To feel that people who constantly travel are just running from their problems?

[BluntGoldPoster]

Frequent travellers act as if they’re enlightened, but is it just escapism? AIBU to think it’s more about avoiding real-life issues?

People have all sorts of reasons to travel and escapism is definitely one but most people know that's temporary.
You can't avoid issues at home. There are still bills to pay and people you live with that you may need to deal with.

But why would you see travel as any kind of escape from reality? I've realised from frequent Mn threads over the last few months that a significant proportion of Mners absolutely loathe leaving home, even overnight, loathe holidays even when they're in pleasant places with nice accommodation, because they hate packing, planning, travelling to the airport, and being in an unfamiliar place without their familiar surroundings, routines and creature comforts. They view the world as something to escape from, but the world is whatever is out there, and the 'escape' is inside their own homes and routines.

Personally, I love seeing new places, learning about a new culture, a new language, and I've lived longterm in five different countries. I don't think that makes me in any way escapist, it just makes me someone who likes to experience the kind of expanded reality that comes with seeing how different cultures do things, finding my way, whether that's figuring out the trains in south India, or camping on an island off the west coast of Ireland with no one but seals and sheep around.

This too. (DH just arrived in Riyadh for work, but his luggage stayed in Istanbul, unfortunately...)

What real life issues are people who travel a lot avoiding?

I have noticed a very weird obsession on MN when it comes to everyone following the same path and 'settling down'. Anyone that chooses something different is automatically wrong.

We go on holiday (abroad) about 3 times a year, we could go more (as financially we can afford it) however there is always some things that needs to be done at home, which can’t be done during the working week/weekends as life with kids is busy. And yes I see some of our friends ‘escaping’ on multiple holidays as they can’t face life at home, their houses are a mess, finances are a state, and their kids are barely thriving in anything at school. So yes OP I agree with you.

I've had five holidays this year, three of those have been short trips and we've done the jobs we should be doing before we go.
We genuinely enjoy travelling and that's what we enjoy spending our money on

I think if you live and work in a different country it’s different, you are actually participating in a new culture and not being a forever tourist.

I did the whole travelling thing in my 20s, kept thinking about planning the next place on the list. Until it got to the point I realised I was being this sort of passive consumer. I was going to watch other people doing and building stuff without doing and building anything myself.

I wasn’t trekking undiscovered jungle, I was going to the same places and getting the same pictures as everyone else. Everyone gains status by talking about all their travels. Now I’m not really fussed by travel and if I do it’s to places that I know people who can show me around.

I think that with climate change and over tourism, tourism is going to become passé. Much like adopting poor foreign children or teenagers volunteering to dig a well in Uganda.

Erm no, just living our best lives.

YABU. That's a very cynical perspective and too much of a sweeping generalisation to hold much water.

Other people in other countries/cultures lives are reality? Do you think only your little corner of the globe is 'real' and authentic? What a strange view. I am most 'real' when travelling - spending time with my family sharing experiences. Your post is very odd.

YABU - the people I know who travel most frequently are very organised and have no problems to run away from.

What do you mean by "realities"? Is everyone supposed to be stuck at home in a 3-bed semi with a couple of kids? Why is that lifestyle any more real than anything else?

The only reality I want to escape is the Scottish weather. What's so wrong with that?

When I travel I’m often running away from the weather and from work. But it’s more about running to beautiful places and enriching experiences. How odd to think this is a bad thing.

Are you jealous? I know I can be jealous of people travelling all the time. I wish I had the money and the freedom!

All life is reality. How sad to think that only the drudgery is real and everything else is escapism.

We retired early and travel about 6 months of the year. Sometimes it's in the UK. Other times it's abroad, different countries, different people, culture and food. Sometimes it's weekends other times a week or 6 weeks. Not escaping anything happy to be home, happy to travel. It's why we retired to take advantage of such opportunities.

I'm not sure why you would think we are running away from anything. Feel free to ask questions if that would help clarify (or not) your opinion.

Well, I've done both. In some cases, I went somewhere for a holiday, decided I liked it, and decided to see if I could find a way of living there via working or studying. I originally came to the UK as a tourist, for instance, and decided to apply to postgraduate degrees in England, and stayed on to live for years -- my son is London-born. I don't think it's an either/or situation. The world is a big place. Why would you restrict yourself to whatever small bit you happen to have been born in?

I think that's fair.

I think it's one of the best ways to spend money , why buy fancy things that are meaningless when you can travel the world . I think anyone that travels a lot has the right idea they are living and experiencing new things where as someone else might be buying a nice handbag and spending money on a night out or a spa day ... I know which I would rather . Cant afford either but if I could 😂

I think I know what you mean…when I was (much) younger, I planned gap years abroad and longer backpacking holidays because I couldn’t quite work out life and hadn’t really found happiness or my path yet. But I guess it’s different for those who just enjoy frequent weekends away or short-ish trips.

No I don't think so. Sime people are naturally more adventurous, restless, curious about the world.

As PP have suggested, this comes across as being about a specific person..

Someone you are jealous of perhaps?

I do see where you’re coming from and don’t think it’s as preposterous as some others here seem to!

’where ever you go, there you are.’ I think there are many who don’t realise this and do ‘travel’ to escape. Others might also move jobs, move cities, move friend groups, relationships etc. in a pattern.

I think that staying in one tiny place for most of the year is bad for your mental health.

There is a big world on there.

I don't see it as going on holiday. I see it as seeing the world. Which is normal