To ask if anyone else doesn't see the appeal of "Travelling"

[LornaDuh]

So many on MN talk about doing lots of travelling in their 20s. Or their DC "going travelling."

Anyone else not see the appeal of backpacking round Asia sharing hostels with randoms and eating authentic street food?

I've worked abroad but that was an office job not picking fruit or working on a cattle ranch in Australia.

I love going on holiday but like coming home after a fortnight ... months on the road don't appeal.

Anyone else?

Yeah, people on Mn give the impression that as soon as you arrive in Paris you’ll be mugged by homeless people. It doesn’t mean that (a) they’re right or (b) you have to listen to them.

Not really, I will make the effort to go to concerts and stuff, but not sightseeing. I've always been like that, my parents used to take me on holiday and they'd go off walking and I'd just stay in the car half the time and sleep. Sad as that sounds! I didn't see the point.

I just assume the people doing backpacking are more extroverted, I could be wrong on that I just think the majority probably are.

I did go to Malta 10+ years ago with family and it turned out to be really nice, but I wouldn't have chosen to go, I'm not the sort of person that would just go somewhere without knowing there was something I wanted to see beforehand. But I am glad I went there.

Travelling broadens your outlook on life.
You weren't meant to stay in one place either.

@SanMarzano From the OP she seems to be more referring to staying in hostels and backpacking type thing which is more what I meant with the extroverts. I just know as an introvert when my friends who were more outgoing were doing that type of thing in their late teens/early 20s I had no interest. But yes you are right there are other types of travelling. And yeah I do have depression which probably doesn't help.

I've never understood the attraction of travelling either OP.
My idea of travelling involves a holiday with no washing up and total relaxation. 😄

I have loved travelling in recent years (since my kids grew-up and flew the nest), business class and 5* hotels make it lovely. I agree with you, but then I partied and slept on floors when I was a young adult, so I get why that cohort might like hostel travel. I also can’t see the attraction to holidaying in a tent 😳

Oh I'm sure there's plenty of interesting stuff out there, it's more a case of "you don't miss what you don't know" I suppose?

I’m quite introverted, but travelled solo most of the time, seldom shared a room, and only socialised if I felt like it or ran across people I liked. In fact, backpacking is an introvert’s dream in many ways — travel by yourself, consult no one, talk only if you feel like it, just move on if somewhere doesn’t grab you, or stay indefinitely if it does. I ended up spending time in a tiny Buddhist nunnery somewhere in the middle of nowhere in northern India. We couldn’t communicate but it was peaceful and beautiful (well, apart from the fleas), and the tiny sum I paid them for a room was probably useful, as they were pretty much a subsistence operation. I don’t think I said a word for days at a time.

Never appealed really .my ds has travelled widely though. I joke he's doing it for both of us! Am grounded due to cancer treatment atm .had days out and enjoyed them

See I couldn't do the travelling in my early 20s as had 2 young kids. Am now in my 50s and can probably appreciate it more than the youngsters although physically I'm unable to do some of the stuff they can.

I like hostels. There are many different types. Went away with my son for a month recently. Packed him off to a totally different style of hostel than what I chose for myself ( although he wasn't at a " party party " style one either ( rarely drinks) I prefer hostels as they tend to be more sociable. Seems the higher a hotel star rating the less friendly the guests are

And another advantage of going places like Asia etc is that it's cheap. I suppose I'd be considered piss poor in UK ( under 20k income);but in other countries I can afford stuff like massages, regular hairdo entry fees to places so get a better " lifestyle"

I kind of agree with this. In my late teens and early 20s I went on group holidays that invariably were very boozy party fest type affairs. Truth I did not really like those kind of trips and was kind of going with the flow and peer group pressure. One year I decided to spend a month on my own travelling around Morocco. Most of the time I was alone, outside of the cities there was no alcohol available, I trekked the Atlas mountains, went horse riding on the beaches in Essouraria, mooched around the desert in Erfound, marvelled at ancient Roman cities and visited amazing medinas and souks of Fes and Marrakesh. The trip really resonated with me and was a bit of turning point for me. I'm trying to avoid the cliche of 'finding ones self' but that is kind of what happened.

I did a bit of travelling when I was younger and had some fabulous experiences, but I came to realise that I am actually a bit of a home bird. I also love the UK and have had some really wonderful experiences in various parts of the UK. Ultimately, my favourite place to be is my home.

So many on MN talk about doing lots of travelling in their 20s. Or their DC "going travelling"

Anyone else not see the appeal of backpacking round Asia sharing hostels with randoms and eating authentic street food?

As a working class school-leaver in 1970 gap year-type travel just wasn't on my radar - we went straight to work and a couple went to a college for A-levels; those were our choices. I've travelled a lot since and worked abroad for two short stints but not interested in backpacking!

@Westfacing tbh I think the insights you get from working abroad will be far greater than any you might get backpacking with a bunch of other young people like yourself!

Sounds fabulous (apart from the fleas) 😀

Wow, were you not constantly harassed by local men being a woman alone in Morocco?

I agree that the UK has plenty of beautiful places too, and I have been trying to explore some recently. Train travel has become so expensive though!

I was harassed by men, mostly trying to sell me weed and dodgy guide services, but being a man myself I did not get the sexual harassment!

I have been to Morocco several times with my wife over the last twenty years or so, we love the place. Things were really bad (like Egypt) back then insofar as women getting cat called, groped or just followed by sleazy men. The Moroccan government then actually took on board the feedback from women travelers about how bad sexual harassment was and created a special tourist police force who actually have some bite. While things are not perfect it is by a magnitude a lot better for women these days in the main tourist areas then what it was. Interestingly shop keepers, hotel staff etc are a lot more aware of just how bad it is for tourism so come down hard on locals who they feel are spoiling their trade.

It wouldn't be okay for me. That is probably because my ex managed to ruin every holiday we ever went on.
I have always preferred home. I am much more relaxed then.

Nipsmum · Today 16:14
It wouldn't be okay for me. That is probably because my ex managed to ruin every holiday we ever went

That’s such a shame. How did he ruin the holidays?

Holidays? I live for them. Long holidays like 1-2 months staying in nice Air BnBs and hotels? I'd love to be able to afford that more often.

I saved my annual leave 3 years ago and went to Argentina for 4 weeks. It was incredible. By the last week, I was looking forward to my own bed however.

6 months backpacking? No. Didn't appeal to me when I was 20, doesn't appeal to me now.

Now, in my 40s, I wouldn’t want to. But I did this and loved it in my 20s!

Meeting new people is good but surely you meet a lot of bores and have to listen to them talk about their travels...
Made me laugh!
Yes you would need endless patience and some of thepeople you get stuck with in transport / places you stay, would be CHATTY.

That sort of thing is more up my street (not the fleas!) after I made the post I realised I wouldn't be averse to going on a spiritual retreat type thing in Hawaii or somewhere like your Buddhist nunnery. I'm sure there's lots to see that I would end up enjoying, it's just finding the energy to do it. Glad you were able to find that wonderful little place, really does sound awesome!

But if he's your ex, you could travel alone, and have a wonderful time, knowing no one has the power to ruin anything.