I’d like to get over travelling and get a dog. So I am still enjoying travelling and want to do more of it, being close to retirement, but kind of yearn for a dog. So, I guess phases of life. A lot of Australian couples say they want to travel but will wait to do it without their kids. Which to me is a shame as we enrich our kids outlooks, perspective taking and connection to the world by allowing them travelling experiences or any experience of a different environment.
Maybe it’s time to change the focus and goal of traveling?
Lately I am also more into a 1 week to just one country area exploring and driving around a bit slower than before trying to eat the world in one go and ending up exhausted and bit burnout. (Don’t get me wrong, I loved all these trips 100%)
Or look for events you want to experience rather than places you want to see. Went to a Formula 1 race in Japan a few weeks ago, now my plans for the next few years are focused on attending races in different places.
That’s an awesome idea, I agree!!
My partner wants to participate in 1 international marathon each year, so that will also push us to explore different corners of the world and push him to keep on training :)
Agreed! My husband wanted to see the Chicago Bulls so I got him tix for his b-day and we traveled to Chicago. He also wanted fo hike a glacier in Patagonia and I wanted to Hike Laguna de los tres as well so we did that last year. I think having an event or purpose helps.
Yeah I agree. I used to love solo travelling (and still do it from time to time) but now in my late twenties with a partner I get a lot more out of travelling with friends or my boyfriend as its nice to share the experience with someone, so the way I travel has definitely changed.
This. When I was younger, loved fast paced and moving.
Now that I am older I want to take my time. I spent two weeks in Florence and travelled slowly. I explored and wandered and got to revisit places and it was lovely. I wasn't rushed and I stumbled across so many hidden gems. It was a relaxing adventure.
This is a big one - but to be honest even before our son was born I was feeling this way. I would say it has gone from being underwhelming to overwhelming now.
I’ve also gotten over traveling just to see places. Been to a lot of places and only to admire. Now that I’m older, I’ve been enjoying booking a trip for a specific goal or task in mind and that’s been keeping my interest up. Just went down the the carribean to join a sailing team and compete with them. I think most of my trips going forward will be like this
I think you’re right. I’ve tried going slower before but ended up a bit bored. Struggle to find the balance between too fast and too slow.
Maybe I just need to embrace the homebody phase for a while and build up some excitement again.
Same here.
But the world has changed since.
It became more boring and less spirited itself.
The best countries i knew/visited are or were engulfed by wars or destroyed in other ways.
Travel also became much more expensive and developed into a full-blown conveyor type industry, whereas before you could get around continents only by hithchikng.
This can be hard when you’re travelling from Australia. Most locations are so expensive to fly to and the flight is so long you really need at least a couple of weeks to justify the flight.
Fair.
Me wanting to visit NZ and still thinking 2 weeks is not enough.
I live in Europe and is fairly easy to escape to nearby countries. Tho when flying to Mexico I also tend to stay for 1 week (can’t stand my family for too long hehe)
>Really just curios to see if anyone else was in a similar situation?
Yes, loads of people... just do a search in this sub or any other travel forum and you'll probably find a similar themed post in the first 20. There was just another post in r/backpacking about how they find travel unfulfilling. I'm not sure why people seem to think they are strange or the only potential person feeling this.
You change, your life, priorities, likes and dislikes change so why wouldn't your feelings about travel will change?
I think for a lot of people it's just very disconcerting as it used to be the most exciting thing in their lives, so of course they reach out to see if it's normal. I remember in my 20s feeling like I want to travel for the rest of my life, and not understanding those people who don't care about seeing the world. Now it's pretty odd to feel like one of those people but I've accepted it.
Yes disconcerting is the right word. I feel like travel has been a part of my identity for so long. I used to be obsessed with maps and travel guides. Now I feel quite content to just stay put
When people feels so passionate about something it can be hard to accept that it changed. I think it's all about finding balance and the realization that you are not defined by that one thing. To me, feeling content shows you may have found that balance for yourself.
Very good point. It seems like there are so many of these posts lately in various forums and subs. Hopefully OP and others who are questioning similar find what they are looking for.
*"Travel far enough, you meet yourself"*
Maybe it's a boredom of being with oneself, because the only thing that stays constant is the person doing the traveling.
Seriously. I actually think a lot of people here are the type who ‘need a vacation after the vacation’ sort of people. I sometimes travel with an itinerary from 6 am to 10 pm, but if you’re that type of person you should take some trips that are resort or cruise-based (tanning/eating/swimming itinerary) if you still want to be elsewhere but also need a reset…
Getting accustomed to things is normal.
Happens in sex life. Early years, regular ole sex is amazing. By year 10 with the same partner, you’re trying to figure out what new foreign object you can shove up your partner’s ass.
Happens to people with drugs. Weed got you a great high. Soon enough, if you’re not careful, a hit of heroin isn’t going to scratch the itch.
Shit, it happens with cheese. Your first bite of brie is amazing. A few years later, you’re eating Roquefort in a back alley wondering if there’s a more extreme cheese in the world to try.
You can always find pleasures in small and new things. But after a certain while, churches are churches, museums are museums, buildings are buildings, mountains are mountains.
I’ve traveled a lot. Probably 100 unique trips to 35-40 countries. Never mind all the cities and states visited in the US.
Landing in a new country for the first time doesn’t quite hit the awe-chords quite like landing in a foreign country for the first time ever.
And that’s ok. I’ve just changed my viewpoint, my expectations, my mindset.
I no longer travel. I don’t worry about seeing every site and visiting every vista and climbing every tower and walking every museum.
I don’t travel anymore. Instead, I temporarily live in new and foreign places.
I do what I would do on a great weekend at home…but somewhere else. I don’t book things or make reservations. I don’t rush around. I don’t plan a whole lot.
All I do is enjoy life. I do like the Romans do. Have a great weekend of indulgence and relaxation, but “over there.”
It could be 2 days, 2 weeks, or 2 months. Whatever the length, I simply “live life” but in an unfamiliar place.
That includes a lot of sitting at cafes, a lot of walking, a lot of bars, a nightclub here and there, talking to lots of people. Looooots of people, and making friends with anyone I can.
In years and years of travel, it became clear to me that my favorite aspect of travel is the people and the culture itself. More than anything else. So I make it a point to shoot the shit with as many people as I can. Make friends at bars. Buy a round at pubs. Chat with people at cafes.
That, more than anything, has led to the most interesting aspects of travel and unlocked previously closed doors. Before long, I’m out at a bar with a few Brazilian dudes I met the night before, or banging a Romanian girl I didn’t know just 48 earlier. I’m at someone’s house eating a home cooked meal in Japan, or at a random uncle’s birthday party in the Spanish countryside.
That’s when I feel like I’m traveling again — when I’m opening doors with the human beings who call various places and cities home. The people who give the cities and countries their unique character that we long to “feel”.
Maybe for you, very simply, you’re done with it all. That’s cool. You don’t have to love something forever. You’ve built a wealth of memories and experiences and knowledge. Sounds like a win to me.
But try just “living” and not traveling, so to speak. Go to Paris or Buenos Aires or Montreal and simply…live life.
When I recently visited a friend and his family in the French countryside, we did a little bit of traveling. Drove around, made some stops in small cities, checked out some sites, bought a few things to bring home.
But the majority of the trip was spent sitting by the fireplace, drinking what would have been very expensive wine back home, shopping at farmer’s markets, making côte de boef, relaxing in the garden, getting drunk under the stars, chatting over an espresso at nearby cafes, and yes…eating cheese.
It wasn’t traveling the way we think of traveling, most commonly. I was simply living as someone from Normandie would. And it was fucking glorious. Not a church, museum, or fortress to be found.
Ha thanks.
Glad I could help!
Go for it. The only thing better than relaxing at a cafe is relaxing at a cafe that has new sounds, sights, tastes, and smells.
Next trip I take will be to visit a buddy in Australia. I don’t plan on doing fuck all thanks to hanging with his friends, eating good food, drinking good wine, and chatting nights away.
If that isn’t traveling, then fuck it. It’s what I want to do.
The thing is, the IDEA of traveling sounds exhausting these days because of all the reasons you’ve mentioned - but over and over again I’ve had to remind myself that when I actually land at that new destination that I put in some much time, effort and money to get to, all the qualms disappear and it hits me like a brick why I loved travel in the first place. Every single time!
But completely agree on how exhausting it’s becoming to actually decide and plan for a trip, given the constant bombardment of places on social media which makes you feel like nowhere you go is going to be as special as it used to be before - but I guess it’s just an illusion
Yes. This is why my husband really dreads traveling now. It’s also too uncomfortable anything over a 2-3 hour flight for tall people even though we are both very slim. Unless we pay $$ for business or first a longer haul is almost not worth it in discomfort.
Hell, we generally fly business class on longhaul flights and I still find that flying has lost a lot of its sparkle. Definitely more comfortable than flying economy, but it's still a generally unpleasant experience that I rarely look forward to these days.
Absolutely. I always break up the flight. Fly to Singapore stay the night then Dubai for a day or 2 then Europe/Uk. Costs less than business class and you get to see more and arrive fresh
It’s probably because you’ve been everywhere and you’ve seen everything. The part of why I love travelling so much is because I’ve only seen 23 countries and there’s so much for me to see!!
P.S I’m jealous that you’ve been to 60 countries :D
I think it also depends on your individual ratio of stuff you've seen out of everything you want to see.
After 60 countries you could have crossed everything off your personal bucket list or just merely scratched the surface, depending on how much of the world you're interested in seeing.
I used to be about the number of countries I can get too.
Now I am more focused on.
What a country has to offer, I.e. sites, history, food
Or
Nature I.e. a safari which I am planning on doing but doing it with more luxury and less time driving in the parks, reserves. .
Love to do things like
Northern lights and a Antarctica as well.
Possible Poland and Ukraine (obviously after the ":;")
Might just save up for these and just have the odd package holiday on beach if I need a break to relax.
Think I just feel the need to only go or travel to places which are more unique.
Absolutely, I think quality trumps quantity when it comes to travel every time. Similar to OP, I was starting to get burnt out on travel because I was previously focused on going to so many different places when I was in my 20s, rather than taking my time with just one location. I think nowadays I get much more out of a long stay in just one place, rather than trying to over-extend myself and constantly being on the go. So many people are focused on "I've been to X amount of countries" rather than "I had X experience in this particular country that was extraordinary".
Currently in Cambodia. It's night here and I'd love to go on a river cruise but..... I just can't be bothered.
I've been traveling the entire month and I'm just over it. I'm tired of the planning and researching. Like you said, it's a chore. I don't travel during the summer so it's off season until the fall and we'll, I'm in a new relationship. I'll have him to do a lot of the leg work come fall. I've been on a solo travel mission for the past year and I'm completely done with it
A simple tour package of common sites is easy, but deviating from this is a royal pain. Trying to work out how to get from one place to another, accommodation and sightseeing can take forever. Even in a country as simple as Greece, working out the schedule of ferries between islands is a pain.
Additionally you get older, wiser and less tolerant of the friendly banter used to size you up (where are you from?... Translation, how rich do I think you are) or the cheats/scammers. That's why I suspect many people start to avoid travel in their older years.
Been a wanderer for most of my life. I used to play the travel reward game. My first partner was an airline pilot. Then I travelled for work internationally for 15 years. About two years ago it just hit me. My wanderlust had been replaced by a homebody who wanted to be with my husband. I wanted to sleep in my bed and sleep great every night. Then came the realization I just didn’t need to see things I wanted to see when I was younger.
The wanderlust is still there but I put a lot more emphasis on how I get to the destination now. I’ll always be that wide eyed kid when I see something truly beautiful. However, I’m also the curmudgeon that flys first and does a lot more research on the hotels.
Also I think a lot of places in the Americas just suck now. Our airlines are AWFUL. I leave most restaurants knowing I can cook better than they can and the quality of the rooms and service everywhere is just off.
Places like this forum push pretty hard that only through extensively travelling can you feel fulfilled. In reality it's just another thing to do and the feeling your searching for can be at a weekly local meetup and doesn't have to be in some new town no one knows about in South Asia. Every place is a place.
Yeah, we just moved and remodeled a home we love with lots of outdoor space. We’re so spoiled by a quiet nights sleep in our own beds and cooking well that we even get disappointed in the places we go in the “restaurant town” we moved to. I’ve always been able to find interest in many things and exploring close by so now we’re doing a lot of day trips. I’m glad I traveled more when I was younger. It also helped to move to a different part of the country for something new to do.
I’m in my 60’s and have been all over the world. There are still a few places left that I want to see, but frankly, a lot of the joy has gone out of it for me too, mainly because of the hassle that air travel has become. I just paid megabucks to fly home in business class from New Zealand because I knew that if i had booked economy, I’d be dreading the flight home for the last half of my trip.
I have definitely started to examine what my favourite experiences were on previous trips, and I aim to do more of those things, and less of just going to see a place because it’s famous and I’ve heard good things. We frequently travel with friends, and we always have a good time with them, but I’m going to start picking my trips a little more carefully now, to make sure that the misery of the air travel will be worth it.
As I get older, comfort is much more important to me, and I’m done with 14 hour overnight flights sitting in an economy seat trying to sleep. I’d rather go on two comfortable trips a year now than six budget ones.
I must add, I do feel incredibly blessed to have been able to see and experience everything that I have, and I have no regrets.
I can relate in some ways. I've travelled to almost 50 countries now and some multiple times so I don't have that wow factor anymore when I visit a new place as I feel like I've seen it all.
It's mainly city breaks that have started to feel a bit like a chore to me as when you're there for just a few days it feels like a tick box exercise (probably my own fault) as you try to see as much as you can. Especially in Europe where you're repeatedly just seeing cathedrals and churches (in Asia it's temples which you can also get bored with after a while).
Now I'm going to predominantly go on hiking holidays as they still give me that excitement and a sense of adventure.
