re: What do your friends and family members think of your travel lifestyle?

I just came back from 3 weeks in Thailand on the 6th. I leave Saturday the 23rd for 2 weeks in Costa Rica. People generally hate me for it, assign negative motives to it, and can't wrap their head around it. They don't understand me though, I just feel more alive when I travel. It satisfies my need for adventure and novelty in my life. But that's the whole way I've structured my career and made the decisions I've made, so I could do the things that make me feel like I'm living the life I was meant to live. And it's not like I'm being extravagant, I live a pretty spartan life. I just go places and do things because I feel this deep feeling that that's the best thing for me. A certain kind of person seems to hate that.

quote:

---

Not everyone wants to or has the means to journey all over.

---

Before kids my family was pretty glad we had the chance to travel a lot, probably with some good natured jealousy. Now I think my family just thinks we're crazy, but I don't think they're jealous, annoyed, etc.

Most of my family is just practical/efficient to a fault. They're not taking small kids to an expensive lunch on a normal day because nobody will enjoy it (in their mind) so it's not worth the money. Same with traveling. It's a hassle, kids won't remember it, parents won't enjoy it, you won't be able to experience the locale, it's expensive, etc. Cost benefit, basically.

But we've just embraced the chaos, sort of. The concept being that paying our dues now with flights and restaurants and whatnot with small kids will pay off when they're accustomed to it in a few years. Hopefully when a) we'll be able to do more stuff enjoyable for everyone and b) we can really start making memories with them. No idea if that'll work, but we've seen other families do it. Watching 6-7 year olds behave themselves without iPads and with some genuine interest in museums and tours and low key things like that is impressive and what we're after. Low maintenance kids.

Basically we view it as training/investment, and it's just something most of our family would never do.

quote:

---

Seems like everyone on my social media feeds travel to 3 places. Pandhandle / Disney / Smoky mtns

---

Guilty of that ourselves, but that’s because we only want to drive places right now w our young family. Don’t want to deal w flying w young kids; especially with risks of delays/cancelled flights. In a few years, we’ll be expanding the kids adventures.

I know others fly all over with their young kids; we are just making that decision now.

My family harps on my wasteful travel habits because I traveled to Indianapolis for a work conference last summer and because I went to the Fiesta Bowl...in 2019

Said family members are currently on vacation at Yellowstone

We travel once a month during the September-May school year, for ~2 weeks in June, and every other weekend in July-August. Our 12 year old has visited 46 states and 17 countries.

I've never heard a single snide remark about it from any of our family or friends. Who knows what they say when talking among themselves, but I hear only encouragement, requests for destination/itinerary tips, or nothing at all.

When I really started collecting miles and points and traveling internationally in 2015, I used to post pics on Facebook, and I'd get comments like "trip of a lifetime."

Eventually, I quit posting, because people didn't understand why I drive an old 2003 Honda Civic and also travel around the world, often in business class.

quote:

---

I would rather take two $5k trips than one 10K trip

---

I agree

quote:

---

I prefer to eat what the locals eat instead of eating lobster in a five star restaurant.

---

Yep. Had a a 3 lb spiny lobster from Abe’s on Jost Van Dyke that I ate tonight. Dinner on a pier in one of the prettiest little bays you’ll ever see. I love eating local. That 3 lb lobster with a ton of sides cost less than $50.

quote:

---

I prefer to eat what the locals eat instead of eating lobster in a five star restaurant.

---

Can’t you do both? One Michelin star restaurant and eat like the locals. To me, that’s the best trip.