I've got the point where, for now at any rate, having travelled all over the world, I've had my fill of travelling and I'm quite happy to stay at home and enjoy my own city and my own country. People who're perpetually travelling find this sudden lack of wanderlust strange and try to persuade us to keep on the move.
It doesn't help that air travel is becoming such a complicated business, fraught with unexpected difficulties like computer failures, strikes, staff shortages, lost baggage, cancelled flights and unforeseen extra charges. I could do without all the hassle and stress and uncertainty.
And then there's the hefty charge for travel insurance. Once you're over 75 and you have one or two medical conditions, the cost of insurance goes through the roof. Is it worth paying such huge sums?
As for travel broadening the mind, I didn't see much evidence of that in my parents, even though they visited Italy many times. My mum professed to love Italy, but she also disliked Italian food. Pizza, pasta, tiramisu, whatever, she wasn't a fan. She still preferred traditional English food.
So for the time being I'm staying at home and marvelling at all those hardened travellers who'll put up with anything the airline throws at them to get their two weeks in some exotic location. Rather them than me.
Travelling probably only broadens the mind if you put the work in - if you're just jetting off for a suntan then I doubt you're going to learn anything!
ReplyDeleteTravelling seems to be so much hard work, I'd rather stay home and look at other peoples photos!
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Ms Scarlet: Indeed, if you don't consciously want to broaden your mind, you won't get any benefit. And yes, travelling is very hard work these days.
DeleteThe hassle of the airline industry has really dampened my enthusiasm for travel. I'd love to see so many places, but I don't know if or when it will happen.
ReplyDeleteBijoux: Air travel is far too complicated nowadays. Oh for the days when you could simply stroll on to a plane - and enjoy luxurious conditions rather than spartan discomfort.
DeleteBeen there; done that. Am glad to just stay home now. But, I am glad we did that when travel was not such a hassle.
ReplyDeleteLinda
Linda: Travelling seems to become more and more of an obstacle race. It's nice to just stay at home and get immersed in a good book.
DeleteI've never liked traveling. I'm more the type to enjoy others pictures and stories of their travels.
ReplyDeleteMary: Me too. Listening to other people's travels is a lot easier than travelling oneself!
DeleteI've visited almost all the places I want to see. Now, at 80, it's become too cumbersome. If I were spry as some, no problem. But, I'm not, so home it is.
ReplyDeleteJoanne: I'm not far off your age, and I also find travelling more and more cumbersome.
DeleteThis is Fly who has still not sussed how to log on ....I just wish I had not had the nose to the grindstone when younger and when the knees still worked.
ReplyDeleteTravelling with Leo in later life we met so many interesting people, had so much fun....crawling through a ditch to see Karnak at sunrise, hiring a horse and trap to see the Valley of Kings - and meet the driver's family - being taught to sail a felucca..and that was only Egypt!
Fly: Sounds like your Egypt trip was quite something! I've never been there.
DeleteThe "constant cruisers" in my circle are the ones who baffle me. Those overcrowded polluting ships, often leaving their passengers infected with various diseases, would be a horror show for me. Many disembark, sick, and can hardly wait to go back on another one.
ReplyDeleteAfter Daughter's last multi-country European trip (she just got back, I backed off going at the last minute) I was so utterly relieved I hadn't gone. It was a nightmare of overcrowded planes and endless waiting for her. Phew.
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www: I fail to see the attraction of cruising, except for the easy boarding. I don't like rubbing shoulders with hundreds of strangers at the best of times. Overcrowded planes and endless waiting in airports seem to be the norm these days.
DeleteOur cruises were mainly film festivals hosted by Roger Ebert. The few of us who were part of the festival just hung around together watching one film after another. But we did do a couple European river cruises and enjoyed those as well. Our one cruise in Hawaii got rerouted by a medical emergency so we got to see volcanoes erupting at night which was a beautiful thing to see.
ReplyDeleteLinda
Linda: Seeing the volcanoes erupting sounds pretty spectacular. A shame your trip to Hawaii was cancelled though.
DeleteI like to see new places but with my level of disability it is hard work.
ReplyDeleteI get sick of the idea that travel broadens the mind, its probably true but travel is not the only way to grow!
I have a friend who cruises incessantly. Pretty sure it's just a way to make gambling seem less sordid
Kylie: Yes, there are plenty of other ways to broaden the mind. And I hadn't thought of the gambling angle!
DeleteOver the years, I've been to the UK, the Middle East, Japan, Ukraine, and Texas. Each time there was some hassle involved, but in each case it was well worth it on balance. But airlines, international political issues, and jackass tourists swarming into foreign countries and annoying the locals are all escalating the hassle side of the equation.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Ms Scarlet's comment -- to get the most out of it, you need to put some work into it. I always study up on whatever country I'm going to, and try to learn some of the language. People react a lot more positively if you can speak their language to whatever extent, instead of just arrogantly expecting them to speak English (in their own country). Japanese people especially were sometimes obviously startled that I could speak some Japanese.
Infidel: Agreed, the locals are frendlier if you can speak a bit of their language. I know quite a lot of Italian and a smattering of French but that's it. And the moment an Italian senses I'm English, they start to speak English, so I never got much practice in Italian!
Deletethecontemplativecat here. We are reaching the end of long travels. Daughter and family live in Switzerland and son lives in Illinois. We are taking a bus trip with other seniors to Grand Parks in the spring. I will not miss planes at all.
ReplyDeletecontemplativecat: Grand Parks sounds very luxurious. A bus trip is certainly more relaxing than air travel nowadays. Jenny and I took a bus tour of New Zealand in 2019 and it was great.
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