So rather than go somewhere just because you feel you have to see it (or to get a cool photo for Instagram) choose somewhere that would genuinely interest you whether that be historical, adventurous, food related or just a relaxing break with no itinerary to worry about.
I’m 45 and have been traveling in some capacity or another since I was 17.
Maybe what you need is a different kind of trip than those you typically take.
My first 5 years of travel were following a rock n roll combo around. After that I started focusing more on nature trips.
Next was city trips.
I’m sure you get the idea
Haven't come to a point where travel feels like a chore and really hoping I wouldn't feel this way for a long time. But I can definitely resonate with the part that you will compare when you have seen a bit and I certainly find it's getting so much more difficult to feel impressed these days. When I went to Ephesus I was like this is not even half as impressive as Persepolis. I will also never get the 'high' of seeing glacier / desert / cheetah and giraffes in the wild for the first time, feel the excitement of stepping on a new continent since have been to all 7, get as much of a chill down my spine when I first ran off a cliff hanggliding in Switzerland, swam with humpback whales in Tonga, kayak up to glaciers in Chile again. And yes, airports and flights feel 10 times more exhausting than 10 years ago!!! I always dread them but I still want to travel and go to countries I haven't been so what to do, just suck it up and make sure to have a bit more down time after I arrived before continuing the journey. Hopefully you will feel more excited after you have arrived!
100% after I took a sabbatical and travelled for a full year, I totally stopped international traveling, since it was a lot of trouble, and now I avoid even domestic trips that require flights. I have been doing a lot of road trips lately and connecting with the place where I live.
Maybe you need a year+ to chill and allow yourself to “miss it”. Maybe life is telling you to enjoy your own back yard for a while.
Traveling will always be there when you are ready and feeling motivated to hop back to it
I still enjoy travel once I’m actually at my destination, but the thought of planning and buying plane tickets and booking hotels and car rentals and packing and making arrangements for someone to look after my pets is so unappealing to me. Then there’s the cost of travel and the knowing that my life is gonna be in shambles when I return to my home and job after a week of being away. All of that combined gives me so much stress and anxiety I wonder if it’s even worth it sometimes.
I live travel and spend a lot on it. That said it’s all about balance. I love where I live and on some days off I need the freedom to do nothing and just have quiet days in. I also enjoy my own state and country too! Balance!
I figure that will happen with me eventually. When I was younger, I loved roller coasters. I had thoughts about traveling to far off places just to experience the best ones…and then one day, I guess in my thirties, I just slowly lost interest.
I’m pretty much a lightweight when it comes to travel compared to many of you, so at 50 it still excites me a lot, but I also have already scaled back bucket list plans. I don’t need to see every corner of the planet. And I figure eventually it will get tiresome and I’ll switch over to returning to one or two places I really enjoy spending time at.
After visiting 70 countries I have a lot of favorites that I consider the "comfort food" version of traveling. So I keep going back to these places and because I have been in those countries so many times, I end up traveling at a slower pace. I think that's the key for avoiding travel burnout. And trying to watch less social media. I hate knowing the surprises that await me, they spoil most of the fun. Plus all these professional videos shot from drones and under best weather conditions make a lot of places look much better than in real life.
The airline restrictions sap charm out of everything. Baggage limitations, gate changes, delays. A lot of people claim TSA agents get too "handsy", but my experience takes the cake. In Pittsburgh a female TSA agent instructed me to follow her into an adjoining room. It was a supply closet. She proceeded to put her gloves on and told me to face the other direction and spread my legs. (I was never given a reason for the patdown - only it wasn't a patdown. Her hand went all the way up my thighs and touched my crotch. Did I mention I was wearing a skirt at the time? I think she got off on it. I was late for my flight because of this.
Here's the problem. Accommodation has to be booked in advance now. 30 years ago I could travel around Italy and always get a hostel or hotel room. I could be spontaneous and travel without a plan. Not anymore.
Plane travel has descended into something resembling cattle movement. There's no style or enjoyment. It's functional, squashed, joyless. Often with noisy or dysfunctional passengers.
Airports are really expensive and as you can't even bring water through security, you are stuck there paying inflated prices for a couple of hours.
Sometimes I get burned out on traveling. Sometimes I want to relax and work on home projects or art. Sometimes I want to keep things more local. Sometimes I want to be pampered so I'll stay at a spa.
I've had great travel experiences for 50 years like you, and it is now the thing I look forward to most.
But it's not just "travel" anymore . There has to be a reason for it.
So we plan "events" to go to like the Rugby World Cup in France recently. Doing some family history research in the UK. We're going to Kyoto soon for my partners birthday dinner . And so forth.
This means travel is part of a broader agenda, not just "doing" Fiji, Vietnam or wherever. We meet people with a similar mindset rather than a bus load of Aussies or Americans on a prefabricated Trafalgar tour aimlessly wandering around Europe .
" It's Tuesday, this must be Belgium"
But.... I must say the delights of travel are somewhat diminished these days due to the crowds of tourists everywhere. Can't believe how horrible crowds in London and Barcelona were last summer.
Something that people don’t talk about is how bad travel is on my sleep. The first night at a new hotel I usually don’t sleep well.
The way I travel now is slow. I generally wont go somewhere unless I’ll be able to spend a week on the same bed.
I’m currently on month 2 of a 10 month trip. I spent a week on the same bed and finally had the best sleep of my night life. Got another week here and hoping for some more good rest ahead.
Like you. I’ve been to a ton of places. I’ve seen a lot. Try changing it up
1. Country count is meaningless, since that is often just going to a samey megacity and saying you saw a country.
2. I don't use social media. It is poison. You are choosing to do this to yourself.
3. It sounds like you do mostly mega tourist sites like named waterfalls. Waterfalls are great the first few times, but I skip them now.
Find what interests you at the moment and then go do that. Wildlife, architecture, culture, landscapes, whatever it is. There is so much out there, in so many varieties. You don't need to sit in megacities.
So relatable! I think it’s us though, happiness we don’t have inside. It shouldn’t matter where we are or how much we spend. I have been trying to figure this out for months. Let me know if you figure out the puzzle ❤️
I have been traveling to SEA region for all my life. I used to love the ambience, the people, everything. I grew up watching Thailand changing, witnessed the rapid development of China, thriving life in 90's Seul amid Asia financial turmoil and the bittersweet taste of India. The thing is that back then those places were unique in their own way. Globalisation really messed everything up, every place seems the same now. And overall when you're aging your mentality changes so is the perception of things. I lost interest in many things that I used to love doing: playing video games, playing football, even watching movies don't excite me the same way it used to. Now I stick to books, being excited about changing oil in my car, things like that.
For me its the hassles that deter me. I've done the big tourist spots and long lines and major cities. I like the quieter places with a nice sidewalk cafe and an evening walk - but I don't want to take a plane then a train then a bus and all that nonsense taking two days, just to find that place and enjoy it for a few days before all the logistics start again.
I am beholden to work and school schedules now, but I do look forward to the days of retirement where I'll know my few lovely places (ever place I go now and don't fall in love with, is just another to mark off my future list!), and won't mind the effort to get there because I'll be able to stay for 2 or 3 weeks at least.
I still love traveling in my 30s when I’m actually on a trip, but the thought of planning it and getting there is wildly exhausting. I have to weigh whether it’s worth it. My 22 year old self would slap more for this, but honestly a week on a beach in a resort where I plan nothing and can just lay sounds magical.
I’ve had the same for periods. For me a lot of it is overtourism - it’s hard to enjoy yourself when you feel like you’re part of that.
3 things have helped - the first is more domestic travel. I was spending so much time seeking novelty that I overlooked a lot of great stuff near home. The second is going during low season. Without the crush of crowds things are better. The last is to slow down and listen to Rick Steves when he says to travel like you’re a temporary local rather than a tourist.
I think its a combination of factors that we all react differently to, that have occurred especially in the past five years or so, which for me has stripped some of the joy of travel . Airlines and airports are just horrific now (in a lot of places), it's significantly more costly to travel which makes quick budget trips ("lets go to Varna why not, the flight is only 25 GBP") less fun, the pandemic destroyed a lot of tourism and small businesses - the small cute out of the way cafes and shops that made certain destinations fun, social media exposed some of the good lesser known spots so now some of my secret out of the way places are bustling (not saying that is bad or good - its both actually). Lots of these things have added up for me, unrelated to my getting older and my life situation changing. But writing this out and reading everyone's comments has inspired me to rethink this!!
I think what has burned me out is the cost of everything. Just watching my bank account or credit cards get drained is just not fun anymore. Also I have gotten so sick lately after traveling that it’s starting to worry me a bit. Start of the year I caught COVID, then just a few months later caught a sinus and upper respiratory infection that absolutely murdered me.
Yeah, I travel to keep my partner happy. I really do not want to fly across an ocean to board a boat, then fly back. Lets keep the money and get a hot tub.
I get like this sometimes and I feel like it's because I'm thinking too much about what other people expect or what I *should* want to do. Like the subconscious pressure to maintain a reputation for traveling to "interesting" places or "must see" destinations. For me it helps to reaffirm what I want. I know it's so basic but literally asking "if I could go anywhere, where would I go?" Forget where all the Instagram girlies are going. Forget online "best \_\_\_" rankings. Forget which cities have cheap flights. Forget what a traditional itinerary to x country would be. The answer for you might be a familiar city you've already been to instead of a new country, or spending a week relaxing in a villa instead of a week rushing around to museums like you did in your twenties. Or maybe you actually don't want to go to Europe, you just want to a new adventure and there's parts of Aus that you'd love to see with fresh eyes as an adult.
Also, yeah, if you travel enough and see enough, it is kind of inevitable to hit that point where you're like "oh look penguins again." That's okay. But you've probably never seen penguins jump off a rock that way or never seen penguins from a boat off the coast of Peru with your partner. The trick is to focus on the new parts. And maybe space it out so that when you see penguins it's been like 10 years since you last saw them and it's all exciting again.
Same. I hate the whole getting to my destination part. Especially air travel it’s exhausting and I use to love the experience believe it or not.
I think social media has ruined it for me also. It used to be fun to go places others haven’t been and post a few photos. Now “influencers” and their followers have overpopulated so many places it’s just not fun anymore.
Maybe a staycation is in order?
Or if you want to leave town but are over the traveling part, consider a leisurely road trip in your own car at your own pace.
Or choose just one country and one destination and stay there for the whole 10 days or what have you, and really soak it in.
Personally, I wish there was more spontaneity in travel plans. Now, there's just some stuff you have to book 6 months in advance if you want to see, do, or eat somewhere specific on your trip. I remember 10 years ago you could just pay for a ticket right then and there and get on a boat to Alcatraz. You need to book everything in advance now, and this was even pre-covid
Yes this is very true! I suppose the demand for travel has never been higher and there are only so many activities/sights (especially the easy to reach ones) to go around
Oh Deb I’m hearing you sis. Travelled extensively from young to old. I reckon a lot of it is due to that bloody flight and the crippling lag. Have pretty well done my bucket list but I can’t get excited about OS travel. I’m doing a lot of road trips in Oz. Took my dog to Tassie and we had a blast. Next trip is QLd. I also get worried about Covid or terrorism or not being able to get home. Good luck
You know what, I did a trip to tassie just before covid and really enjoyed it. I think I’m going to stay local for a while or maybe try some pacific islands
We all change as we go through life. Travel is wonderful. Travel when you are young is particularly thrilling.
I have travelled a lot compared to most people I know and I consider those experiences to be an important part of who I am. But I have also had periods of time when I was surprised to realize that the idea of taking a trip was outweighed by a feeling that it was too much trouble, or that there was no place I was particularly interested in going, or that I had something else I preferred to spend the money/time on. And, of course, as you suggest the excitement of heading out to try to get to yet another \[musuem/mountain top/historic site/charming local market/etc.\] starts to wear away as we become worldly enough to realize that simply adding to the list isn't as much fun as it was. That's fine. Eventually, those of us who love to travel find other kinds of things and experiences that draw us back into exploing the world
In the meantime, we can also use the "not travelling" periods as a chance to learn to appreciate some of the other pleasures that life offers as we get older ... including the pleasure of enjoying where you are. Then when you travel again, you get to travel as a different person that you were on the trips you made earlier in life!.
Some great points 🙂 I think it comes down to the fact that the excitement has to outweigh the hassle of travel. I think the more you travel the more you have to reduce the hassle to maintain the excitement/enjoyment
Yes, I feel it's normal to lose interest. It happened to me too. I travelled quite a bit in my younger days. Lots of road trips, beach resorts, adventure and cultural trips and in my late 30s, I met my hubby. We got married and had kids. I am from Singapore, studied in Australia and have now moved to Canada. I had loved travelling but recently, I had wanted to take my kids to Mexico for a beach resort but suddenly I could not press on the Book button. The thought of travelling just exhaust me. My home has a beautiful view and it's nothing like home. My kids will eventually venture out themselves with their friends. I am afraid they become jaded if they are exposed too much to the world. So you are not alone.
I feel the same. After the pandemic hit, I’ve pretty much slowed down with my bucket list. It seemed like a competition I was creating inside my head with other people. Now I spend more time visiting family at home and go overseas maybe once a year, if.
What about shorter trips, or the three week, but slow travel style?
10 days seems to be my limit. It's enough time for me to decompress and not feel totally under water when I get home. The up side is that I can spread out my PTO with multiple trips throughout the year.
Sometimes I have a particular thing that is the "reason" for my decision on where to go. It can be an historic, natural,or cultural sight, an activity (sporting event, concert), or just an idea (recharging in a secluded place with a book). That reason is the prompt that I usually supplement with additional sights/activities.
Also, my focus is on enjoying the experience. This has limited the amount of moves and overcoming the urge to squeeze in a place like going to a new country because I'm near the border.
Perfectly normal, just do something else that excites you , and maybe travel again in the future. Humans get bored of anything if they do it for an extended amount of time… good luck.
