BootsnAll Travel Community

Last summer my wife and I traveled throughout SouthWest America.

We hiked into the Grand Canyon, camped with the Sedona redrocks to our back, walked the Las Vegas strip at night, watched lizards scurry across the desert floor, horsebacked through the Flagstaff ponderosa forest, and rode a skilift up to Arizona's highest point.

My first day back at work, I tried sharing my stories (and excitement) with a co-worker.

After hearing about my adventures, he said "Ahhh, I can see all of that on television",then turned around and walked out of my office.

So sad...so horribly sad that people like that exist.

A coworker of mine spends every dime he makes supporting his 60" HDTV, surround sound system, computers, electronic gadgets...

When I tell him about my travels, he uses the same argument. He doesn't need to travel, becuause he can watch those people on his HDTV, and it's such a good picture it's just like being there!

Besides, he says...who would want to spend that much time on an airplane anyway?

Maybe he's got a point!

You know guys... While I agree that it is very frustrating to talk to people about travel. (especially my own father who uses the "i can see all that on the internet/tv" excuse.

But, maybe we are being a little bit to close-minded. I always look at people who travel as searching for something. Either within themselves or searching for a better understanding of what this planet is all about. What right do we have to feel that it is a bad thing to work your ass off for a nice tv or nice car and other materialistic items that a lot of us try to do without.

I can't sit here and honestly feel that those who have no desire to travel are any less interesting or live by any lower standards than those who do.

Obviously though when it comes to seeing beautiful scenery, landscapes, cityscapes, people, wildlife, and experiencing the feeling of being in another country... lost, found, looking... we know what they are missing!!!

Let get together now and sing...

Now, the world don't move to the beat of just one drum,
What might be right for you, may not be right for some.
A man is born, he's a man of means.
Then along come two, they got nothing but their jeans.

(everybody now!!!!)


But they got, Diff'rent Strokes.
It takes, Diff'rent Strokes.
It takes, Diff'rent Strokes to move the world.

I'm not mad that he doesn't like to travel,
I'm just so glad that I do.

Originally posted by croz:

When I tell him about my travels, he uses the same argument. He doesn't need to travel, becuause he can watch those people on his HDTV, and it's such a good picture it's just like being there!

So I guess I can watch a T.V. commercial for McDonalds instead of actually eating.
Maybe he's got a point! [/QUOTE]

It's like people like that live in a bubble. They hide behind their stuff so they never have to deal with the world or expierance it. I've actually heard the excuse " I could never travel. What would I do with all my things?" Those type of poeple just can't imagine life without their stuff. I just don't get it. It's like for all their connectivity they go thruogh life with blinders on.

E.

I'm glad they aren't traveling... more cheap seats for me!

I have a coworker who won't travel, not because he thinks he won't like it, but because he KNOWS he WILL like it. He'd rather be blissfully ignorant. Sometimes I would too. The more I travel, the more I want to travel, and I don't think it will ever end.

It's hard to understand what you're missing out on if you've never tried it, and that's not necessarily a bad thing. That can be said about a lot of things in life.

That being said, I still would never trade in my experiences for a 60" TV.

I work with a woman who's well-paid, house paid off, kids thru school, husband has a good job etc, and on vacation she............stays at home. She admits she can afford to go, gets 6 weeks off a year and would like to travel but wont go because she "doesn't want to waste money" She's just saving and saving and never has any plans for it, she just wants to accumulate more wealth. I think that would be an awful way to live

I could understand the argument being applied to space travel, but ordinary terrestrial travel.......

I remember when I went on my first interrail trip, I was telling someone about it and said I wanted to do something worthwhile with my money, not just spend it on CDs and such, and he said if I travelled I just blew my money away, whereas if I bought material things I could use them for years. As if memories or the insights that come to you when you experience another culture can't last you a lifetime!

I think alot of people are afraid financially. Everyone wants to accumulate money so they can have stuff, and walking around in some foreign country for weeks on end not accumulating anything seems like a bad investment.
I think it'd be interesting to see how traveled nay-sayers are, those who use the TV/Internet excuse. My guess is that they haven't yet tasted travel, so they might not even know their hungry for it.
http://www.asofterworld.com/soft_dec10_2004.htm
Thought this was appropriate

quote:

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Originally posted by Joey T:

But, maybe we are being a little bit to close-minded. I always look at people who travel as searching for something. Either within themselves or searching for a better understanding of what this planet is all about. What right do we have to feel that it is a bad thing to work your ass off for a nice tv or nice car and other materialistic items that a lot of us try to do without.

