Our episode at The World Wanderers this week is a discussion about this article, Against the Cult of Travel, by Kate and Brett McKay. We read a few key excerpts and share our thoughts on the arguments presented.
For an article that is against travel as anything more than a hobby, we agree with a lot of the points that they are making. Simply taking a trip does not make you more virtuous, it is not a requirement to a satisfying life, and it will not be the magic cure to your problems.
But does anyone actually think that travel does those things?
The idea that we have consistently pushed is that long-term travel is a great environment for personal development, and a means to assist you on the path to a self-directed and fulfilling life. A means to a better life, not an end in itself.
As long as you go somewhere new, travel will push you out of your comfort zone. It forces you into new situations and allows you to grow and change. It is an environment conducive to improving your self-esteem. Each time you face a challenge and expand your comfort zone you are improving your trust in yourself. As you improve your trust in yourself your horizons expand.
Beyond being a good way to build confidence, long-term travel is an opportunity to take a break from obligation and start living a life that you enjoy.
From the time we are children, we are taught to sacrifice for the future. Suffer through elementary so you can go to high school, suffer through high school for college, suffer through college for a job, suffer through your first job for your second job, suffer through a career so you can end up at the top of your occupation.
And what will you have then?
The common life is one of sacrifice for a never arriving future.
The meaning of my life is simply the enjoyment I will take from it. A legacy will mean nothing to me when I’m dead. My purpose is to maximize my enjoyment of my experience. And accomplishment is only valuable if I enjoy the process.
The best way I can do that is to enjoy the present moment. Not in a frivolous sense. Not by running from challenges, or hiding from hard work. Not by sacrificing the long-term in exchange for the short. But not by living a life I don’t like in exchange for a high salary in the future, or vanity in the eyes of others.
Travel is an opportunity remove yourself from obligations and responsibilities, and wake up each morning with a question, “what do I want to do today?”
Over time you learn more about what you want to do. You learn what makes you feel alive and what you don’t like doing. You connect with your interests and your drive to achieve something. You learn that momentary lighthearted happiness is not as satisfying as a deep sense of fulfillment. You return feeling energized and more clear-headed about how you want to invest your time.
And no, that feeling doesn’t last forever. If you go back into the exact same life, you were living before, the feeling of life you had while traveling will surely be fleeting. But is that an argument to not travel?
Why not recognize that travel is a valuable experience for learning about and improving yourself? Not improving yourself as a cog in a business, but simply improving your ability to enjoy the life that you are living.
Travel may not be a magic pill, but changing your environment, breaking your habits, improving your confidence, and gaining perspective on your problems is probably going to help you enjoy life more.
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