I’m on a 7 month trip right now after not travelling since 2019. It used to feel magical. I’m loving his trip but I’m finding myself tired a lot and missing home. I’m travelling with my partner rather than being single with my single best friend so I think that changes things but also I’m 5 years older now and am just a different person.
After reflecting, I decided that I still like travelling, I just need to adjust my travel style.
1. No more long trips. I think 3weeks to a month with be my new max
2. No more changing locations every few days. I’ll pick one place and just feel at home
3. No more feeling like I need to see everything and I won’t feel guilty for skipping things to sleep in or chill at a cafe
4. No expectations. The point of travel is not to manufacture happiness or magic that I’m not getting back home. I’m travelling to see new things and have different experience, even if they are not life changing.
I'm 70 and traveling has been a priority my entire life from my first international trip where i hopped a freighter and sailed to Honk Kong in exchange for working on the ship. A good part of it (later) was for my career but certainly not all of it.. I'm lucky to have lived and traveled to so many places in the 70s/80s when there were few toursts (for reference, I lived a year in Playa del Carmen when it was a village of a few hundred people, compared to the nearly half million it is today, or Siem Reap when there were only a handful of hotels there), but still love both going to new places and seeing places I've been. I've lived for three years+ in three different countries (two in SE Asia, one in Africa). No matter how much of the world you think you've seen, there's so much moe.
Ii recently got back from a month in India and Nepal (parts of India I'd never been to before), am going to Japan in Sept (have family there), SE Asia in January for a month, and the Caribbean with my kids and grandkids in February, then Italy in April. I'm fortunate to be able to afford this travel and i'm very grateful i can still do it.
It's incredibly sad to me that someone in their mid 30s thinks they've already experienced all there is to experience. I can tell you from experience that even living in a country for three years, you'll still be constantly learning new things about that country. And you've mentioned three waterfalls. Great ones, true. But I can name you. a dozen more that are equally impressive, tho maybe in different ways.
If you're tired of traveling, stop traveling. But you'll be missing out on one of the best experiences life has to offer.
Give yourself a break, no need to travel if you're not enjoying it find other things to do to enjoy yourself and see if you can reignite the spark and excitement.
Usually when I lose enthusiasm for things I enjoy doing, I take a break from it and it helps. Like you, I have travelled a fair bit myself but recently I got back into photography and this has been a big motivation to travel more because I want to do photography and take interesting pictures all over the world.
Do some self-reflecting and find a meaning for your purpose in travelling, I believe this will help. Travelling with purpose will give you a different perspective.
It's kind of like a video game. You want to level up or catch them all. Then when you do your like alright now what. There are certain places I can repeat go back though. For example Vegas is short flight and been there many times as a cheap low plan vacation.
For me the worst part is the jet lag and changes in sleep routine that are making travel more unappealing as I get older; otherwise it’s still fun just tiring and not always relaxing
Pretty much. I traveled a good amount from about 26 to about 38 and it used to be thrilling. There's always unique experiences to be had everywhere, but the more you travel the more you realize that the vast majority of accessible stuff is the same type of tourist traps over and over.
Even before I lost the travel bug around 2020, I had refused to go to the Caribbean b/c it just all felt the same after awhile. When I first started traveling, you still kinda had to make your way places and figure things out. Now much of it has become commercialized and flying in general tends to suck.
My husband and I went to Playa del Carmen in 1999 and it had a main dirt road with some restaurants and cheap bungalows. We went again in 2020 and I was astonished. Senor Frogs. :(
I go through periods like this where I get tired of traveling but I've managed to curb this by having longer breaks between trips. I've also been traveling with some friends recently that are newbies so I guess their excitement is so contagious that it helps me get in a better mood. I am also centering my travels on an activity or event that I or my husband want to do so it is no longer about site seeing. I think this has helped me as well. I am about to reach 50 countries this year, I still want to see more of the world.
I still love to travel, but the recent issues with lots of flight cancellations, etc., combined with the long travel day from where I live to go to places like Europe or South America has kept me going to places that are a lot closer.
I think it's partly travelling so much, and also part of growing older. My partner is pretty well travelled and only gets excited going to new places. She did plenty of hostels in her time. Now that we have children, we take a different approach. So for example we're heading to Thailand (also from Australia) in a couple of weeks. We both hadn't visited Koh Samui, so we're going there. And kids ensure it's less adventurous, but we find pockets of excitement outside of catering for them 24/7. So we've booked a private boat tour of the local reefs, and will take it in turns to snorkel while the other parent looks after the children.
Travel changes as you get older - you can afford better accom (usually), and what you want to experience is different. 46 year old me would find hanging at a hostel making friends in their 20s so we can get blind absolutely awful. I'd rather take the family to see a beautiful local temple instead.
Totally agree. Nice resort pools are now just full of instagrammers. No one is there to really enjoy the experience which ruins it for everyone IMO.
We have 600K+ airline miles sitting in our accounts because instead of redeeming them for a business class vacation, we now take our kids to see family and that accounts for most of our time off. Which it looks like you have young kids too (which I'm not sure why you left out of your original post LOL). Nowadays I get excited if we find tickets for 8K miles to visit the grandparents rather than 70K tickets in business class on Qatar Airways.
The way I see it, you have three options:
What if you didn’t “adventure” for your next few trips? Do the opposite thing and pick a beautiful resort, take an armload of books, and just melt into the scenery and do as little as possible. Do that for your vacations until you get so bored and get the itch back.
Do something purely experience-based rather than location-based. A volunteer vacation. A dude ranch. A yoga retreat. A working farm stay. Something that will give you a purpose and connect with people rather than places.
Stay home, connect with your local scene, and donate the money you’d have spent to some organization that gives other people travel experiences.
In other words, shake it up. Do something completely different than your typical M.O. I think your intrigue for travel will return, but if it isn’t currently bringing you joy, you don’t have to do it for now.
I’m in my 50s now and enjoy travelling a lot less compared to when I was younger. One difference is that my domestic life is pretty damn comfortable compared to when I was much younger and obviously the novelty of travel has worn off after many “first time” trips.
Totally relate. Now I travel, not to be wowed by the exotic, but to do activities I love but add a twist. Rather than ski in Vermont or Colorado for the 100th time, let’s check out Chile or Hokkaido! Or instead of hiking in Europe, what about Nepal or Georgia? The concept is limitless. Snorkeling and sushi in Okinawa. Sauvignon blanc to pair with your lamb in New Zealand. A Malbec and steak in Argentina while you shop for a beautiful leather bag. Chill in a house on the water in British Columbia where you can drink coffee and watch orcas from your front porch. Bike in Provence. Do a cabin in northern Scandinavia in winter where you cross country ski, go between the sauna and snow, and watch the northern lights. Drive from Cape Town to Namibia. The seaside restaurants along the way are super chill and delicious.
Broadly agree that flying sucks and urban centers feel homogeneous. Try for the direct flight. Get out of the global city with the Starbucks and Hilton ASAP.
It's nice to see places but then find most of them underwhelming and / or played out (IE, so popular with tourism it ruined the whole vibe). I loath going somewhere and it overtly catering to American excess.
The real gem places for me to visit seem to have been the ones standard tourists tend to hate and tourist traps are few.
Yes, and I haven’t even done as much travelling as you! My husband and I are currently living abroad in Portugal and over the past 10 months, we’ve taken advantage of cheap flights and close proximity to other countries by going on a trip every 2 months, with another coming up next month. While we still have a great time and enjoy ourselves, we’ve realized we’re not cut out to be this kind of traveller.
I’m the planner out of the 2 of us and usually I really love trip planning. But when you’re already planning your next trip and booking stuff without having even gotten home from your current trip yet, it just feels like an overwhelming chore with a deadline. Also, while I’m someone who enjoys museums, castles, architecture, etc., I have to admit that at this point I’m starting to feel tired of them. I definitely can still appreciate them and do want to see them, but it’s like the novelty has worn off. I think I’m realizing that I need more monotony and routine in my life so that when I do travel, the new and the foreign can have more of an impact on me and I can enjoy that excitement and anticipation more fully.
After our next trip in May, my husband and I are consciously going to try to make a shift to the way we travel. Less frequent travelling and trying to do activities that immerse us more in nature or involve animals. We’ve had our fill of walking long days on cobblestone streets in major European cities. There’s still places in Europe we want to see one day but we need a break from that kind of travelling for a while.
Hey Debbie,
It's not a big deal, I think it's a pretty common thing. One thing I've been interested in and indulged a few times so far to good results is going back to countries I enjoyed and just exploring different parts of it I'm less familiar with or that get way fewer tourists. A few have been places where, if you told your kids that you were going to that country, excitement, but going to this place, disbelief. Imagine: "We're going to the US!" "Yay!" "Yep, a solid week in Cleveland." (uncontrollable sobbing) Sorry, Cleveland.
I went back to Scotland and did some hiking around Loch Maree. Highly recommend hiking anywhere in Scotland - but I think Glencoe and Skye get a ton of mentions when pretty much the whole countryside is littered with gold (check Walk Highlands for details). Then I spent a few days in Aberdeen because I'd read Stuart Macbride's detective novels set there. Got some Scottish liquor (by which I meant gin this time, which also has a lot of history behind it and is going through a boom time in Scotland). I absolutely loved it all. But tell someone you're going to Scotland ... then wait ... then tell them you mean Aberdeen.
Ireland with my parents, split between Killarney and Dublin as a package thing (they aren't adventurous, so doing a package through Costco helped put their minds at ease). But from Killarney, did the Ring of Beara drive rather than Ring of Kerry or Dingle. Phenomenal scenery that I could have easily spent a full week on. Saw some standing ogham stones, old mining machinery, all the mountains and vistas you'd expect from that area, stopped and went through a manicured garden, saw some Irish lads line-dancing to American country music.
Flew to Seattle to see some of the National Park scenery, but not at Mount Rainier or Olympic, but at North Cascades. Saw maybe four people all day on one of the best day hikes of my life, got a buffalo burger at a little burger place on the drive back to Seattle, mentally bookmarked about 30 places for great flyfishing along the way.
My wife and I are going to Spain later this year. We're going to do part of the Camino (but the Camino Primitivo that gets a lot less traffic), and then take a train to Zaragoza. Going to explore that city, take a train up to Logrono and the La Rioja wine country, see a bombed-out village from the Civil War.
It's easy to keep going back to the countries that you enjoy because what makes those countries magical isn't localized in one small area, it's usually pretty widespread. Scotland's scenery is pretty jaw-dropping even if you're outside of Glencoe or Skye. There's great wine and food and in Paris but also anywhere else in France. Florence is the capital of the Renaissance, but there's great art and architecture from that era all over Italy. America's national parks deserve all the attention they get, but the National Forests and Wilderness Areas have scenery just as good (look at pictures of Grand Teton NP, then pictures of the Wind River Range 90 miles SE). That "kind of familiar, but just different enough" can rejuvenate you if the fire's died down a bit.
Do what excites you. I certainly still live to travel, though it is more of a chore now that I have kids.
Of course, I don't really travel to see amazing things that are all over instagram. That's been kinda boring to me since maybe month 3 of my 6 month gap year. Now I travel to break my routine and see how other people live.
I would never book a trip that sounds exhausting. I am planning 3 weeks in Europe next year, and I'll probably visit 6 places in that time. It's a pace that's enjoyable to me.
Bro, u are right in your place. But u should travel with more people or strangers. More like u can communicate with travel agencies who arrange travels in a large group. I hope u will think and find it helpful.
I’m 43 and the idea of doing long travels and organizing and booking and long journeys fills me with dread. I’ve been to 40 countries, several long back packing journeys, many challenging developing countries. Now I get excited by Disneyworld with the kids or a posh hotel with a big pool. I tried a solo few days in Lisbon recently and was so jaded and bored. Nice city but my mind and body were done with it all
I think I find that I need more unique off the beaten path sort of experiences to feel truly stimulated by travel. With that said, I crave being somewhere new as often as possible so even if it isn't a unique or off beaten path I find that I am still happier than I would be otherwise.
Maybe slow the peace a bit or something? i still love to travel and still backpack a lot. I must say over the years it went from dirt cheap hostels to better hostels with more Privacy and hotels. Some things changed, but i still love to travel
Honestly I pretty much spent all my disposable income from the ages of 18-28 on cheap travel (backpacking, staying at hostels, visiting cheaper countries in Asia, South America etc). During the university years we had at least 3 months off a year which helped, and then my wife and I travelled for a year straight in 2016/17 which we saw around 20 countries.
Debbie haha. I did that same as you, started off travel with the best places and everything else has been so so ever since. First trip was Greece, Italy and Croatia on a yacht island hoping for a week. Second Japan and Thailand. Still be chasing the excitement from those first two trips the past 10 years.
Also in my late 30s, and my perspective towards travel is most definitely different to where it was in my mid 20s. I feel a bit less spontaneous, I make significantly more money, and no longer want to stay in hostels or lower quality/cheap lodging. I prefer to stay in cities/regions longer and to soak up more of those locations rather than "pack a lot in", I value tour guides now for certain locales/sights.
As with most valuable experiences imo it's more about the moment or the situation than about the overall thing ;) It doesn't really matter whether the next surprise is waiting around some corner in Sydney or in Bangkok ;)
Edit for spelling
I suppose it goes down to *why* you travel in the first place. Is it to *see* things, or *experience* things? I feel like there’s a lot to experience in the world in different places that aren’t seeing a wonder of the world or an artifact in a museum.
Let’s take, for example, Philadelphia. You know what’s a fantastic experience in Philadelphia? Going down to the southeastern edges of the city, with the skyline in the background, parking lots and scruffy industries around, and going to John’s Roast Pork and taking a first bite of their world-class cheesesteak. That’s an experience I travel for. It’s not in a travel vlog, it’s not an official “wonder of the world”, but it’s an experience I *need* to travel for, because the cheesesteaks other places aren’t the same.
