A woman asks: Am I
strange for not wanting to travel?
Kathy from Kingman
emailed, "I don't like to travel, even small day trips. Just about
everyone on the dating sites talks about how they love to travel or would love
to.
"I have always had
problems with travel, car sickness, elevation sickness, I get Vertigo at odd
times, so driving alone can be a challenge, I have a few other physical issues
and sleeping on a bed that hundreds of others have slept and left all their
epithelium and bodily fluids behind I think is degusting.
"Plus I don’t eat
out at all, I have a lot of food allergies and most places have no idea what
goes into their food mostly if it’s processed. I had a very nice cab-over-camper
that helped with that but I just don’t have any urge to go, I can watch it all
on TV in a nice climate- controlled home. Plus I work all the time, I did take
a day off about three months ago, I have grand kids in Rancho Cucamonga, so I
drive four hours out, spend about four hours with them and then drive back.
"One thing I find
odd is that I always have to explain myself to others. Because I’m not like the
majority (who love to travel or live to travel) I’m treated like some kind of
freak… that’s why I’m asking you, with all your readers, am I the only person
in the world that does not want to go anywhere?"
My response: The reason so many people like to travel is
it broadens their horizons and enriches their lives. Travel is educational and
fun. Getting away from the daily routine helps us recharge our batteries.
Travel gives us an appreciation for people who live in other cities and foreign
countries.
I recall a day trip my
life partner Greta and I took out of Sydney, Australia, to the Blue Mountains,
where the people on the small tour bus were from six different countries. It
seemed by the end of the day we were all pals and it didn't matter where we
were from. Here is what I wrote on my TravelAfter55.com website about that day
trip:
"Our
group of 20 was an eclectic mix of international travelers. Besides the five of
us who walked on a rugged hike (two from the USA, two London, one Australia)
there were three from Brisbane, Australia, two from Korea, four from Ireland,
four from China, and two more from London.
"As
we rode back on the bus, Greta and I paused to think how wonderful the world
can be when its international inhabitants live in peace. Travel breaks down
barriers and creates friendships despite language, religious and political
differences."
Greta and I try to travel
as much as we can at our age, while we are both healthy enough to do so and
while we can afford to do so financially.
Most people on dating
sites are looking for someone who wants to travel because traveling is more
enjoyable with someone and usually less expensive.
It's cheaper for each
individual when two people are splitting the cost of gas, rental cars, hotels
and cruise ship staterooms, just to name a few expense items that can be split.
Back to Kathy's question: Is she the only one in the world who doesn't
want to go anywhere? Of course not.
I was speaking to a
college friend this week who is retired and lives in Bethlehem, Pa. He loves to
travel. His wife no longer wants to fly across the Atlantic Ocean. So, last
year, he and his son went to Europe together for a couple of weeks.
Some people think foreign
travel is too risky. Travel can be dangerous. Look at the security around the
Sochi, Russia, Winter Olympics, beginning today. There is great concern that
extremists will try to disrupt the games. But life at home can be dangerous as
well. Look at what happened at the Boston Marathon last year or the shootings
that have rocked our own country recently.
Some people don't travel
for health reasons, and others for financial reasons. And others, similar to
Kathy, prefer sticking around home.
For Kathy, finding a
compatible mate will be difficult, not only because she doesn't want to travel,
but because she has other principles by which she lives. She doesn't want to
sleep in hotel beds, she doesn't dine out, she has other health issues and she
works "all of the time" (one day off in three months). Those
idiosyncrasies leave little room for a man.
Should people with
interests similar to Kathy be judged as freaks? Heavens no. What she does is
her business.
How do you feel about
travel?
Check out my blogs on my http://www.TravelAfter55.com website.
With all the airport security procedures now, traffic, high prices for travel, etc., I really don't want to travel anymore. I was more than happy to travel when life was simpler: you could pull up to the airport @ Burbank, park easily, check in and walk out on the tarmac and board the plane. Easy peasy! No terrorists back then, low airfares, easy boarding. But not now. I travelled a lot when I was younger both for pleasure & for work and am glad I did it then. Now I like watching travel programs which are both informative and beautiful. I've seen some beautiful places in this world & my memories of them are still fresh in my mind. I do enjoy day trips that I take with several local senior centers. I don't have to drive, look for parking spaces, or wait in line to get in. It's the only way to go!
ReplyDeleteYou make many excellent points regarding the headaches of modern travel. My life partner and I were going to fly to Northern California next month and rent a car there for a couple of weeks. We thought about the hassles and decided to drive instead. Easier to have our own car and much cheaper. Unfortunately, you can't drive to Europe.
ReplyDelete