Never been abroad or on a plane at age 35!

[SalemShadow]

There was a woman on dinner date yest. She is 35, never been abroad or on on an aeroplane. She was telling her date he will have to take her on a holiday. Aibu to be completely shocked? I couldn't believe it. Seems a sheltered existence

I think it's pretty sheltered to be shocked that there are people who've reached that age without being on a plane or going abroad.

You will get a load of people coming on now saying you shouldn't go on a plane at all!

I don't think it's so shocking that she's never had a foreign holiday. Many people I know have UK based holidays every year.

You're easily shocked.

Im 44 and neither have i.
Parents couldn't afford it growing up and im not particularly wealthy now.
I'm quite happy going where we go for holidays.
I don't think i lead a sheltered existence thank you very much. I'm educated, have a good job, mix with a lot of varied and interesting people. Just haven't been a broad.
Never occurred to me id be judged for it

Was it here a reason why not? I mean, if she was telling the guy he would have to take her abroad, she presumably doesn’t have agoraphobia or a horror of flying..?

Was THERE, I meant.

I just found it shocking she wanted to go abroad but never got round to it by age 35!

Last year at 42 was my first holiday abroad.

Was okay but all a bit meh... Give me the wilds of the Scottish Highlands, the Welsh mountains, the peak District, wild coastlines any day

I would find it weird,yes. I know quite a few people in the sane situation, but they have all had what I would class as sheltered lives.

What is so shocking? I don't see how missing out on a cheap package holiday in Magaluf means having a sheltered existence. She might have explored the UK and done a lot more interesting things than people who go to the same holiday place every single year and believe they've "done a country" because they spent 5 nights stuck in a hotel somewhere.

It's surprising, my first flights were with school, but I am sure there are families who can't afford that, or refuse to spend money on school trips.

I like to travel, but I don't see anything shocking about not travelling.

I think you need to travel and experience different cultures. Couldn't imagine never doing that. She just said the furthest she had been was Devon but would love to go abroad so I assumed she hadn't been able to afford to go abroad

Yabu

I'm relieved people like this still exist tbh!

I don't go abroad and people are so fucking judgey about it.

I have been - parents took us - but I doubt I'll go again.

I hadn't by the age of 30 due to various factors. I really wanted to so I took myself on a very short journey from one UK airport to another because I was visiting friends and flying was cheaper than the train. I then flew to New York via Amsterdam and caught the bug so I now try and go away as much as possible. But if the UK could guarantee good weather I would equally be as happy to holiday in Wales or Scotland as we have some truly beautiful countryside in the UK

Anyway, I digress. As long as she is happy then that doesn't matter. Her carbon footprint will be lower too. But she should not expect someone else to "take her". This is not the 1950s and if she really wants to go she should organise it herself

Good for them v low carbon footprint but yes would find odd too

I'd think it's quite unusual but I fly 10-12 times a year and forget that's not the norm for most people

I first went on a plane at the age of 29, it was the first time we'd been able to afford it

"I think you need to travel and experience different cultures"

whatever that means.

my parents are from a different country and culture anyway so I get away from the judgey on that one!

My Dad went on his first plane and first trip outside the Country (ireland) aged 73. He went to Australia. No interest in going anywhere before but he wanted to meet my brothers children who were born there so he did.

I don’t think it’s weird, or sheltered. It’s expensive to go abroad. I first went on a foreign holiday when I was 21. My parents couldn’t afford it.
Where I live now many people would think this strange. People I know also can’t understand why I took driving lessons in my late twenties. Why didn’t I have them at 17 like them/ their children?
Perhaps they are the people who’ve led a sheltered life. Things have come too easy for them.

I'd have been the same OP. I'd be shocked if I was speaking to someone who'd never been abroad or on a plane. I remember a friend at school didn't go on a plane until she was 16 and that seemed crazy to everyone at the time. She soon realised what she'd been missing out on and now is one of the best travelled adults I know.
I do think people who've never experienced other cultures first hand are sheltered in some ways.

You can get to all sorts of places on ferry / train

Flying is not be all and end all

I've done
Ferry
Santander
Jersey
Guernsey
France

Train
France
Belgium
Italy
Austria
Germany

Probs more

Ferry to France /Spain is not expensive and if she's down south Plymouth is not too far

I mean there's loads. Ireland. Loads of my friends went to Ireland every summer on Ferry. Its not far.

Has she never been abroad or never been on a plane? Two different things.

I hadn't been in a plane or abroad until I was 32. Just couldn't afford it before. Not weird just circumstances I think!

I think you need to travel and experience different cultures.

for many people that means a package holiday in an all-inclusive resort, or a campsite among other brits, so it's all relative frankly.

Nuff "Things have come too easy for them" - yes, it is a very sheltered and well off life to think going abroad is essential.

I often think, how much spare cash is about to think that travelling is so vital as some people think?

I miss the days that you didn't get asked "where are you going on holiday" all the time.