To think that holidays are non essential?

[Silliantro]

The amount of whinging about missing out on holidays here and elsewhere has been shockingly irritating. Will missing out on a couple of trips to Megaluf/bland med cruises REALLY be the end of the world? It's such a shocking tone-deaf and privileged way to live your life.

Will staying at home and talking to your DC/learning a language/read a few books really be the end of the world? It's pretty grim absolutely NEED trips abroad or the seaside to to distract yourself from your own life.

Actually a week in a tent in devon saved my mh last year. I was very close to going off sick with anxiety and stress.

Being away is the only break I get. If I have time off work and I'm at home I have a to-do list as overwhelming as my work one.

So yes. Holiday essential for me. It's not overseas. It's not expensive. It involves a youth hostel or a tent in a field or a house swap. It could be next door. It just has to be not in my house.

@blowinahoolie

Nothing wrong with a trip to the seaside. I agree OP. Not necessary to travel abroad.

Can you tell me which seaside has got the big 5, glaciers , waterfalls , different cultures, water I can actually go in, and my family ? As there is none in this country.

@Chunkymenrock

I agree OP. The people whinging about holidays annoy me so much. I rarely go on holiday as I cannot afford it. It most certainly isn't the be all and end all. They come across as totally entitled brats.

Amd as you can’t afford it the rest should not have it. Wonder how many things you’ve that aren’t essential and yet you’ve them ... for example a phone and internet from which you’re typing on mn. Some people can’t afford it

@Silliantro

Um, I'm not saying never take holidays (I love holidays), but simply that they're not essential for your wellbeing. 1-2 years without a trip abroad from the pandemic shouldn't be a big deal and the whining about it has been off the charts. You know 80% of humanity manage fine without this extreme luxury?

If you need to holiday abroad to escape the brutal grind of your daily existence, you're really doing your life wrong. What's more grim than viewing your everyday life as something to endure with the desperate hope that a holiday will make you feel joy again?

Social interaction and family relationships are arguably essential. I think that this year has proved that we suffer as humans in the absence of those we are close to. Its particularly apparent in the deterioration of those in care homes. No amount of zoom is a substitute for this. In the past being exiled from your community was used as a punishment. Shunning is used as a punishment in some religious communities to this day.

We live in a reality where we often live in different parts of the world to our friends and family.

I think it enormously narrowminded and ignorant to say:
If you need to holiday abroad to escape the brutal grind of your daily existence, you're really doing your life wrong. What's more grim than viewing your everyday life as something to endure with the desperate hope that a holiday will make you feel joy again?

Its out of touch with the reality of many.

Many will go on holiday to reengage with loved ones. A holiday isn't about relaxing for a great number of people.

The 'daily grind' of my life is pretty damn good actually. But I very much want to maintain a full relationship with certain people in my life. Its very hard to do with certain people even with technology; particularly young children and older adults.

Its a luxury but i think travel is generally essential to good international relationships and diplomacy and it fosters better understanding. We are at a funny point in the uk history where this is important to us. It is a more global world than ever before and this is more important than its ever been before. Isolationism was possible a couple of hundred years ago. WwI ended that reality. Even in the past without cheap, quick travel we still had a lot of travel which fed back into trade and diplomacy. We need to appreciate why its important and why technology has its limitations.

Global travel got us into the mess of covid, however global pandemics existed before quick and cheap travel because there was still enough movement of people. It was still vastly important and essential.

What you class as a holiday seems to be limited to sitting on beaches.

I view holidays as everything from working holidays abroad, voluntary work, visiting family, educational trips, reconnecting with family roots/history, forming new lasting friendships etc as well as sitting on a fucking beach to escape the daily grind. A holiday isnt necessarily sitting on your arse. These things aren't straight up work nor trade so aren't 'essential' in the short term sense but are in the medium to long term to the well being of individuals and countries. And not just on economic grounds through pure tourism.

The UK is supposedly a global hub. So what the fuck are we if no one can move in or out?

@TastefulLiving

and for some of us who have a 'brutal daily grind' we simply do not have the luxury of choosing to change it.

Sorry OP. I am usually very interested in how others think (which is why I like MN), but you are close minded and smug and also quite arrogant to think that you have the key to life and how to live it. You may be fortunate to have agency over your own life and choices but many many many do not.

This is pretty weak and I don't buy it. If you're jetting off regularly to "broaden your mind" and "experience other cultures" (read: get hammered and embarrass yourself trying to speak Thai), you've got considerable economic agency to mitigate the actual roots of your dissatisfaction.

Also, I love traveling and don't think it should be banned....

