling is an expensive inconvenience.  It's not everyone's cup of tea. 

If there are flight delays,  postponement,  cancellations due inclement weather or if the flight had been rerouted and you're unable to make your connection,  good luck with that.  Now, you're left scrambling to find a hotel to stay in a very unfamiliar area.  'Better yet' if your luggage boarded another flight without you, you're left with nothing. 😡 No change of clothes,  no toothbrush,  nothing but the clothes on your back.  Now your flight and plans were postponed which leaves a rearranged very hectic schedule in disarray.  What a pain in the ______.   To us, traveling and what it entails lost its luster. 

My husband and I traveled for work which included sightseeing and we did this 18 times within two years.  Each trip was approximately 2 weeks away from home.  It was exhausting.  Eating on the road became gross.  We were sick 'n tired of flying,  hotels,  rental cars,  driving a lot,  restaurants,  take out meals, craved for delicious home cooked meals and the comforts of home.  We would come home with bad headaches or sickness.  There's no place like home sweet home.  I love my bed.  I love the convenience of being at home.  I don't have to travel far to swim in a hotel pool.  I have a pool and spa in my large backyard.  We have a large barbecue grill in our back yard.  If it's hot, I'll crank up the A/C.  If it's chilly, turn on the central heater. 

Traveling?  Meh. 🤔  Been there done that.  🙄

 

 

 

[DarkCh0c0]

3 hours ago, moodindigo91 said:

Preferring a strip club over traveling is an interesting perspective. You know, of course, there are strip clubs in other countries haha 

I thought the same thing.

Why not travel to LA and experience strip clubs there? There would be new people, different food and the nice sea.

It doesn't have to be a trip abroad.

[waffle]

On 10/29/2022 at 7:47 PM, Krombopulos said:

. . . I'd rather take the money that I'd spend on traveling and go to the strip club with it because I almost KNOW I'll have a good time. I just feel like the praise and validation I receive there is better than "seeing the world" or whatever it is people see in traveling

I don't know if you're simply saying that for shock value but . . . Vegas has quite a hooker./stripper scene so you could kill two birds with one stone.  Promoters used to stand out on the sidewalks and hand out flyers to passers-by.  Last time I was there (a little over six months ago) the Strip has been re-vamped and re-structured to the point where it's not as walkable anymore and consequently I didn't see any of that going on.  But you know it's still there.

[boltnrun]

38 minutes ago, waffle said:

Promoters used to stand out on the sidewalks and hand out flyers to passers-by. 

They didn't make it illegal to hand out the cards and flyers, but they started charging them with littering if the cards ended up on the ground. And since most people would simply drop them or let them fall it ended up costing the "promoters" more than they could earn. 

But the OP has an attachment to one stripper in particular. She isn't in Vegas.

[mylolita]

On 10/31/2022 at 4:00 PM, moodindigo91 said:

Preferring a strip club over traveling is an interesting perspective. You know, of course, there are strip clubs in other countries haha 

I agree that travel is expensive, and it can also be stressful sometimes. But you do get experiences and memories that you will cherish for a lifetime, which is not something you can really say about a strip club, imo. 

Either way, I can understand not wanting to travel. If that's the case, then just stick to your guns. Why do you need people to accept that about you? 

OP hasn’t been to the right strip club yet 😉

 

x

[WalterSobcha]

On 10/30/2022 at 1:47 AM, Krombopulos said:

I've never left my home state of Ohio. And everyone, everyone I tell this to is so shocked and always urging me to travel and see the world. I get it, see new places, interact with different cultures, try different foods etc but traveling is just so expensive I'd hate to spend all that money and not even have a good time. And here's where I really start to lose people, I'd rather take the money that I'd spend on traveling and go to the strip club with it because I almost KNOW I'll have a good time. I just feel like the praise and validation I receive there is better than "seeing the world" or whatever it is people see in traveling

It's fine if you don't enjoy travelling, but do try it before you assume it's not for you. You may be pleasantly surprised. 

[Cherylyn]

On 11/2/2022 at 4:12 PM, WalterSobcha said:

It's fine if you don't enjoy travelling, but do try it before you assume it's not for you. You may be pleasantly surprised. 

I agree, discover traveling and what it entails.  You will either enjoy it or think twice about it in the future.  Find out for yourself.  Then you will know.  🙂