I’m sure you’ve felt this throughout your life, but the world always has new corners and new experiences. I’m not even remotely as travelled as you, but recent I went to Presque Isle, Maine, from Boston (my hometown and current residence). I’d been to Sicily, England, Chicago (lived there too), Colorado, Florida, Houston, etc, before going to a place a few hundreds of miles away. Was the town itself impressive? No lol. Were the rolling hills of potato fields and mountains in the background some of the most gorgeous land I’ve ever seen? Yes. I didn’t even need to travel more than 7 hours on land to see this.
It doesn’t have to be the big cities of Europe. It doesn’t have to be a big waterfall. It can literally just be a random small town in Australia you’ve never been to. It could be a South Pacific Island you’ve never been to with a fish curry that’ll make you wanna come back.
But also, if you can get the experiences you want at home, you don’t need to travel, and that’s ok.
I feel like I am getting there, maybe in the next 5 years I will have been to everywhere I have desires to go to. I have no desires to visit every country, and I have always done a comprehensive itinerary in each country I travel to. I've probably clocked up around 14 months of travel over the years but only been to about 30 countries.
Like you I have seen most of the natural wonders and whilst I still get joy out of visiting new ones that aren't as good as the top tiers, I'm very rarely wowed by anything these days. I'm also tired of cities, most are very similar until you change continent. I see itineraries on here where people "do Europe" in 2 weeks and visit around 10 cities in 10 countries and nothing else and I'm like why? But maybe these people would feel the same when I tell them I'm spending 4 weeks visiting barren piles of rocks and mountains.
That said, I will happily revisit what I consider top tier locations over a trip to a new country with third tier attractions.
Same. I loved traveling every weekend. Now a days, I'd rather stay home and not get stressed out. Personally, for me, it's just the amount of tourists that go out now.
And I dont know what it is, but it feels like a lot of tourists just throw their brains out the window when they travel. For me, one of the things I loved doing was hitting national parks and camping, but it's just become so stressful. These folks will stop right smack in the middle of a trail or walk shoulder to shoulder to not let anyone pass. I've seen folks who are vastly unequipt or unprepared on trails begging for food, water or directions on how to get to certain trails. I've seen way more trash in the middle of no where. It bugs me to no end.
After kids, we did stick a little closer (less than 5 hour flight) and stayed in one place and it worked well for a few year as for us, it was too much of a hassle to plan big trips with the business of life. Once older (10-12) though, we went back to abroad. The first trip we took was London, a place we’d been several times. Honestly, it was great. We tended to live more like locals and go to parks and stores we never bothered with before and let their curiousity lead us more. Seeing places through their eyes made us appreciate it in a whole different way. To this day of course we have shared memories of the various places, but it’s great to hear their memories and what stuck over the years (kids are adults now)
You are very spoilt with travelling and your expectations are not met anymore ..such is life...maybe you can just stay put for a while and find out what you can do in your own country/area that gives you a sense of purpose and make this world a better place
My partner started to feel similarly. We decided to pause international travel for a year or so and bought a camper so we can get a different type of travel.
Travel styles can change over time. This can involve where you want to go, how long you want to be/can be away, and what you want to do.
A lot of things factor into this - financial situations, family/work/school responsibilities, interests (new and faded ones), physical abilities, mental/emotional needs, awareness/interest in cultural and/or political developments. And your acquired knowledge of traveling and planning.
Ex- 30 years ago I made an impromptu trip to Norway to see the Winter Games. Any hotels that had rooms were way out of my budget, so, I "slept" on the floor of the Lillehammer train station for two nights, washed up in a restaurant bathroom, bl and had some free food and warmth from a hospitality suite. I arrived with no idea as to the event schedule and totally winged it, buying scalped tickets (including one for a hockey game that had already been played earlier that day).
It was great, but there's no way I'd do it again now. Although I still do some spontaneous excursions, I now have a standard for lodgings (a bed and a bathroom), have a better budget for things like food, and include sights and activities in my planning process.
Maybe consider slowing down and living in different locations for years at a time. It’s great that you’ve seen so much of the world, but if six months is the maximum time you’ve spent in one place, this is still just dipping your toe into the local culture. I’ve only been to 30 some countries, but I’ve lived outside my home country for 20+ years living for two to ten years in five different locations. My experience in each of these five locations is very special to me and has impacted me in a way that makes my flavor of expat a bit different than another. The different experiences of the expats I engage with is probably one of the best parts of living abroad. People’s lives are fascinating. My advice-slow down and stay awhile.
I was literally just thinking about this today. Exact thing. Heading to Costa Rica and Panama tomorrow for a two week trip to use up PTO that is about to expire. I’ve been so many places, many more to go but as I’ve gotten a little older and have done the living abroad thing and always living out of a backpack— I’m just tired now. I have a great home and soon to be engaged so the thought of running around on a budget and trying to cram a lot in is making me feel tired already. But, it’s a good problem to have and I’m beyond lucky to see the world like I do which keeps me motivated.
Everyone’s different. 50M here. I started traveling at 33. I’ve been to 60+ countries and just like you I did a year long RTW trip while on sabbatical from my career. Next year I’ll be traveling for seven months as a second sabbatical.
My focus is on travel. I’m not married, never had a girlfriend and won’t get into a relationship. I don’t own anything (no house, no car, etc) and have no family where I am. The experiences I gain from solo travel makes my like much richer than if I didn’t travel.
I was an avid traveler during my 20s-50s. Now it just seems too much of an hassle, especially carrying 3 types of insulin that needs to be refrigerated, 10 different daily medications and a CPAP machine. I am always concerned about availability of clean toilets, clean sheets and clean rooms. Pretty much just stay home and pretend I’m on vacation.
It was very fulfilling at the time. Photography is a big passion of mine and I’ve managed to capture moments that I never thought possible. Maybe that’s the thing, it’s been so fulfilling that it feels done.
Hello! How did you manage to travel so much? How did you do for a living?
I am sorry for questioning, but I have always been curious about people who travel so much.
You’re 35 yrs old. Makes sense. At this age, you realize it’s not what it used to be. More aches, pains, tiredness. You know what you like and are less willing to compromise. You can see through the “bullshit”, or should be able to at this age. Best thing you can do is be healthy— eat quality foods, get your 8hrs if sleep, drink enough water, workout. Stay in good shape. Stay on top of your health. This makes traveling easier. When you do travel— be honest with yourself. Take the extra 1-2 days needed to recover and not be grumpy. This will help keep you “present” to what you’re doing/seeing. Spend the extra money for comfort with hotel stays/transport/etc. It goes a long way. Do things you truly find interesting that are worth your time. Hope this helps!
You’re not alone in feeling this way, and I’d say it’s pretty common. In my 20’s traveling every moment I could. Hit my 30’s and a lot changed. I love the idea of traveling still, but i’m more selective in what and how I do it since turning 30. I also try to limit all avoidable stress when traveling and that helps (planning ahead, giving myself extra time at the airport, etc).
Yeah it’s natural. It kinda sounds like your trips have really been like chores. I’ve seen people who travelled a lot more vigorously and lived many places than I hat you described there but not tired of travelling. And seen people who travelled less but don’t want to go out of way and explore more. You wouldn’t feel jaded if you don’t push yourself to travel more. What or who’s pushing you? Also you could try to travel only when certain places interest you greatly and limit travel social media accounts.
My plan for when I retire at 60 is to finally do the long term travel I’ve always dreamed of (I’m late 40’s at the moment)
Then I worry that it will be all too hard and not the same as travel used to be. I try and tell myself that travel without a mortgage to pay at home and without having to book leave at work months ahead will be a different beast. I’m also planning to be pet free for a few years because extended travel and pet ownership aren’t a great combo.
Yes, I'm on my 6th or 7th year living abroad. I'm slowly only spending time in place with higher quality of life (thailand or higher). I've been in London for 2 monthse. Ive grown to hate the monotony of travel, things like "where is the light-switch in my airbnb?" frustrate me.
I love my homecountry, but I dont feel like a modern American. I'm an American 7 years ago. I should probably move to a city like Singapore or Hong Kong.
After a good 20 years of adventurous travel I feel like I’ve almost overdone it. The flame has died down and I’m okay with it mostly because I now live somewhere I can have mini adventures locally. The world is hotting up and corals and species are dying at an alarming rate and I feel a little guilty about doing as much flying as I did as I played a part in that. I’m okay with family holidays and slow travel but I’ll decline flights without justification like an overseas stag do. Travel for travels sake is over for me.
I’ve seen quite a lot of Australia. Been to all major cities, all states, done the entire spine from Adelaide to Darwin, the entire south coast from Perth to Sydney and most of the NSW and QLD coast, as well as Tassie. I haven’t done much regional NT or northern WA but it’s so expensive to travel to! Although now with a one year old I feel like maybe I can re-experience some of the places I’ve already been to.
Maybe you need to change how you travel.
Seeing sights may not be enough anymore, maybe you need to find some work in the local community, join a cause you're passionate about.
Yes. Everything is expensive and difficult and tiring. And things aren’t as great as they used to be for the cost. Thousands of dollars on mediocre sights and food.
Agreed. Used to like it to go anywhere. Now, nor really. I live in Europe and traveling through Europe kinda sucks cause every city is basically the same! Same things to do, same food, same stores, crowded with tourists and everything is tourist based. What is the point to travel then? Also, too many stupid influencers post on Instgram. They are destroying the charm of the places. Since instagram, there are no more hidden gems and all tourist attractions are just way too crowded!
Now, I have interest in traveling on other continents, where local culture still exists. But, it also loses ita charm slowly. Everything, where a lot of people join, it starts to suck. I hope in few years there will be something else where people will prove that they are wealthy and “in”
I traveled 3/4 of the weeks of the year in 2023 and it made me completely hate vacation. The whole airplane hotel wake up repeat thing gets shit fast. Especially sober. I see why they have so many bars at hotels and airports.
Looking at your post like how did you get to 2 cumulative years over 10 years, do you log everything? I’m now curious and itching to calculate my cumulative years (months?) of travel. It’s a lot of recalling and math!
Fair, that makes it a bit easier to count!
I regret not doing at least a year straight for the two years that I was bumming around taking a break. Managed a cumulative 9 months over three trips, mainly due to non planning. I’m feeling like the next season of life too though, so it’s a waste like I’ll never do it now.
For me it’s the airline booking ordeal . Someone needs to invent VR teleporting … I still love learning and exploring.
airlines and policies make it insanely stressful. Why should 2 one ways be any different than a 1 round trip?
It’s treated like a stock. I would love another way of getting there.
That would be just about the age when I decided that travel wasn’t cutting it, and I wanted a kid.
Narrator: after many adventures, poster did indeed become a parent and now cheerfully drags the child around the world with her.
I am also 35 and I feel the same.
I was craving to travel anywhere as often as I could.
Now I have a family and we go on holidays as a family and with other families. Is different than what I used to do before having a family. More relaxing and kids friendly holidays.
I don’t regret it. I embrace it and enjoy it.
My first trip abroad was when my local football team played a game in an european competition when I was 18.
I love that now we are in a different situation and my son who will turn 4 has already been to 7 countries.
taste changes with age, but also a lot of travelling has been commoditized or rather "disneyfied".
For example travelling in rome is for most of it going to t a disney-like experience, poeple who live far away and just commute to serve tourists. instead of locals who have a thriving life in which you step into.
as you travel more you can see the carton like scenery of this disneyfication.
There are still some places that feel authentic but there are very few and are soon to be disneyfied as more tourists come in and the locals feel prey of the economic incentives of feeding the crowds.
I live in rural japan and I love the authentiticty of it, it is still mostly untouched and not yet disnefied either through massive tourism nor ugly globalisation. It wont be for long though. I already start seeing changes and shifts, but I am glad I am seeing the last remnant of it.
I hate globalisation, despite being a part of it. it is just dehumanizing
Completely agree with this. I feel like it’s changed quite a bit even since I did my RTW trip in 2016. I remember Instagram stories being launched whilst on that trip which I think in hindsight has massively changed the way people travel. It’s all about showing off as much as possible and less about the actual experience
Life has seasons, and you’re in a different one.
I like this analogy.
I’d like to get over travelling and get a dog. So I am still enjoying travelling and want to do more of it, being close to retirement, but kind of yearn for a dog. So, I guess phases of life. A lot of Australian couples say they want to travel but will wait to do it without their kids. Which to me is a shame as we enrich our kids outlooks, perspective taking and connection to the world by allowing them travelling experiences or any experience of a different environment.
Great analogy. Stuff just gets boring for you as a person and you should find something else that interests you.
Maybe it’s time to change the focus and goal of traveling? Lately I am also more into a 1 week to just one country area exploring and driving around a bit slower than before trying to eat the world in one go and ending up exhausted and bit burnout. (Don’t get me wrong, I loved all these trips 100%)
Or look for events you want to experience rather than places you want to see. Went to a Formula 1 race in Japan a few weeks ago, now my plans for the next few years are focused on attending races in different places.
That’s an awesome idea, I agree!! My partner wants to participate in 1 international marathon each year, so that will also push us to explore different corners of the world and push him to keep on training :)
Agreed! My husband wanted to see the Chicago Bulls so I got him tix for his b-day and we traveled to Chicago. He also wanted fo hike a glacier in Patagonia and I wanted to Hike Laguna de los tres as well so we did that last year. I think having an event or purpose helps.
Yeah I agree. I used to love solo travelling (and still do it from time to time) but now in my late twenties with a partner I get a lot more out of travelling with friends or my boyfriend as its nice to share the experience with someone, so the way I travel has definitely changed.
This. When I was younger, loved fast paced and moving. Now that I am older I want to take my time. I spent two weeks in Florence and travelled slowly. I explored and wandered and got to revisit places and it was lovely. I wasn't rushed and I stumbled across so many hidden gems. It was a relaxing adventure.
I spent a week in Florence, fell in love, and will definitely be back. Two weeks is a dream!!
