A few days ago, I posted my thoughts on why traveling is overrated (as well as location independence), particularly from a financial point of view. My premise is that what comes down to it, traveling is another form of entertainment. When people spend money they don’t have in order to travel, yet view it as some type of more “acceptable” big expense than other forms of entertainment, it’s a waste. Additionally, people that spend large sums of money to travel to far flung places, and do so even partially in order to compete with others and have bragging rights, it’s downright silly. I said this from the perspective of one who has traveled a decent amount.
Well, not long after posting that article, I got an email from a reader with his own persepctive. I was glad to get the email, and with his permission, I’m sharing it here:
Hello,
I usually (often) agree with you, but today, I believe you are way off the mark with travel.
If the context is showing off, keeping up with others, spending beyond one’s ability/budget, status, or so-called entertainment, I can accept your hypothesis, but I strongly believe in travel for the following reasons (and many more): it is a potential source of personal growth & learning in history, art, culture,geography, personal independence, self awareness, adaptation, appreciation of others, intercultural relationships, getting out of one’s “comfort zone”, budgeting/financial management, challenging one’s perceptions of self, home & the world, new areas of literature, new places to discover cuisines, etc. Of course, all the above do not apply if one goes on a “bubble vacation” with no interaction with people one visits.
Given the effort to travel today, and in spite of it, the rewards are potentially huge. An amazing return on investment!
This response got me thinking: even if one views travel as more than entertainment, and actually as a source of personal growth, is it worth potentially large expenses? In other words, is traveling legitimate form of investment and/or education for some people?
What do you think of the reader’s comments?
What are your thoughts surrounding the idea of spending money on traveling for the purposes of personal growth?
Can you view travel as something that provides a return on investment, that might not be financially quantifiable but still well worth potentially large expense?
As long as you budget for it and can afford it I think you should travel as much as you want. Just don’t try to pass it off as something it isn’t to you. If you don’t get any personal growth from traveling but you try to sell it as that to your spouse you’re in for a world of hurt.
Lance – yes, passing it on as something it isn’t would be disingenuous
I cannot see how traveling can be a form of investment, but I do agree that it is indeed educational. We learn about the culture and tradition of people in the places we visit. When we see museums, monuments, and other famous landmarks, we learn about history. Similarly, we also learn how to take care of the environment when we go to campgrounds and national parks.
Cherleen – good points!
I travel for those reasons, and because I have family overseas. Yes, it is expensive, but for us, we’ve made the decision that travel is a part of our lives, just like having a car or having a job. It’s who we are. Being true to yourself is something we shouldn’t lose sight of.
People who do travel often get so excited about their experiences that they come across as elitist or as braggarts. I do agree with you that if you are traveling because it’s a status symbol, you are doing it for the wrong reasons.
Just like most people aren’t interested in your stamp collection, most people aren’t interested in our travel hobby, so it’s probably best kept to oneself.
John – you bring up a good point, and in particular I mean the family aspect. Visiting family is a different ballgame, and I totally get what you might be saying in that regard.
Well, there really is no tangible ROI on travel, is there? I know people who’ve never left the country (and NZ is a very, very small country). But I love going to new places and experiencing what they have to offer. Some think it’s a waste of money, but it’s worth so much more than that to me. I love John’s comment above about making travel a part of your lifestyle.
I think there’s a lot of stuff labeled as personal growth that really isn’t. Sure, some travel can lead to personal growth, but some folks who do it for personal growth are too shallow to actually be getting anything from it other than a check off the bucket list. They’re the ones who tend to preach about enlightenment and hold vacuous seminars while ignoring true responsibilities.
Nicoleandmaggie – very good point that some people who could really grow from such experiences don’t have the personal depth to really do so.
The chance to travel happens for different reasons. For some, it is their motivation to work harder each day so that they can afford to travel, which, for them is the best reward they deserve. As long as it is reasonable to the budget, I guess travelling is a nice treat and self-fulfilling. However, I also cannot find any angle for investment returns.