To not be a 'holiday person'?

[GoldfinchFeather]

Totally appreciate I could be in the minority with this, but just curious if anyone else feels the same way towards holidays or if there's something wrong with me? 😆

So, the backstory is that this week I had two pieces of good financial news in one day. First, a letter from HMRC saying I'd paid too much tax and they owed me just over £600. The second, an email from my bank saying they were giving me £50.

I was telling a friend about this (not in a boastful way, just joking about how it must be my lucky day etc) and their comment was to me that I should treat myself to a holiday with it.

But the truth is that I haven't been on a 'proper' holiday (in terms of actually going away to another country) since before Covid. Truthfully, I don't really think I'm a 'holiday person'.

For a start, I'm single and of an age where we don't do family holidays anymore (early 30s), so in all likelihood I'd probably only end up going somewhere by myself. Which, if that's your thing, that's fine, but I can only imagine it must be quite lonely when you're in a foreign country.

Secondly, on times I have been away, I've always dreaded the 'going away' part. The faff of packing or going to an airport, then the torturously long journey just to get somewhere, only to do the same thing a few days later when coming home. Does anyone really enjoy that?

Finally, I'm very much a home bird and enjoy my home comforts. I seem to lack the wanderlust/itchy feet that most other people have. Seeing photos of the pyramids is enough for me to know they exist, I don't really feel the need to go see them myself.

Of course, you can never really say any of this to friends in real life, for worry they'll think you're odd/boring/unadventurous (so I'll probably get it in this thread instead). But does anyone else feel similar to me they they just can't be bothered with holidays?

YABU - you're a boring sod and really need to see more of the world
YANBU - you're right, and holidays are too much effort

I don’t think I can train it to Japan lol but train would be my preference for Europe if I travel there again. In my daydreams I’m so rich I can travel all over Europe on the Orient Express, sigh.

I think it depends what type of holiday for me now. There are no beach/hotel package holidays I want to go on anymore because I’ve done them to death. If I could go without flying I’d go to Japan and South Korea like a shot. The only more short haul place I’d like to go is Iceland (and possibly Slovenia) but I just can’t see me putting any time or effort into actually organising them, especially as I have a dog in double digits. Apart from Japan and South Korea I feel I’ve done all the big places. I’ve been to the US several times, Australia, India, the Caribbean, Singapore, Europe, the Middle East. It’s not a big deal if I don’t go to Japan. I can’t even be arsed to make the three hour train trip to London anymore, I think I’ve got too lazy really.

Absolutely up to you what you do with your time and money! I wasn’t a holiday person in my early 30s while single either. I didn’t want to go away alone and to be honest there wasn’t anything I needed a holiday from!

Now with 3 kids and a high stress job I absolutely need a break where I don’t have to clean, tidy, cook or work- and that’s not going to happen staying at home!

I feel the same, OP, but it’s a relatively recent thing and probably age-related. Nowadays I really dislike all the faff and hassle of airports, and won’t consider any long haul flight - especially if a lot of jet lag will be involved.

I’d still do a transatlantic flight to see a DSis, but other than that, no thanks. Dh and I have done a great deal of far-flung travel in the past anyway.
Luckily dh (who still has itchy feet) is happy to go anywhere on his own.
OTOH I’ll quite happily make the 7 hour journey to a BiL’s place in France - by car! No sodding airports!
And yet when (much) younger I found just being in an airport so exciting!

I think it’s fine to not be a holiday person it’s not like it affects me or anyone else. It’s only an issue if you get a home bod and a wanderer fall in love.

DH is the most travelled person I know and has been to at least 130 countries.
He did some very adventurous stuff when young like white water rapids in Canada, has a scar on his chin from that and canoeing down the Amazon. I didn’t travel like that when young, I was crashing motorbikes, climbing trees and jumping off cliffs in to the sea. We have both calmed down now. Not because we want go but at close to 60 if you break a bone it’s harder to heal.

We live near the Peak District as well @GoldfinchFeather and walked up Thorpe Cloud last week, we now have a Motorhome and hiked 7 miles a couple of days. So it’s adventures but more gentle ones. I would do anything to have my youthful energy back, gone are the days I could walk 20 miles and go scrambling up Winnats Pass.

YABU to not enjoy holidays. But other prone line me are also not being intestinal to really love them! We are all different.

I absolutely love being at home and am a real homebody. I love just pottering. However if I ever get so insular - and dare I say boring and set in my ways! - that I no longer enjoy holidays, somebody shoot me! 😂

I’m 58 and have travelled quite a bit. These days I can’t be bothered. We do have a campervan now and have booked a few short breaks but I’m pretty much done with airports. Life is too short for that hassle.

A long weekend in the UK is fine for us now. We have travelled a lot in years gone by, can’t be bothered now. I love getting away for a few days, but I love coming home!!!

Leaving a cod damp uk and stepping out of an airport in baking heat is a feeling that is hard to describe, like a weight lifted.

I use flight time to read, and can pack without too much stress.

But I don’t travel alone I have my H and teens, and we take loads of credit on cards just in case.

It's fine to be a homebird, whatever floats your boat. And you must save a fortune you can then invest in making your home even more lovely.

I can only imagine it must be quite lonely when you're in a foreign country.

Neah... I manage to keep busy doing activities I enjoy & people watching is fun. Do you feel lonely while in UK, since you live alone & just hang out alone at home so many hours? I literally feel trapped in my own home if I stay here too much. Routine = suffocating for me but fine if you feel routine = comforting. I can't find any enthusiasm for improving my house so I may as well spend money on travel which I am keen to do. Living alone drives me to do more travel than if I lived with others, btw. Organising holidays with children is huge Effort, that's a different category of travel.

The faff of packing or going to an airport, then the torturously long journey just to get somewhere, only to do the same thing a few days later when coming home.

Ok, you got me there, packing & planning & sleep deprivation are all total hassle!! But I get to know I went to Egypt or Africa or rural Spain or somesuch. Which is way cooooool...

I find the more you travel the easier it is. It’s a habit. When I had a couple of years over Covid of not flying, I forgot everything. It’s like a muscle that needs to be flexed regularly and then it’s second mature. I visualise the days and nights and pack fairly lightly. Travel in your heaviest stuff obvs. Make the journey part of the fun.
Choose your flight times wisely. I hate waking at 3 am for example to get to the airport and would rather pay more to fly later. Choose what makes it work for you.

Can't really relate, I love getting away. I don't really get packing stress and I like to get to the airport super early and just sit with a pint. But its your money so spend it on what you want.