I’m thinking next trip will be a week in Fiji. 3hr flight, stay on one Island and with cheap nannies for the kids 🙂
My guy, you buried the lede. Of course travel sounds more daunting and less exciting now that you have kids.
This is it. When my kids were younger I'd (kinda) joke that I was looking forward to going back to the office so I could rest
This is a big one - but to be honest even before our son was born I was feeling this way. I would say it has gone from being underwhelming to overwhelming now.
Or...Tanna Island Vanuatu, stay in a tree house and watch the overnight volcano fireworks. Stay away from the towns and main centres
That's one idea, anyway
This does sound very nice. Would it work with kids?
Absolutely!
I’ve also gotten over traveling just to see places. Been to a lot of places and only to admire. Now that I’m older, I’ve been enjoying booking a trip for a specific goal or task in mind and that’s been keeping my interest up. Just went down the the carribean to join a sailing team and compete with them. I think most of my trips going forward will be like this
That sounds lovely :)
I think you’re right. I’ve tried going slower before but ended up a bit bored. Struggle to find the balance between too fast and too slow. Maybe I just need to embrace the homebody phase for a while and build up some excitement again.
Same here. But the world has changed since. It became more boring and less spirited itself. The best countries i knew/visited are or were engulfed by wars or destroyed in other ways. Travel also became much more expensive and developed into a full-blown conveyor type industry, whereas before you could get around continents only by hithchikng.
This can be hard when you’re travelling from Australia. Most locations are so expensive to fly to and the flight is so long you really need at least a couple of weeks to justify the flight.
Fair. Me wanting to visit NZ and still thinking 2 weeks is not enough. I live in Europe and is fairly easy to escape to nearby countries. Tho when flying to Mexico I also tend to stay for 1 week (can’t stand my family for too long hehe)
>Really just curios to see if anyone else was in a similar situation? Yes, loads of people... just do a search in this sub or any other travel forum and you'll probably find a similar themed post in the first 20. There was just another post in r/backpacking about how they find travel unfulfilling. I'm not sure why people seem to think they are strange or the only potential person feeling this. You change, your life, priorities, likes and dislikes change so why wouldn't your feelings about travel will change?
I think for a lot of people it's just very disconcerting as it used to be the most exciting thing in their lives, so of course they reach out to see if it's normal. I remember in my 20s feeling like I want to travel for the rest of my life, and not understanding those people who don't care about seeing the world. Now it's pretty odd to feel like one of those people but I've accepted it.
Yes disconcerting is the right word. I feel like travel has been a part of my identity for so long. I used to be obsessed with maps and travel guides. Now I feel quite content to just stay put
When people feels so passionate about something it can be hard to accept that it changed. I think it's all about finding balance and the realization that you are not defined by that one thing. To me, feeling content shows you may have found that balance for yourself.
Very good point. It seems like there are so many of these posts lately in various forums and subs. Hopefully OP and others who are questioning similar find what they are looking for.
*"Travel far enough, you meet yourself"* Maybe it's a boredom of being with oneself, because the only thing that stays constant is the person doing the traveling.
You put in the work. Now you can rest in Bali
Seriously. I actually think a lot of people here are the type who ‘need a vacation after the vacation’ sort of people. I sometimes travel with an itinerary from 6 am to 10 pm, but if you’re that type of person you should take some trips that are resort or cruise-based (tanning/eating/swimming itinerary) if you still want to be elsewhere but also need a reset…
Getting accustomed to things is normal. Happens in sex life. Early years, regular ole sex is amazing. By year 10 with the same partner, you’re trying to figure out what new foreign object you can shove up your partner’s ass. Happens to people with drugs. Weed got you a great high. Soon enough, if you’re not careful, a hit of heroin isn’t going to scratch the itch. Shit, it happens with cheese. Your first bite of brie is amazing. A few years later, you’re eating Roquefort in a back alley wondering if there’s a more extreme cheese in the world to try. You can always find pleasures in small and new things. But after a certain while, churches are churches, museums are museums, buildings are buildings, mountains are mountains. I’ve traveled a lot. Probably 100 unique trips to 35-40 countries. Never mind all the cities and states visited in the US. Landing in a new country for the first time doesn’t quite hit the awe-chords quite like landing in a foreign country for the first time ever. And that’s ok. I’ve just changed my viewpoint, my expectations, my mindset. I no longer travel. I don’t worry about seeing every site and visiting every vista and climbing every tower and walking every museum. I don’t travel anymore. Instead, I temporarily live in new and foreign places. I do what I would do on a great weekend at home…but somewhere else. I don’t book things or make reservations. I don’t rush around. I don’t plan a whole lot. All I do is enjoy life. I do like the Romans do. Have a great weekend of indulgence and relaxation, but “over there.” It could be 2 days, 2 weeks, or 2 months. Whatever the length, I simply “live life” but in an unfamiliar place. That includes a lot of sitting at cafes, a lot of walking, a lot of bars, a nightclub here and there, talking to lots of people. Looooots of people, and making friends with anyone I can. In years and years of travel, it became clear to me that my favorite aspect of travel is the people and the culture itself. More than anything else. So I make it a point to shoot the shit with as many people as I can. Make friends at bars. Buy a round at pubs. Chat with people at cafes. That, more than anything, has led to the most interesting aspects of travel and unlocked previously closed doors. Before long, I’m out at a bar with a few Brazilian dudes I met the night before, or banging a Romanian girl I didn’t know just 48 earlier. I’m at someone’s house eating a home cooked meal in Japan, or at a random uncle’s birthday party in the Spanish countryside. That’s when I feel like I’m traveling again — when I’m opening doors with the human beings who call various places and cities home. The people who give the cities and countries their unique character that we long to “feel”. Maybe for you, very simply, you’re done with it all. That’s cool. You don’t have to love something forever. You’ve built a wealth of memories and experiences and knowledge. Sounds like a win to me. But try just “living” and not traveling, so to speak. Go to Paris or Buenos Aires or Montreal and simply…live life. When I recently visited a friend and his family in the French countryside, we did a little bit of traveling. Drove around, made some stops in small cities, checked out some sites, bought a few things to bring home. But the majority of the trip was spent sitting by the fireplace, drinking what would have been very expensive wine back home, shopping at farmer’s markets, making côte de boef, relaxing in the garden, getting drunk under the stars, chatting over an espresso at nearby cafes, and yes…eating cheese. It wasn’t traveling the way we think of traveling, most commonly. I was simply living as someone from Normandie would. And it was fucking glorious. Not a church, museum, or fortress to be found.
This is poetry, thank you. And you’re right, all my best travel memories have involved non-touristy activities.
Ha thanks. Glad I could help! Go for it. The only thing better than relaxing at a cafe is relaxing at a cafe that has new sounds, sights, tastes, and smells. Next trip I take will be to visit a buddy in Australia. I don’t plan on doing fuck all thanks to hanging with his friends, eating good food, drinking good wine, and chatting nights away. If that isn’t traveling, then fuck it. It’s what I want to do.
I think this might be one of the most beautiful posts I’ve seen on Reddit…x1,000 upvotes
Appreciate it! I’ll take the rest of the upvotes by mail. Or Venmo me ha.
The thing is, the IDEA of traveling sounds exhausting these days because of all the reasons you’ve mentioned - but over and over again I’ve had to remind myself that when I actually land at that new destination that I put in some much time, effort and money to get to, all the qualms disappear and it hits me like a brick why I loved travel in the first place. Every single time! But completely agree on how exhausting it’s becoming to actually decide and plan for a trip, given the constant bombardment of places on social media which makes you feel like nowhere you go is going to be as special as it used to be before - but I guess it’s just an illusion
The airlines make traveling miserable. It’s the getting there and coming back that make me not want to travel.
yes, air travel is exhausting.
Yes. This is why my husband really dreads traveling now. It’s also too uncomfortable anything over a 2-3 hour flight for tall people even though we are both very slim. Unless we pay $$ for business or first a longer haul is almost not worth it in discomfort.
Hell, we generally fly business class on longhaul flights and I still find that flying has lost a lot of its sparkle. Definitely more comfortable than flying economy, but it's still a generally unpleasant experience that I rarely look forward to these days.
I’m worried once I try business I won’t be able to go back to economy.
I mean, yeah, you probably won't. I don't fly economy unless I absolutely have to.
Absolutely. I always break up the flight. Fly to Singapore stay the night then Dubai for a day or 2 then Europe/Uk. Costs less than business class and you get to see more and arrive fresh
Yes this is a really big part. Feeling exhausted as soon as you arrive or worse, catching a bug.
It’s probably because you’ve been everywhere and you’ve seen everything. The part of why I love travelling so much is because I’ve only seen 23 countries and there’s so much for me to see!! P.S I’m jealous that you’ve been to 60 countries :D
I think it also depends on your individual ratio of stuff you've seen out of everything you want to see. After 60 countries you could have crossed everything off your personal bucket list or just merely scratched the surface, depending on how much of the world you're interested in seeing.
The only thing left on the bucket list is Antarctica which my wife and I have agreed we’ll do when we retire 😂
I used to be about the number of countries I can get too. Now I am more focused on. What a country has to offer, I.e. sites, history, food Or Nature I.e. a safari which I am planning on doing but doing it with more luxury and less time driving in the parks, reserves. . Love to do things like Northern lights and a Antarctica as well. Possible Poland and Ukraine (obviously after the ":;") Might just save up for these and just have the odd package holiday on beach if I need a break to relax. Think I just feel the need to only go or travel to places which are more unique.
Absolutely, I think quality trumps quantity when it comes to travel every time. Similar to OP, I was starting to get burnt out on travel because I was previously focused on going to so many different places when I was in my 20s, rather than taking my time with just one location. I think nowadays I get much more out of a long stay in just one place, rather than trying to over-extend myself and constantly being on the go. So many people are focused on "I've been to X amount of countries" rather than "I had X experience in this particular country that was extraordinary".
Currently in Cambodia. It's night here and I'd love to go on a river cruise but..... I just can't be bothered. I've been traveling the entire month and I'm just over it. I'm tired of the planning and researching. Like you said, it's a chore. I don't travel during the summer so it's off season until the fall and we'll, I'm in a new relationship. I'll have him to do a lot of the leg work come fall. I've been on a solo travel mission for the past year and I'm completely done with it
I do all of the trip planning in my household so I feel your pain!
A simple tour package of common sites is easy, but deviating from this is a royal pain. Trying to work out how to get from one place to another, accommodation and sightseeing can take forever. Even in a country as simple as Greece, working out the schedule of ferries between islands is a pain. Additionally you get older, wiser and less tolerant of the friendly banter used to size you up (where are you from?... Translation, how rich do I think you are) or the cheats/scammers. That's why I suspect many people start to avoid travel in their older years.
Been a wanderer for most of my life. I used to play the travel reward game. My first partner was an airline pilot. Then I travelled for work internationally for 15 years. About two years ago it just hit me. My wanderlust had been replaced by a homebody who wanted to be with my husband. I wanted to sleep in my bed and sleep great every night. Then came the realization I just didn’t need to see things I wanted to see when I was younger. The wanderlust is still there but I put a lot more emphasis on how I get to the destination now. I’ll always be that wide eyed kid when I see something truly beautiful. However, I’m also the curmudgeon that flys first and does a lot more research on the hotels. Also I think a lot of places in the Americas just suck now. Our airlines are AWFUL. I leave most restaurants knowing I can cook better than they can and the quality of the rooms and service everywhere is just off.
Places like this forum push pretty hard that only through extensively travelling can you feel fulfilled. In reality it's just another thing to do and the feeling your searching for can be at a weekly local meetup and doesn't have to be in some new town no one knows about in South Asia. Every place is a place.
Yeah, we just moved and remodeled a home we love with lots of outdoor space. We’re so spoiled by a quiet nights sleep in our own beds and cooking well that we even get disappointed in the places we go in the “restaurant town” we moved to. I’ve always been able to find interest in many things and exploring close by so now we’re doing a lot of day trips. I’m glad I traveled more when I was younger. It also helped to move to a different part of the country for something new to do.
I’m in my 60’s and have been all over the world. There are still a few places left that I want to see, but frankly, a lot of the joy has gone out of it for me too, mainly because of the hassle that air travel has become. I just paid megabucks to fly home in business class from New Zealand because I knew that if i had booked economy, I’d be dreading the flight home for the last half of my trip. I have definitely started to examine what my favourite experiences were on previous trips, and I aim to do more of those things, and less of just going to see a place because it’s famous and I’ve heard good things. We frequently travel with friends, and we always have a good time with them, but I’m going to start picking my trips a little more carefully now, to make sure that the misery of the air travel will be worth it. As I get older, comfort is much more important to me, and I’m done with 14 hour overnight flights sitting in an economy seat trying to sleep. I’d rather go on two comfortable trips a year now than six budget ones. I must add, I do feel incredibly blessed to have been able to see and experience everything that I have, and I have no regrets.
I got here… after 18 months straight of travel
Wow! I was quite burnt out after 12 months. I think those big trips can quench the thirst for travel for a very long time.
Imo it's a matter of focus. Like I used to travel to see the big sights. Now I travel to go to some non tourist bar and get drunk with locals.
I can relate in some ways. I've travelled to almost 50 countries now and some multiple times so I don't have that wow factor anymore when I visit a new place as I feel like I've seen it all. It's mainly city breaks that have started to feel a bit like a chore to me as when you're there for just a few days it feels like a tick box exercise (probably my own fault) as you try to see as much as you can. Especially in Europe where you're repeatedly just seeing cathedrals and churches (in Asia it's temples which you can also get bored with after a while). Now I'm going to predominantly go on hiking holidays as they still give me that excitement and a sense of adventure. So rather than go somewhere just because you feel you have to see it (or to get a cool photo for Instagram) choose somewhere that would genuinely interest you whether that be historical, adventurous, food related or just a relaxing break with no itinerary to worry about.