_

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I agree w/ what Joey is hinting at. It's easy to scoff at those who have a totally different value system, and totally different way of spending money. We might think we're more enlightened and unrestricted and open-minded, but it could also be argued that we're more lost and confused. You know, everyone's so different...I bounce back and forth between seeing non-travel people as caged, ignorant, and clueless about what's important in life, to feeling more welcoming..that they have the right to live their life as they want to live it.

I think there are several things going on. Some of these people are afraid, (financially or socially), others might not want to travel because they've become slaves to materialism and status and their image, others because they are 'too practical', others because, like dpcherry mentioned, they KNOW they will like it, and they fear the neverending desire to travel and escape - a thirst that might never be quenched.

It's all in how you look at it. Just as I scoff at those who buy gigantic stereo systems, I can see how some people might scoff at spending a bunch of money to travel. Just as we 'don't get it' that they're wrapped up in materialistic stuff, they don't get it that we aren't.

And I will admit I'm trying to straddle both lifestyles..because I'm not sure either one is absolutely the way to go. I'm trying to have a mix of both.

Eowyn, you've pretty much said exactly what I'm thinking, and Joey, I'm singing....though its probably a good thing you cant hear it..
Im the same way, I get really cynical and snobbish (for lack of a better word), when I look at friends lives sometimes - those who are thinking of buying a house, settling down, whose idea of travel is two weeks in Fiji in a resort. It just seems fruitless and pointless. You work, work, work, spend money, acumulate things, then sit sipping tea and chatting about the weather, and die. (see? cynical) I think life is about discovery. Its about using the talents you have and overcoming the ones you lack. Not spending 8 hours a day answering phones.

And then I think: Who the hell am I? God? What right do I have to think I'll have a better life in the end having experienced different things? Maybe I'm the one losing - I'll travel, travel, travel, have awesome experiences, meet awesome people, then come home and realize there is no mystery. I've done it. Thats it. Maybe I should have gone the other way so at least while ignorant I'd have hope. Okay thats a bit depressing. And not the case Im sure.

But there are wonderful interesting people living very ordinary lives, doing the family thing, being happy.

I think you've gotta do whats right for you. If thats a material life/family life - Cool. However if you're going that way because you feel you should - not cool.

Unlike you Eowyn, I'm pretty sure which side I want to be on, and need to be on to stay sane, but likewise, I'm always trying to keep an open mind and not judge. Not yet. I'll wait til I get together with forementioned friends in 50 years for a teaparty - then we'll see.

To each their own...

If people don't want to travel, fine. It's their choice.
I'm just happy to live my life and make my own choices. Things would get terribly complicated if I had to decide things for all the other people in the world!

Seriously though, people not wanting to travel is perfectly understandable. There are as many reasons to stay home as there are to go.

The only person I've tried to convince to travel is my mom. She's retiring and financially stable. I really feel getting out there and seeing some of the world would do wonders for her. Now that I've put a map in front of her and said, 'Where?' -she's starting to get excited about it, and just that spark is already changing her. I can't wait to see what happens when she actually goes to Italy!


Ahhh...I've got diff'rent strokes in my head now!
Actually, it's amusing me a lot.

quote:

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Originally posted by BillGlo:
Last summer my wife and I traveled throughout SouthWest America.

We hiked into the Grand Canyon, camped with the Sedona redrocks to our back, walked the Las Vegas strip at night, watched lizards scurry across the desert floor, horsebacked through the Flagstaff ponderosa forest, and rode a skilift up to Arizona's highest point.

My first day back at work, I tried sharing my stories (and excitement) with a co-worker.

After hearing about my adventures, he said "Ahhh, I can see all of that on television",then turned around and walked out of my office.

---

LOL makes coming back to work fun eh?

I've come to terms with the fact that my hubby isn't cut out for travel. He's content to stay at home and tinker with maths -- happier in his head than on the road. But that's it: he's happy. Nothing wrong with that, 'specially since he forks out for the odd trip for me

And hopefully we'll meet up in Bali for 2 weeks holiday 'round about our wedding anniversary, aaahhh...

Eowyn, will you marry me? hehehe

Started typing a reply then stopped after realizing it was going to say the exact same thing you already posted. Figured everyone might think I plagiarized your post.

Didn't we already do that in another thread?

Cya!

Wow, MHR...I thought for sure I ruffled your feathers after the evolution thread...now I get a proposal?? If only people took to me like that in 'real' life!!

Whalewatcher - your avatar is VERY cool when it's blown up like that!!

Shoot, my feathers don't ruffle to easily. I just tend to express myself a bit over the top which comes across as anger sometimes. That's the problem with forums though, unless people are english majors, it's hard to express themselves correctly in words.

Awe, come on now.. I bet you don't have too much trouble.