We all love travelling. The fact that you’re on this travel platform and clicked to read this specific post already says something. As the travel market grows and tourism booms, everybody has the travel bug. Being a digital nomad in Bali, getting your Eat, Play, Love on in Italy or roadtrippin’ across Europe were once the dream. Today, they are all achievable goals.
For most people, travel has been made easy these days, and boy are we glad for that because we are as ready as the next person to jump on a plane and leave our Monday blues at the check-in desk. Yet as travelling on a long weekend becomes the norm and frequent flights no longer seem like a privileged luxury, have we become obsessed with travelling?
You see, air tickets are now cheaper than ever and the deep influence social media has on our lives and mindsets, these picture-perfect Instagram posts make us want to travel more, make us crave it or think that if we don’t also travel there, we’re missing out. FOMO is real you guys. Don’t know what that is? Great, you don’t need to worry about it.
Perhaps the above isn’t true for everyone, but I know it certainly hits me every now and again. In early 2019, my Instagram blew up with stunning photos of Petra in Jordan. One right after another, accounts I followed were going to Petra, and Jordan went from not being on a travel list to climbing to the top. The truth is, I’ve yet to go but now that I’ve been exposed to it so much, I want to. And this is the point I want to make.
Are we travelling because we truly want to or because it’s what we do these days and we have to stay on top of the game?
If you turn on the TV, there’s bound to be a travel show on taking people a whirlwind adventure around the globe, meeting other cultures and lifestyles. I used to be a sucker for these shows and they do seem pretty fun, it’s not like I would turn down an offer to be on one (who are kidding? ha!) but aren’t they all quite similar? Back when Antony Bourdain and Andrew Zimmern started out, they stood out, partly because of their unorthodox food choices but also because they dived deep in the culture, meaning and tradition behind a dish.
People used to travel for work or for a special occasion. As travel became more attainable to the masses, it has become a sort of hobby (and my favourite, I’ll be honest). But why do we travel today? Is to say that we’ve been there?
I’d like to think that that’s not the case but my mind falls into the loophole every once in a while, just as it does when I look at the country count many Instagram accounts now include. We’ve become a society where comparing ourselves with others comes like second nature. Numbers are all around us. Hundreds of accounts highlight how many countries they’ve been to and that number in the description box hit me for a while.
I always considered myself one of the lucky ones as for a 27-year-old, I feel like I’ve travelled more than the average person – at least in my social circle. When I became an avid Instagram user, gushing over travel accounts to feed my wanderlust, I began to notice the number of countries people have visited that they put in their description. Was I really as well-travelled as I thought when this person has been to 30,50,70 countries?
It got me thinking for a while but just as many other factors, I can’t spend my life comparing myself to others. Truth is, I am immensely grateful for been to where I’ve been to so far. For going with eyes and mind wide open, ready to experience new cultures and states of mind. In fact, it’s seeing those alternative lifestyles that have made me want to keep my wanderlust even when I’m back home. Sure, the excitement isn’t on the same spectrum but it’s there and it helps me stay grounded and grateful.
At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter if you’ve been to all of the countries in the world if you take nothing from the trips. Travelling isn’t a mere tick on your bucket list, so don’t treat it like a one. Enjoy the ride, go at your own pace and let the world amaze you.
What is your relationship with travel like? Tell me I want to know!