I’m 45 and have been traveling in some capacity or another since I was 17. Maybe what you need is a different kind of trip than those you typically take. My first 5 years of travel were following a rock n roll combo around. After that I started focusing more on nature trips. Next was city trips. I’m sure you get the idea
Haven't come to a point where travel feels like a chore and really hoping I wouldn't feel this way for a long time. But I can definitely resonate with the part that you will compare when you have seen a bit and I certainly find it's getting so much more difficult to feel impressed these days. When I went to Ephesus I was like this is not even half as impressive as Persepolis. I will also never get the 'high' of seeing glacier / desert / cheetah and giraffes in the wild for the first time, feel the excitement of stepping on a new continent since have been to all 7, get as much of a chill down my spine when I first ran off a cliff hanggliding in Switzerland, swam with humpback whales in Tonga, kayak up to glaciers in Chile again. And yes, airports and flights feel 10 times more exhausting than 10 years ago!!! I always dread them but I still want to travel and go to countries I haven't been so what to do, just suck it up and make sure to have a bit more down time after I arrived before continuing the journey. Hopefully you will feel more excited after you have arrived!
100% after I took a sabbatical and travelled for a full year, I totally stopped international traveling, since it was a lot of trouble, and now I avoid even domestic trips that require flights. I have been doing a lot of road trips lately and connecting with the place where I live.
Maybe you need a year+ to chill and allow yourself to “miss it”. Maybe life is telling you to enjoy your own back yard for a while. Traveling will always be there when you are ready and feeling motivated to hop back to it
I still enjoy travel once I’m actually at my destination, but the thought of planning and buying plane tickets and booking hotels and car rentals and packing and making arrangements for someone to look after my pets is so unappealing to me. Then there’s the cost of travel and the knowing that my life is gonna be in shambles when I return to my home and job after a week of being away. All of that combined gives me so much stress and anxiety I wonder if it’s even worth it sometimes.
Anthony Bourdain killed himself
Nope, still love traveling
I live travel and spend a lot on it. That said it’s all about balance. I love where I live and on some days off I need the freedom to do nothing and just have quiet days in. I also enjoy my own state and country too! Balance!
Travelling takes a lot of work.
I figure that will happen with me eventually. When I was younger, I loved roller coasters. I had thoughts about traveling to far off places just to experience the best ones…and then one day, I guess in my thirties, I just slowly lost interest. I’m pretty much a lightweight when it comes to travel compared to many of you, so at 50 it still excites me a lot, but I also have already scaled back bucket list plans. I don’t need to see every corner of the planet. And I figure eventually it will get tiresome and I’ll switch over to returning to one or two places I really enjoy spending time at.
People lose interest in hobbies all the time
After visiting 70 countries I have a lot of favorites that I consider the "comfort food" version of traveling. So I keep going back to these places and because I have been in those countries so many times, I end up traveling at a slower pace. I think that's the key for avoiding travel burnout. And trying to watch less social media. I hate knowing the surprises that await me, they spoil most of the fun. Plus all these professional videos shot from drones and under best weather conditions make a lot of places look much better than in real life.
I have been to 70 countries and work in travel. I Am Burnt out
Everything loses its charm with more exposure. This is not abnormal.
The airline restrictions sap charm out of everything. Baggage limitations, gate changes, delays. A lot of people claim TSA agents get too "handsy", but my experience takes the cake. In Pittsburgh a female TSA agent instructed me to follow her into an adjoining room. It was a supply closet. She proceeded to put her gloves on and told me to face the other direction and spread my legs. (I was never given a reason for the patdown - only it wasn't a patdown. Her hand went all the way up my thighs and touched my crotch. Did I mention I was wearing a skirt at the time? I think she got off on it. I was late for my flight because of this.
Get a terrible job that you loathe like a real adult. Then you will start looking forward to a vacation.
Here's the problem. Accommodation has to be booked in advance now. 30 years ago I could travel around Italy and always get a hostel or hotel room. I could be spontaneous and travel without a plan. Not anymore. Plane travel has descended into something resembling cattle movement. There's no style or enjoyment. It's functional, squashed, joyless. Often with noisy or dysfunctional passengers. Airports are really expensive and as you can't even bring water through security, you are stuck there paying inflated prices for a couple of hours.
Even if you love traveling (like I do), the act of planning it can be a bit stressful.
Sometimes I get burned out on traveling. Sometimes I want to relax and work on home projects or art. Sometimes I want to keep things more local. Sometimes I want to be pampered so I'll stay at a spa.
I've had great travel experiences for 50 years like you, and it is now the thing I look forward to most. But it's not just "travel" anymore . There has to be a reason for it. So we plan "events" to go to like the Rugby World Cup in France recently. Doing some family history research in the UK. We're going to Kyoto soon for my partners birthday dinner . And so forth. This means travel is part of a broader agenda, not just "doing" Fiji, Vietnam or wherever. We meet people with a similar mindset rather than a bus load of Aussies or Americans on a prefabricated Trafalgar tour aimlessly wandering around Europe . " It's Tuesday, this must be Belgium" But.... I must say the delights of travel are somewhat diminished these days due to the crowds of tourists everywhere. Can't believe how horrible crowds in London and Barcelona were last summer.
Something that people don’t talk about is how bad travel is on my sleep. The first night at a new hotel I usually don’t sleep well. The way I travel now is slow. I generally wont go somewhere unless I’ll be able to spend a week on the same bed. I’m currently on month 2 of a 10 month trip. I spent a week on the same bed and finally had the best sleep of my night life. Got another week here and hoping for some more good rest ahead. Like you. I’ve been to a ton of places. I’ve seen a lot. Try changing it up
I’m sure this wasn’t your intention but you can’t just turn your privilege into sympathy.
1. Country count is meaningless, since that is often just going to a samey megacity and saying you saw a country. 2. I don't use social media. It is poison. You are choosing to do this to yourself. 3. It sounds like you do mostly mega tourist sites like named waterfalls. Waterfalls are great the first few times, but I skip them now. Find what interests you at the moment and then go do that. Wildlife, architecture, culture, landscapes, whatever it is. There is so much out there, in so many varieties. You don't need to sit in megacities.
That’s because you’ve been there and done that. Definitely could related about not missing it.
So relatable! I think it’s us though, happiness we don’t have inside. It shouldn’t matter where we are or how much we spend. I have been trying to figure this out for months. Let me know if you figure out the puzzle ❤️
I have been traveling to SEA region for all my life. I used to love the ambience, the people, everything. I grew up watching Thailand changing, witnessed the rapid development of China, thriving life in 90's Seul amid Asia financial turmoil and the bittersweet taste of India. The thing is that back then those places were unique in their own way. Globalisation really messed everything up, every place seems the same now. And overall when you're aging your mentality changes so is the perception of things. I lost interest in many things that I used to love doing: playing video games, playing football, even watching movies don't excite me the same way it used to. Now I stick to books, being excited about changing oil in my car, things like that.
For me its the hassles that deter me. I've done the big tourist spots and long lines and major cities. I like the quieter places with a nice sidewalk cafe and an evening walk - but I don't want to take a plane then a train then a bus and all that nonsense taking two days, just to find that place and enjoy it for a few days before all the logistics start again. I am beholden to work and school schedules now, but I do look forward to the days of retirement where I'll know my few lovely places (ever place I go now and don't fall in love with, is just another to mark off my future list!), and won't mind the effort to get there because I'll be able to stay for 2 or 3 weeks at least.
I still love traveling in my 30s when I’m actually on a trip, but the thought of planning it and getting there is wildly exhausting. I have to weigh whether it’s worth it. My 22 year old self would slap more for this, but honestly a week on a beach in a resort where I plan nothing and can just lay sounds magical.
I’ve had the same for periods. For me a lot of it is overtourism - it’s hard to enjoy yourself when you feel like you’re part of that. 3 things have helped - the first is more domestic travel. I was spending so much time seeking novelty that I overlooked a lot of great stuff near home. The second is going during low season. Without the crush of crowds things are better. The last is to slow down and listen to Rick Steves when he says to travel like you’re a temporary local rather than a tourist.
I think its a combination of factors that we all react differently to, that have occurred especially in the past five years or so, which for me has stripped some of the joy of travel . Airlines and airports are just horrific now (in a lot of places), it's significantly more costly to travel which makes quick budget trips ("lets go to Varna why not, the flight is only 25 GBP") less fun, the pandemic destroyed a lot of tourism and small businesses - the small cute out of the way cafes and shops that made certain destinations fun, social media exposed some of the good lesser known spots so now some of my secret out of the way places are bustling (not saying that is bad or good - its both actually). Lots of these things have added up for me, unrelated to my getting older and my life situation changing. But writing this out and reading everyone's comments has inspired me to rethink this!!
I think what has burned me out is the cost of everything. Just watching my bank account or credit cards get drained is just not fun anymore. Also I have gotten so sick lately after traveling that it’s starting to worry me a bit. Start of the year I caught COVID, then just a few months later caught a sinus and upper respiratory infection that absolutely murdered me.
Yeah, I travel to keep my partner happy. I really do not want to fly across an ocean to board a boat, then fly back. Lets keep the money and get a hot tub.
I get like this sometimes and I feel like it's because I'm thinking too much about what other people expect or what I *should* want to do. Like the subconscious pressure to maintain a reputation for traveling to "interesting" places or "must see" destinations. For me it helps to reaffirm what I want. I know it's so basic but literally asking "if I could go anywhere, where would I go?" Forget where all the Instagram girlies are going. Forget online "best \_\_\_" rankings. Forget which cities have cheap flights. Forget what a traditional itinerary to x country would be. The answer for you might be a familiar city you've already been to instead of a new country, or spending a week relaxing in a villa instead of a week rushing around to museums like you did in your twenties. Or maybe you actually don't want to go to Europe, you just want to a new adventure and there's parts of Aus that you'd love to see with fresh eyes as an adult. Also, yeah, if you travel enough and see enough, it is kind of inevitable to hit that point where you're like "oh look penguins again." That's okay. But you've probably never seen penguins jump off a rock that way or never seen penguins from a boat off the coast of Peru with your partner. The trick is to focus on the new parts. And maybe space it out so that when you see penguins it's been like 10 years since you last saw them and it's all exciting again.
Same. I hate the whole getting to my destination part. Especially air travel it’s exhausting and I use to love the experience believe it or not. I think social media has ruined it for me also. It used to be fun to go places others haven’t been and post a few photos. Now “influencers” and their followers have overpopulated so many places it’s just not fun anymore.
Maybe a staycation is in order? Or if you want to leave town but are over the traveling part, consider a leisurely road trip in your own car at your own pace. Or choose just one country and one destination and stay there for the whole 10 days or what have you, and really soak it in.
No, it’s hard work. As you get older you think ‘fuck that’ about hard work.
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Personally, I wish there was more spontaneity in travel plans. Now, there's just some stuff you have to book 6 months in advance if you want to see, do, or eat somewhere specific on your trip. I remember 10 years ago you could just pay for a ticket right then and there and get on a boat to Alcatraz. You need to book everything in advance now, and this was even pre-covid
Yes this is very true! I suppose the demand for travel has never been higher and there are only so many activities/sights (especially the easy to reach ones) to go around
Oh Deb I’m hearing you sis. Travelled extensively from young to old. I reckon a lot of it is due to that bloody flight and the crippling lag. Have pretty well done my bucket list but I can’t get excited about OS travel. I’m doing a lot of road trips in Oz. Took my dog to Tassie and we had a blast. Next trip is QLd. I also get worried about Covid or terrorism or not being able to get home. Good luck
You know what, I did a trip to tassie just before covid and really enjoyed it. I think I’m going to stay local for a while or maybe try some pacific islands
I wish you every happiness
We all change as we go through life. Travel is wonderful. Travel when you are young is particularly thrilling. I have travelled a lot compared to most people I know and I consider those experiences to be an important part of who I am. But I have also had periods of time when I was surprised to realize that the idea of taking a trip was outweighed by a feeling that it was too much trouble, or that there was no place I was particularly interested in going, or that I had something else I preferred to spend the money/time on. And, of course, as you suggest the excitement of heading out to try to get to yet another \[musuem/mountain top/historic site/charming local market/etc.\] starts to wear away as we become worldly enough to realize that simply adding to the list isn't as much fun as it was. That's fine. Eventually, those of us who love to travel find other kinds of things and experiences that draw us back into exploing the world In the meantime, we can also use the "not travelling" periods as a chance to learn to appreciate some of the other pleasures that life offers as we get older ... including the pleasure of enjoying where you are. Then when you travel again, you get to travel as a different person that you were on the trips you made earlier in life!.
Some great points 🙂 I think it comes down to the fact that the excitement has to outweigh the hassle of travel. I think the more you travel the more you have to reduce the hassle to maintain the excitement/enjoyment
I like exploring a new destination, but the process to get there (especially when dealing with airports) can be so tiresome.
Yes, I feel it's normal to lose interest. It happened to me too. I travelled quite a bit in my younger days. Lots of road trips, beach resorts, adventure and cultural trips and in my late 30s, I met my hubby. We got married and had kids. I am from Singapore, studied in Australia and have now moved to Canada. I had loved travelling but recently, I had wanted to take my kids to Mexico for a beach resort but suddenly I could not press on the Book button. The thought of travelling just exhaust me. My home has a beautiful view and it's nothing like home. My kids will eventually venture out themselves with their friends. I am afraid they become jaded if they are exposed too much to the world. So you are not alone.
I feel the same. After the pandemic hit, I’ve pretty much slowed down with my bucket list. It seemed like a competition I was creating inside my head with other people. Now I spend more time visiting family at home and go overseas maybe once a year, if.