This is pretty weak and I don't buy it. If you're jetting off regularly to "broaden your mind" and "experience other cultures" (read: get hammered and embarrass yourself trying to speak Thai), you've got considerable economic agency to mitigate the actual roots of your dissatisfaction.

Also, I love traveling and don't think it should be banned....

I can assure you that when I go abroad, I don't "get hammered and embarrass myself trying to speak Thai". What an utterly ridiculous and small minded thing to say!

Also what's the difference between your "travelling", (which is apparently okay) and going "on holiday", (which, according to you, is grim)? Your snobby hypocrisy is hilarious!

No, if you read my previous post i am jetting off to see my family who live abroad and to provide my disabled child with the opportunity to keep up his relations with his extended family.

Plenty of others on this thread have given snippets about their lives. What I am saying is that by telling people that if they have a daily grind of life then they are doing life wrong is smug. Those who have caring duties do find it a daily grind. Those stuck in dead end jobs because they have to put food on the table is a daily grind. begrudging them their annual holiday is a bit ... ungenerous of spirit.

And FWIW I spent 2 years living and working in Thailand and certainly never got hammered and embarrassed myself trying to speak it.

But tbh I think you are being deliberately obtuse and goady.

I think it’s obvious that the OP lives on a very different planet to the majority of people!

I’m not big on holidays, I like being at home with all my “stuff” and my house/bed/bath are all pretty impressive and I’d need to go somewhere mega luxurious for it to be better than what I’ve got at home.

Also I don’t think holidays with kids are relaxing. I will wait til they’re grown up then me and DH will go on holiday and really enjoy ourselves

economic agency

You still don't get it, do you? It's not all about money. It's much more complex than that. I feel sorry for you.

@Silliantro speak for yourself. Just because you embarrass yourself trying to speak languages you don’t understand doesn’t mean we the rest do

So you love holidays and they shouldn’t be banned. Then what’s the point of your post. Trying to show us how amazing life you’ve and how crap our lives are because we want to travel?

And a holiday in the UK isn’t a real holiday IMO.

@PanamaPattie

Holidays are not essential. Most people if they are honest, don’t really enjoy them.

Really? I doubt that very much.

@isadorapolly

And a holiday in the UK isn’t a real holiday IMO.

Poor you.

Poor me? Why?

@isadorapolly

And a holiday in the UK isn’t a real holiday IMO.

How so?

And just shows how people are jealous of other’s Luxuries and throw tantrums because they can’t/don’t want to have them hence think if they don’t have it the rest shouldn’t have it neither
Interesting assumption in response to my post and very wrong!

I am one of those people who can afford and benefit from amazing holidays and weekends away, about 3 or 4 times a year if not more.

I appreciate that all of it is a huge luxury, not an entitlement and giving it up for another year if it means that we are more likely to get rid of the worse of Covid and avoid further lockdown is more than worthwhile. I miss my holidays, I miss not seeing my family abroad but I accept it and don't see myself hard done by because of it, even working FT as a key worker from the start.

[quote EasterIssland]@Silliantro speak for yourself. Just because you embarrass yourself trying to speak languages you don’t understand doesn’t mean we the rest do

So you love holidays and they shouldn’t be banned. Then what’s the point of your post. Trying to show us how amazing life you’ve and how crap our lives are because we want to travel?[/quote]
There are some real reading comprehension issues at play here. The point is that holidays can be great, but not essential. You should be able to deal without them for a couple of years without complaining to all and sundry.

There are a vast number of ultra virtuous posters here whose desperately need to get for family/other tear inducing reasons, but this obviously doesn't reflect 90% of holiday travel.

OP you should use Lockdown to work on your manners above all else.

I think the one with the comprehension issues is you. You are so sure that your right your unwilling to take a step back and read what others have said.

Your comments on people’s life and the assertion that because people can afford holidays abroad they must have an easy life in general are nothing short of disgusting.

There are a vast number of ultra virtuous posters here whose desperately need to get for family/other tear inducing reasons

Wow - what a nasty, nasty comment.

There are some real reading comprehension issues at play here

Yes, there clearly are. Mostly from you though.

@isadorapolly

Poor me? Why?

Very closed mind

How depressing. The world is so big why wouldn’t you want to, if you could afford it, see more of it? I went years without travelling as had no money, and now I have money again, going places on holiday is wonderful. Different people, different cultures. Life is too short, and the world too big to dismiss holidays as not essential.

I find listening to people whinging that holidays are unnecessary boring. Holidays mean different things to different people. So they're not particularly important to you op - great we get it, good for you. They are to some people and that's OK.