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If you think looking at pictures is the same as experiencing another culture...then you're not living your life correctly.
You cannot understand another culture by merely looking at photographs. You've got to talk to people. Walk around. Fully observe. What you're suggesting is the height of superficiality. It's like looking at one photo of Abe Lincoln would tell you everything about Abe Lincoln. Absolutely not. Shallow, shallow, shallow.
I said this upthread, but there's a staggering amount of cultural interaction that can happen from just talking to the people around you right now. There's so many people who grew up in a wildly different environment willing to share their story if you ask. You don't get to experience the ceremonies, but you get the conversation. If people valued that so highly, they'd talk to the strangers around them, they'd do the easy options first.
Quote:
Originally Posted by rokuremote
That's fine, and I don't disagree but that's not the same as claiming the internet is the same as real travel, or that thinking otherwise means you haven't managed your life correctly.
The point of this thread is that you can have a oodles of real travel and missed out on so many of the other experiences life has to offer. If I was out of town now, I'd miss the chance to x country ski out my backyard right now or hit up the ski slopes. I would have missed the hippie gathering at the commune, having a house party with neighbors, etc... If you're doing one thing, you're not doing something else. This is pretty apparent when you see how little people have experienced of their local events, outdoors, and scene.
Quote:
Originally Posted by beach43ofus
Nailed it! If someone else is obsessed, so what? I know a very affluent lady who seems obsessed, but I don't like her any less for it...good for her that she has an interest she enjoys so much.
Right now, she's off from SE Florida to Singapore, Malaysia and the Phillipines. She wore out Europe years ago.
I don't want to turn this into a eco bashing thread, but that one persons footprint is bigger than most towns in the developing world. The "so what" is that it's simply not possible to have that type of lifestyle be widespread with the energy constraints we have today.
I've talked to a couple elderly people like that and the sad thing is they have so many travel photos just sitting in boxes and they've forgotten whole pieces of trips that they took. It happens to all of us, we only have so much capacity. There's diminishing returns from each additional trip.
Whereas we can have millions of people do your kind of travel - where you take a little roadtrip and stay for 2 months. That is scalable. And if you forgot 1 week of one of your trips, it's not like it was that much of an expenditure to make that experience happen, so it's not a big deal.
One reason to travel is to simply get out of your comfort zone and be independent, two really important skills that can also be fun to use.
For me, I jumped at the chance to see the US right after high school.
That's my advice for anyone hitting 18 or 22 or so. Spend a few weeks/months going to places that sound a little daunting, whether that's an arc across the Midwest or somewhere that requires learning phrases. Head for places without a plan. Sleep in cheap youth hostels and live off day-old bagels. See what you find. Figure out some skills as you go.
That's fine, and I don't disagree but that's not the same as claiming the internet is the same as real travel, or that thinking otherwise means you haven't managed your life correctly.
For the record, I agree with that too.
I find the range of opinions on this thread to be fascinating. On the one end, some people think that traveling is meaningless, a hassle and a waste of time and money.
On the other end, some people think that traveling is the be-all and end-all of human experience, and people who don’t travel are unenlightened and ignorant.
It is amazing that humans can experience the same activity so differently. It’s almost like a religious thing.
If you think looking at pictures is the same as experiencing another culture...then you're not living your life correctly.
You cannot understand another culture by merely looking at photographs. You've got to talk to people. Walk around. Fully observe. What you're suggesting is the height of superficiality. It's like looking at one photo of Abe Lincoln would tell you everything about Abe Lincoln. Absolutely not. Shallow, shallow, shallow.
Do tell, why would I give a crap about a culture with which I will never interact other than deliberately placing myself into a situation (via travel) where I have to? Also, have you ever considered that these cultures might resent you treating them like an exhibit at a zoo? They're people, not an amusement park ride.
They're people, not an amusement park ride.
Is that how YOU feel when any tourist is learning our culture? No. I don't even notice. And neither do they. They learn as much both ways - the culture exchange is mutual - neither side is the zoo. Perhaps one side has home field advantage - that's it.
You should "give a crap" because other cultures teach you tolerance, curiosity, manners, class, forgiveness, and a 1000 other things you "interact" with every day, if you're a responsible adult, that aren't as easily noticed when you're surrounded by people you take for granted each day and who mainly gave up trying to teach you anything years ago.
I love travel. New food, new customs, new scenery, I really enjoy the novelty and “discovery”. Maybe it isn’t for everybody. But I definitely put it high up my priority list for whatever disposable income I have.
Time to end this discussion; we've covered it well.
As far as travel goes, to each their own. Whether it's obsessive or not doesn't seem to matter. You do you. YMMV.
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