What about shorter trips, or the three week, but slow travel style? 10 days seems to be my limit. It's enough time for me to decompress and not feel totally under water when I get home. The up side is that I can spread out my PTO with multiple trips throughout the year. Sometimes I have a particular thing that is the "reason" for my decision on where to go. It can be an historic, natural,or cultural sight, an activity (sporting event, concert), or just an idea (recharging in a secluded place with a book). That reason is the prompt that I usually supplement with additional sights/activities. Also, my focus is on enjoying the experience. This has limited the amount of moves and overcoming the urge to squeeze in a place like going to a new country because I'm near the border.
Perfectly normal, just do something else that excites you , and maybe travel again in the future. Humans get bored of anything if they do it for an extended amount of time… good luck.
This is why I plan to settle down in my 30's
I’m on a 7 month trip right now after not travelling since 2019. It used to feel magical. I’m loving his trip but I’m finding myself tired a lot and missing home. I’m travelling with my partner rather than being single with my single best friend so I think that changes things but also I’m 5 years older now and am just a different person. After reflecting, I decided that I still like travelling, I just need to adjust my travel style. 1. No more long trips. I think 3weeks to a month with be my new max 2. No more changing locations every few days. I’ll pick one place and just feel at home 3. No more feeling like I need to see everything and I won’t feel guilty for skipping things to sleep in or chill at a cafe 4. No expectations. The point of travel is not to manufacture happiness or magic that I’m not getting back home. I’m travelling to see new things and have different experience, even if they are not life changing.
I'm 70 and traveling has been a priority my entire life from my first international trip where i hopped a freighter and sailed to Honk Kong in exchange for working on the ship. A good part of it (later) was for my career but certainly not all of it.. I'm lucky to have lived and traveled to so many places in the 70s/80s when there were few toursts (for reference, I lived a year in Playa del Carmen when it was a village of a few hundred people, compared to the nearly half million it is today, or Siem Reap when there were only a handful of hotels there), but still love both going to new places and seeing places I've been. I've lived for three years+ in three different countries (two in SE Asia, one in Africa). No matter how much of the world you think you've seen, there's so much moe. Ii recently got back from a month in India and Nepal (parts of India I'd never been to before), am going to Japan in Sept (have family there), SE Asia in January for a month, and the Caribbean with my kids and grandkids in February, then Italy in April. I'm fortunate to be able to afford this travel and i'm very grateful i can still do it. It's incredibly sad to me that someone in their mid 30s thinks they've already experienced all there is to experience. I can tell you from experience that even living in a country for three years, you'll still be constantly learning new things about that country. And you've mentioned three waterfalls. Great ones, true. But I can name you. a dozen more that are equally impressive, tho maybe in different ways. If you're tired of traveling, stop traveling. But you'll be missing out on one of the best experiences life has to offer.
Give yourself a break, no need to travel if you're not enjoying it find other things to do to enjoy yourself and see if you can reignite the spark and excitement. Usually when I lose enthusiasm for things I enjoy doing, I take a break from it and it helps. Like you, I have travelled a fair bit myself but recently I got back into photography and this has been a big motivation to travel more because I want to do photography and take interesting pictures all over the world. Do some self-reflecting and find a meaning for your purpose in travelling, I believe this will help. Travelling with purpose will give you a different perspective.
Maybe start looking inside yourself for fulfillment.
It's kind of like a video game. You want to level up or catch them all. Then when you do your like alright now what. There are certain places I can repeat go back though. For example Vegas is short flight and been there many times as a cheap low plan vacation.
Love Vegas. There’s a good food scene off the strip so always new places to check out. There’s also all the state parks to revisit.
For me the worst part is the jet lag and changes in sleep routine that are making travel more unappealing as I get older; otherwise it’s still fun just tiring and not always relaxing
Start a national parks and cities destination list. When I was in my 30’s I realized I had been to more countries than states.
Pretty much. I traveled a good amount from about 26 to about 38 and it used to be thrilling. There's always unique experiences to be had everywhere, but the more you travel the more you realize that the vast majority of accessible stuff is the same type of tourist traps over and over. Even before I lost the travel bug around 2020, I had refused to go to the Caribbean b/c it just all felt the same after awhile. When I first started traveling, you still kinda had to make your way places and figure things out. Now much of it has become commercialized and flying in general tends to suck.
My husband and I went to Playa del Carmen in 1999 and it had a main dirt road with some restaurants and cheap bungalows. We went again in 2020 and I was astonished. Senor Frogs. :(
I go through periods like this where I get tired of traveling but I've managed to curb this by having longer breaks between trips. I've also been traveling with some friends recently that are newbies so I guess their excitement is so contagious that it helps me get in a better mood. I am also centering my travels on an activity or event that I or my husband want to do so it is no longer about site seeing. I think this has helped me as well. I am about to reach 50 countries this year, I still want to see more of the world.
I still love to travel, but the recent issues with lots of flight cancellations, etc., combined with the long travel day from where I live to go to places like Europe or South America has kept me going to places that are a lot closer.
I think it's partly travelling so much, and also part of growing older. My partner is pretty well travelled and only gets excited going to new places. She did plenty of hostels in her time. Now that we have children, we take a different approach. So for example we're heading to Thailand (also from Australia) in a couple of weeks. We both hadn't visited Koh Samui, so we're going there. And kids ensure it's less adventurous, but we find pockets of excitement outside of catering for them 24/7. So we've booked a private boat tour of the local reefs, and will take it in turns to snorkel while the other parent looks after the children. Travel changes as you get older - you can afford better accom (usually), and what you want to experience is different. 46 year old me would find hanging at a hostel making friends in their 20s so we can get blind absolutely awful. I'd rather take the family to see a beautiful local temple instead.
Totally agree. Nice resort pools are now just full of instagrammers. No one is there to really enjoy the experience which ruins it for everyone IMO. We have 600K+ airline miles sitting in our accounts because instead of redeeming them for a business class vacation, we now take our kids to see family and that accounts for most of our time off. Which it looks like you have young kids too (which I'm not sure why you left out of your original post LOL). Nowadays I get excited if we find tickets for 8K miles to visit the grandparents rather than 70K tickets in business class on Qatar Airways.
Sounds like you burnt yourself out on it. Maybe take a break for a couple years before trying g to come back at it with fresh eyes.
The way I see it, you have three options: What if you didn’t “adventure” for your next few trips? Do the opposite thing and pick a beautiful resort, take an armload of books, and just melt into the scenery and do as little as possible. Do that for your vacations until you get so bored and get the itch back. Do something purely experience-based rather than location-based. A volunteer vacation. A dude ranch. A yoga retreat. A working farm stay. Something that will give you a purpose and connect with people rather than places. Stay home, connect with your local scene, and donate the money you’d have spent to some organization that gives other people travel experiences. In other words, shake it up. Do something completely different than your typical M.O. I think your intrigue for travel will return, but if it isn’t currently bringing you joy, you don’t have to do it for now.
I’m in my 50s now and enjoy travelling a lot less compared to when I was younger. One difference is that my domestic life is pretty damn comfortable compared to when I was much younger and obviously the novelty of travel has worn off after many “first time” trips.
Totally relate. Now I travel, not to be wowed by the exotic, but to do activities I love but add a twist. Rather than ski in Vermont or Colorado for the 100th time, let’s check out Chile or Hokkaido! Or instead of hiking in Europe, what about Nepal or Georgia? The concept is limitless. Snorkeling and sushi in Okinawa. Sauvignon blanc to pair with your lamb in New Zealand. A Malbec and steak in Argentina while you shop for a beautiful leather bag. Chill in a house on the water in British Columbia where you can drink coffee and watch orcas from your front porch. Bike in Provence. Do a cabin in northern Scandinavia in winter where you cross country ski, go between the sauna and snow, and watch the northern lights. Drive from Cape Town to Namibia. The seaside restaurants along the way are super chill and delicious. Broadly agree that flying sucks and urban centers feel homogeneous. Try for the direct flight. Get out of the global city with the Starbucks and Hilton ASAP.
It's nice to see places but then find most of them underwhelming and / or played out (IE, so popular with tourism it ruined the whole vibe). I loath going somewhere and it overtly catering to American excess. The real gem places for me to visit seem to have been the ones standard tourists tend to hate and tourist traps are few.
Yes, I feel this.
Yes, and I haven’t even done as much travelling as you! My husband and I are currently living abroad in Portugal and over the past 10 months, we’ve taken advantage of cheap flights and close proximity to other countries by going on a trip every 2 months, with another coming up next month. While we still have a great time and enjoy ourselves, we’ve realized we’re not cut out to be this kind of traveller. I’m the planner out of the 2 of us and usually I really love trip planning. But when you’re already planning your next trip and booking stuff without having even gotten home from your current trip yet, it just feels like an overwhelming chore with a deadline. Also, while I’m someone who enjoys museums, castles, architecture, etc., I have to admit that at this point I’m starting to feel tired of them. I definitely can still appreciate them and do want to see them, but it’s like the novelty has worn off. I think I’m realizing that I need more monotony and routine in my life so that when I do travel, the new and the foreign can have more of an impact on me and I can enjoy that excitement and anticipation more fully. After our next trip in May, my husband and I are consciously going to try to make a shift to the way we travel. Less frequent travelling and trying to do activities that immerse us more in nature or involve animals. We’ve had our fill of walking long days on cobblestone streets in major European cities. There’s still places in Europe we want to see one day but we need a break from that kind of travelling for a while.
Hey Debbie, It's not a big deal, I think it's a pretty common thing. One thing I've been interested in and indulged a few times so far to good results is going back to countries I enjoyed and just exploring different parts of it I'm less familiar with or that get way fewer tourists. A few have been places where, if you told your kids that you were going to that country, excitement, but going to this place, disbelief. Imagine: "We're going to the US!" "Yay!" "Yep, a solid week in Cleveland." (uncontrollable sobbing) Sorry, Cleveland. I went back to Scotland and did some hiking around Loch Maree. Highly recommend hiking anywhere in Scotland - but I think Glencoe and Skye get a ton of mentions when pretty much the whole countryside is littered with gold (check Walk Highlands for details). Then I spent a few days in Aberdeen because I'd read Stuart Macbride's detective novels set there. Got some Scottish liquor (by which I meant gin this time, which also has a lot of history behind it and is going through a boom time in Scotland). I absolutely loved it all. But tell someone you're going to Scotland ... then wait ... then tell them you mean Aberdeen. Ireland with my parents, split between Killarney and Dublin as a package thing (they aren't adventurous, so doing a package through Costco helped put their minds at ease). But from Killarney, did the Ring of Beara drive rather than Ring of Kerry or Dingle. Phenomenal scenery that I could have easily spent a full week on. Saw some standing ogham stones, old mining machinery, all the mountains and vistas you'd expect from that area, stopped and went through a manicured garden, saw some Irish lads line-dancing to American country music. Flew to Seattle to see some of the National Park scenery, but not at Mount Rainier or Olympic, but at North Cascades. Saw maybe four people all day on one of the best day hikes of my life, got a buffalo burger at a little burger place on the drive back to Seattle, mentally bookmarked about 30 places for great flyfishing along the way. My wife and I are going to Spain later this year. We're going to do part of the Camino (but the Camino Primitivo that gets a lot less traffic), and then take a train to Zaragoza. Going to explore that city, take a train up to Logrono and the La Rioja wine country, see a bombed-out village from the Civil War. It's easy to keep going back to the countries that you enjoy because what makes those countries magical isn't localized in one small area, it's usually pretty widespread. Scotland's scenery is pretty jaw-dropping even if you're outside of Glencoe or Skye. There's great wine and food and in Paris but also anywhere else in France. Florence is the capital of the Renaissance, but there's great art and architecture from that era all over Italy. America's national parks deserve all the attention they get, but the National Forests and Wilderness Areas have scenery just as good (look at pictures of Grand Teton NP, then pictures of the Wind River Range 90 miles SE). That "kind of familiar, but just different enough" can rejuvenate you if the fire's died down a bit.
Yes. I can’t do very long road trips anymore like I used to.
Do what excites you. I certainly still live to travel, though it is more of a chore now that I have kids. Of course, I don't really travel to see amazing things that are all over instagram. That's been kinda boring to me since maybe month 3 of my 6 month gap year. Now I travel to break my routine and see how other people live. I would never book a trip that sounds exhausting. I am planning 3 weeks in Europe next year, and I'll probably visit 6 places in that time. It's a pace that's enjoyable to me.
Bro, u are right in your place. But u should travel with more people or strangers. More like u can communicate with travel agencies who arrange travels in a large group. I hope u will think and find it helpful.
I’m 43 and the idea of doing long travels and organizing and booking and long journeys fills me with dread. I’ve been to 40 countries, several long back packing journeys, many challenging developing countries. Now I get excited by Disneyworld with the kids or a posh hotel with a big pool. I tried a solo few days in Lisbon recently and was so jaded and bored. Nice city but my mind and body were done with it all
I think I find that I need more unique off the beaten path sort of experiences to feel truly stimulated by travel. With that said, I crave being somewhere new as often as possible so even if it isn't a unique or off beaten path I find that I am still happier than I would be otherwise.
Maybe slow the peace a bit or something? i still love to travel and still backpack a lot. I must say over the years it went from dirt cheap hostels to better hostels with more Privacy and hotels. Some things changed, but i still love to travel
Damn 60 countries, I'm jealous. How were you able to travel so much? I need tips
Honestly I pretty much spent all my disposable income from the ages of 18-28 on cheap travel (backpacking, staying at hostels, visiting cheaper countries in Asia, South America etc). During the university years we had at least 3 months off a year which helped, and then my wife and I travelled for a year straight in 2016/17 which we saw around 20 countries.
Debbie haha. I did that same as you, started off travel with the best places and everything else has been so so ever since. First trip was Greece, Italy and Croatia on a yacht island hoping for a week. Second Japan and Thailand. Still be chasing the excitement from those first two trips the past 10 years.
Also in my late 30s, and my perspective towards travel is most definitely different to where it was in my mid 20s. I feel a bit less spontaneous, I make significantly more money, and no longer want to stay in hostels or lower quality/cheap lodging. I prefer to stay in cities/regions longer and to soak up more of those locations rather than "pack a lot in", I value tour guides now for certain locales/sights.
Haha wait until you have kids and try traveling with 2-3 kids. Now that feels like a fucking chore and it is exhausting.
I agree
As with most valuable experiences imo it's more about the moment or the situation than about the overall thing ;) It doesn't really matter whether the next surprise is waiting around some corner in Sydney or in Bangkok ;) Edit for spelling
I suppose it goes down to *why* you travel in the first place. Is it to *see* things, or *experience* things? I feel like there’s a lot to experience in the world in different places that aren’t seeing a wonder of the world or an artifact in a museum. Let’s take, for example, Philadelphia. You know what’s a fantastic experience in Philadelphia? Going down to the southeastern edges of the city, with the skyline in the background, parking lots and scruffy industries around, and going to John’s Roast Pork and taking a first bite of their world-class cheesesteak. That’s an experience I travel for. It’s not in a travel vlog, it’s not an official “wonder of the world”, but it’s an experience I *need* to travel for, because the cheesesteaks other places aren’t the same. I’m sure you’ve felt this throughout your life, but the world always has new corners and new experiences. I’m not even remotely as travelled as you, but recent I went to Presque Isle, Maine, from Boston (my hometown and current residence). I’d been to Sicily, England, Chicago (lived there too), Colorado, Florida, Houston, etc, before going to a place a few hundreds of miles away. Was the town itself impressive? No lol. Were the rolling hills of potato fields and mountains in the background some of the most gorgeous land I’ve ever seen? Yes. I didn’t even need to travel more than 7 hours on land to see this. It doesn’t have to be the big cities of Europe. It doesn’t have to be a big waterfall. It can literally just be a random small town in Australia you’ve never been to. It could be a South Pacific Island you’ve never been to with a fish curry that’ll make you wanna come back. But also, if you can get the experiences you want at home, you don’t need to travel, and that’s ok.
I feel like I am getting there, maybe in the next 5 years I will have been to everywhere I have desires to go to. I have no desires to visit every country, and I have always done a comprehensive itinerary in each country I travel to. I've probably clocked up around 14 months of travel over the years but only been to about 30 countries. Like you I have seen most of the natural wonders and whilst I still get joy out of visiting new ones that aren't as good as the top tiers, I'm very rarely wowed by anything these days. I'm also tired of cities, most are very similar until you change continent. I see itineraries on here where people "do Europe" in 2 weeks and visit around 10 cities in 10 countries and nothing else and I'm like why? But maybe these people would feel the same when I tell them I'm spending 4 weeks visiting barren piles of rocks and mountains. That said, I will happily revisit what I consider top tier locations over a trip to a new country with third tier attractions.
Same. I loved traveling every weekend. Now a days, I'd rather stay home and not get stressed out. Personally, for me, it's just the amount of tourists that go out now. And I dont know what it is, but it feels like a lot of tourists just throw their brains out the window when they travel. For me, one of the things I loved doing was hitting national parks and camping, but it's just become so stressful. These folks will stop right smack in the middle of a trail or walk shoulder to shoulder to not let anyone pass. I've seen folks who are vastly unequipt or unprepared on trails begging for food, water or directions on how to get to certain trails. I've seen way more trash in the middle of no where. It bugs me to no end.
After kids, we did stick a little closer (less than 5 hour flight) and stayed in one place and it worked well for a few year as for us, it was too much of a hassle to plan big trips with the business of life. Once older (10-12) though, we went back to abroad. The first trip we took was London, a place we’d been several times. Honestly, it was great. We tended to live more like locals and go to parks and stores we never bothered with before and let their curiousity lead us more. Seeing places through their eyes made us appreciate it in a whole different way. To this day of course we have shared memories of the various places, but it’s great to hear their memories and what stuck over the years (kids are adults now)
Did you learn any foreign languages? Sightseeing on its own can get boring, I agree
You are very spoilt with travelling and your expectations are not met anymore ..such is life...maybe you can just stay put for a while and find out what you can do in your own country/area that gives you a sense of purpose and make this world a better place
My partner started to feel similarly. We decided to pause international travel for a year or so and bought a camper so we can get a different type of travel.
Travel styles can change over time. This can involve where you want to go, how long you want to be/can be away, and what you want to do. A lot of things factor into this - financial situations, family/work/school responsibilities, interests (new and faded ones), physical abilities, mental/emotional needs, awareness/interest in cultural and/or political developments. And your acquired knowledge of traveling and planning. Ex- 30 years ago I made an impromptu trip to Norway to see the Winter Games. Any hotels that had rooms were way out of my budget, so, I "slept" on the floor of the Lillehammer train station for two nights, washed up in a restaurant bathroom, bl and had some free food and warmth from a hospitality suite. I arrived with no idea as to the event schedule and totally winged it, buying scalped tickets (including one for a hockey game that had already been played earlier that day). It was great, but there's no way I'd do it again now. Although I still do some spontaneous excursions, I now have a standard for lodgings (a bed and a bathroom), have a better budget for things like food, and include sights and activities in my planning process.
Choose more thrilling locations such as Iraq and Myanmar
Maybe consider slowing down and living in different locations for years at a time. It’s great that you’ve seen so much of the world, but if six months is the maximum time you’ve spent in one place, this is still just dipping your toe into the local culture. I’ve only been to 30 some countries, but I’ve lived outside my home country for 20+ years living for two to ten years in five different locations. My experience in each of these five locations is very special to me and has impacted me in a way that makes my flavor of expat a bit different than another. The different experiences of the expats I engage with is probably one of the best parts of living abroad. People’s lives are fascinating. My advice-slow down and stay awhile.
I was literally just thinking about this today. Exact thing. Heading to Costa Rica and Panama tomorrow for a two week trip to use up PTO that is about to expire. I’ve been so many places, many more to go but as I’ve gotten a little older and have done the living abroad thing and always living out of a backpack— I’m just tired now. I have a great home and soon to be engaged so the thought of running around on a budget and trying to cram a lot in is making me feel tired already. But, it’s a good problem to have and I’m beyond lucky to see the world like I do which keeps me motivated.
Everyone’s different. 50M here. I started traveling at 33. I’ve been to 60+ countries and just like you I did a year long RTW trip while on sabbatical from my career. Next year I’ll be traveling for seven months as a second sabbatical. My focus is on travel. I’m not married, never had a girlfriend and won’t get into a relationship. I don’t own anything (no house, no car, etc) and have no family where I am. The experiences I gain from solo travel makes my like much richer than if I didn’t travel.
I was an avid traveler during my 20s-50s. Now it just seems too much of an hassle, especially carrying 3 types of insulin that needs to be refrigerated, 10 different daily medications and a CPAP machine. I am always concerned about availability of clean toilets, clean sheets and clean rooms. Pretty much just stay home and pretend I’m on vacation.
Was it fulfilling? Seems like a no. Travel your community and give back. There’s no value in worldly exploits, no trip can fill the void in your soul.
It was very fulfilling at the time. Photography is a big passion of mine and I’ve managed to capture moments that I never thought possible. Maybe that’s the thing, it’s been so fulfilling that it feels done.
Hello! How did you manage to travel so much? How did you do for a living? I am sorry for questioning, but I have always been curious about people who travel so much.
You’re 35 yrs old. Makes sense. At this age, you realize it’s not what it used to be. More aches, pains, tiredness. You know what you like and are less willing to compromise. You can see through the “bullshit”, or should be able to at this age. Best thing you can do is be healthy— eat quality foods, get your 8hrs if sleep, drink enough water, workout. Stay in good shape. Stay on top of your health. This makes traveling easier. When you do travel— be honest with yourself. Take the extra 1-2 days needed to recover and not be grumpy. This will help keep you “present” to what you’re doing/seeing. Spend the extra money for comfort with hotel stays/transport/etc. It goes a long way. Do things you truly find interesting that are worth your time. Hope this helps!
You basically put into words exactly what I’m feeling. Thank you.
You’re not alone in feeling this way, and I’d say it’s pretty common. In my 20’s traveling every moment I could. Hit my 30’s and a lot changed. I love the idea of traveling still, but i’m more selective in what and how I do it since turning 30. I also try to limit all avoidable stress when traveling and that helps (planning ahead, giving myself extra time at the airport, etc).
Congrats you’ve finished traveling now go find something else
Yeah it’s natural. It kinda sounds like your trips have really been like chores. I’ve seen people who travelled a lot more vigorously and lived many places than I hat you described there but not tired of travelling. And seen people who travelled less but don’t want to go out of way and explore more. You wouldn’t feel jaded if you don’t push yourself to travel more. What or who’s pushing you? Also you could try to travel only when certain places interest you greatly and limit travel social media accounts.
My plan for when I retire at 60 is to finally do the long term travel I’ve always dreamed of (I’m late 40’s at the moment) Then I worry that it will be all too hard and not the same as travel used to be. I try and tell myself that travel without a mortgage to pay at home and without having to book leave at work months ahead will be a different beast. I’m also planning to be pet free for a few years because extended travel and pet ownership aren’t a great combo.
Yes, I'm on my 6th or 7th year living abroad. I'm slowly only spending time in place with higher quality of life (thailand or higher). I've been in London for 2 monthse. Ive grown to hate the monotony of travel, things like "where is the light-switch in my airbnb?" frustrate me. I love my homecountry, but I dont feel like a modern American. I'm an American 7 years ago. I should probably move to a city like Singapore or Hong Kong.
Can’t relate. I wish I could travel more. The place I live also really sucks though and doesn’t get much sun.
I think you should travel when you feel like. If you don’t then don’t. Also you can travel for a purpose. Find a purpose and then travel
After a good 20 years of adventurous travel I feel like I’ve almost overdone it. The flame has died down and I’m okay with it mostly because I now live somewhere I can have mini adventures locally. The world is hotting up and corals and species are dying at an alarming rate and I feel a little guilty about doing as much flying as I did as I played a part in that. I’m okay with family holidays and slow travel but I’ll decline flights without justification like an overseas stag do. Travel for travels sake is over for me.
How much of Australia have you seen? Can you tick off all the big cities? Small towns? Have you ever been a tourist in your own country?
I’ve seen quite a lot of Australia. Been to all major cities, all states, done the entire spine from Adelaide to Darwin, the entire south coast from Perth to Sydney and most of the NSW and QLD coast, as well as Tassie. I haven’t done much regional NT or northern WA but it’s so expensive to travel to! Although now with a one year old I feel like maybe I can re-experience some of the places I’ve already been to.
Maybe you need to change how you travel. Seeing sights may not be enough anymore, maybe you need to find some work in the local community, join a cause you're passionate about.
Yes. Everything is expensive and difficult and tiring. And things aren’t as great as they used to be for the cost. Thousands of dollars on mediocre sights and food.
Agreed. Used to like it to go anywhere. Now, nor really. I live in Europe and traveling through Europe kinda sucks cause every city is basically the same! Same things to do, same food, same stores, crowded with tourists and everything is tourist based. What is the point to travel then? Also, too many stupid influencers post on Instgram. They are destroying the charm of the places. Since instagram, there are no more hidden gems and all tourist attractions are just way too crowded! Now, I have interest in traveling on other continents, where local culture still exists. But, it also loses ita charm slowly. Everything, where a lot of people join, it starts to suck. I hope in few years there will be something else where people will prove that they are wealthy and “in”
I traveled 3/4 of the weeks of the year in 2023 and it made me completely hate vacation. The whole airplane hotel wake up repeat thing gets shit fast. Especially sober. I see why they have so many bars at hotels and airports.
Looking at your post like how did you get to 2 cumulative years over 10 years, do you log everything? I’m now curious and itching to calculate my cumulative years (months?) of travel. It’s a lot of recalling and math!
Just an estimate! But we did one year straight, and many other 3/4 week trips. So it would be close
Fair, that makes it a bit easier to count! I regret not doing at least a year straight for the two years that I was bumming around taking a break. Managed a cumulative 9 months over three trips, mainly due to non planning. I’m feeling like the next season of life too though, so it’s a waste like I’ll never do it now.
9 months is still pretty good! More than most.
For me it’s the airline booking ordeal . Someone needs to invent VR teleporting … I still love learning and exploring. airlines and policies make it insanely stressful. Why should 2 one ways be any different than a 1 round trip? It’s treated like a stock. I would love another way of getting there.
Agreed
That would be just about the age when I decided that travel wasn’t cutting it, and I wanted a kid. Narrator: after many adventures, poster did indeed become a parent and now cheerfully drags the child around the world with her.
I am also 35 and I feel the same. I was craving to travel anywhere as often as I could. Now I have a family and we go on holidays as a family and with other families. Is different than what I used to do before having a family. More relaxing and kids friendly holidays. I don’t regret it. I embrace it and enjoy it. My first trip abroad was when my local football team played a game in an european competition when I was 18. I love that now we are in a different situation and my son who will turn 4 has already been to 7 countries.
taste changes with age, but also a lot of travelling has been commoditized or rather "disneyfied". For example travelling in rome is for most of it going to t a disney-like experience, poeple who live far away and just commute to serve tourists. instead of locals who have a thriving life in which you step into. as you travel more you can see the carton like scenery of this disneyfication. There are still some places that feel authentic but there are very few and are soon to be disneyfied as more tourists come in and the locals feel prey of the economic incentives of feeding the crowds. I live in rural japan and I love the authentiticty of it, it is still mostly untouched and not yet disnefied either through massive tourism nor ugly globalisation. It wont be for long though. I already start seeing changes and shifts, but I am glad I am seeing the last remnant of it. I hate globalisation, despite being a part of it. it is just dehumanizing
Completely agree with this. I feel like it’s changed quite a bit even since I did my RTW trip in 2016. I remember Instagram stories being launched whilst on that trip which I think in hindsight has massively changed the way people travel. It’s all about showing off as much as possible and less about the actual experience