If my mom’s English was good enough and she read this post, she would probably not talk to me for a long time. My mother-in-law lovingly called us “traveling fools.” And I get it. I am sure their generation in general grew up on different values. House, car, furniture, jewelry and savings were all of paramount importance and a natural way of showing your status in life, your progression, your achievements. Don’t get me wrong, all of this is still important (and I wish more people could afford all the material pleasures of this life without sacrifices and budget planning). However, my generation is starting to progressively shift towards a different mindset – where experiences matter more than things. The priorities are shifting from collecting things to collecting experiences.
My husband and I are just another couple with average income making most of our lives and creating memories that will last a lifetime. Given the choice and budget constraint, I’d rather drive a Honda, but vacation four times a year, than say no to travel and spend next 10 years paying off 100K Mercedes to show my status. We also agreed early on that we’d rather splurge on a date night at a 3 Michelin star restaurant than spend money on exchanging gifts.
You might call me an addict, and you might be right about that. Although, I prefer to call it passion. Either way, the symptoms are clear: I feel like I’m suffocating if I stay in one place for more than three months; I need regular weekend getaways (near or far); I plan my vacations one to two years out; I do meticulous research and prepare detailed itineraries for every trip; CondeNast Traveler, Culture Trip, National Geographic and Travel + Leisure have turned into my bibles; I also frequent websites like booking.com just to daydream of the wonderful destinations around the world.
So, why do I choose to invest in travel versus things? The reasons are simple:
BROADEN MY PERSPECTIVE
As Mr. Twain once rightly pointed out, travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness. Two years in Haiti opened my mind in a totally different level. You might see the hardship of developing countries on TV, but until you experience it first-hand you cannot truly appreciate the every-day struggles of people who live there. Thankfully, our living conditions in Haiti were nothing like those living in an absolute poverty. However, I started appreciating even the simplest things like paved roads, traffic lights, grocery stores, movie theatres and shopping malls – basically, everything I took for granted before.
MEET NEW PEOPLE
Seeing the main sights of the destination is not enough for me. It honestly blows my mind how some people live in a foreign country for years and don’t have any local friends. I don’t think you can really learn anything about the country or its culture without interacting with locals. I think I’m the richest person because I have friends all over the world, because multicultural engagement is key to understanding the beauty of this world. Besides meeting locals of the host country, travel also gives opportunity to interact with other nationalities and learn a little bit about their culture. Every person that you cross paths with during your travels has a story to tell.
EXPERIENCE NEW CULTURES
Whether it was a luau night in Hawaii, climbing The Great Wall of China, overnight in a Buddhist temple in Japan, diving in St. Kitts, sumo tournament in Tokyo, or dune-bashing in Dubai – the possibilities of immersing into local culture at your new destination are endless, and the thrill of experiencing how people of other nations live and experience the same things that make their hearts tick is incomparable. As you trot the globe in pursuit of new smells, sights and sounds, the extent of your understanding of the world around you and of new cultures that are different from yours broadens and enriches you.
TASTE NEW CUISINE
It’s no secret I love good food and I always make an effort to try local cuisine everywhere I travel. No matter how much people try to recreate food it never tastes as good as in its original country, simply because the local produce and spices cannot be replicated anywhere else. Thai food will never be as good as that in Thailand, or Indian as mouthwatering as in India. I still remember our mind-blowing food tour in San Juan, when we savored the local specialties while touring the beautiful cobble-stoned streets. Our latest favorite was sampling Sichuan cuisine in the most unassuming little eatery in a random Chinese village on our way to the Forbidden City. It was cheap, simple, yet so so good.
TO NOT LOOK BACK AND WONDER, WHAT IF?
Life’s too short, and at the end of the day, the only “thing” that will stay with me forever, are all the adventures and sweet memories I made with my loved ones. I don’t want to put off anything that I can do today, this month or this year. I don’t want to look back in regret and say I wish I went there, or done this. Honestly, I don’t think this travel bug will ever go away. I will always have that itch to pack my bags and book the next flight out. I don’t think there is right or wrong answer to living your life. Doing what feels right now is probably the best answer, because we don’t know what tomorrow holds.
What are your thoughts on travel vs. things?
Which one would you pick if you had to choose?
Linking up with Monthly Travel Link-up, Faraway Files & Wanderful Wednesday.
xoxo, nano
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We could not agree more!!! We live for travelling!
I don’t know. I think there has to be a balance. I think there should be enough things in our life to share and enough travel to make us grow, but at the same time enough lightness to make us free and enough roots to make us stable.
I absolutely agree with you! I haven’t tried to travel in other countries yet I’m started to travel locally and I’m enjoying it so far.
This post is like you have taken the words right from my heart and penned it down😍❤
i love this so much!
Travel is the best this in life !! The experience we get from it is priceless !! This is article is so true !
https://thegoldjournal.wordpress.com/
Love this post! It’s all about the adventures and experiences!
https://thelistgoesonblog.wordpress.com/
I completely agree with you! I wish that more people would think like you! Experiences help us to evolve as human beings, while materials things simply come and go. Travelling makes us richer and feel more alive!
Love this article! You have me ready to travel more than ever!
Reblogged this on World beneath the feet and commented:
Bingo! You touched my heart there.
I agree with everything in this post!
Thank you for posting; and for the reminder, that I’m not alone in my “travel cravings” & “wanderlustings”!
I love this post and your blog! :)
Live it
I love this! It makes so much sense to invest in travelling rather than materialistic things! And to see parts of the world you never thought you would see is even greater!
I invest in travel too…Here is a great place to travel!…http://www.nearariver.com/enjoy-life-go-leaf-peeping/
Such a meaningful post about what’s more important in life and I completely agree to each and every word of it. Travel is like filling up soul and buying things is filling up house. 😊
I agree with your post 100%. I just wrote something similar, I am glad there is others that think like me 😁. I would rather travel then have material things. I’ve never been one to buy expensive things anyway, so this is an easy one. Travel the world and have many stories and pictures to back it up. Great post 👌🏾
love it :)
Love, love, love your perspective. Collecting memories makes a life! It took me a while to get there. God bless you on your travels.
Thank you Nancy
Wholeheartedly agree with this 100%! Excellent read :)
would love to share this post on my travel page https://www.facebook.com/Passport.Souls/ only if you allow !
Reblogged this on Inside Out With Rahul Yuvi and commented:
Fill your life with adventures, not things. Have stories to tell ,not things to show !!
Couldn’t resist to re -blog this wonderful write up of yours on https://the-passport-souls.travel.blog/ ! :)
Beautifully written…And as they say ” Fill your life with adventures, not things. Have stories to tell ,not things to show “
I totally agree with this post! Nothing in life gives me more happiness than experiencing the world and seeing how other people live in life. Material isn’t everything and they don’t give you any kind of experience. I couldn’t agree with this blog post more!
Thank you so much for putting all of this into one post! I’ve recently started a change in my way of thinking, to thoughts that were always an undercurrent which align with so much of what you shared. Thanks for feeding my perspective to experience life instead of buying things.
Hi guys just wondering if you could check out my new blog! Would love some views and maybe friendly feedback:) http://tamsinsview.wordpress.com
Great post!
I share the same perspective and would rather make memories, as opposed to having materialistic objects.
It also broadens the mind.
Feel free to check out my blog xo
Love this post and definitely agree!
Your pictures are lovely too!
x Lysbeth from https://lysbethchristina.com
Wow this is soul amazing!
yes!! this is exactly my thoughts. such a great post!
Beautifully written!!! A backpack and a Camera!! It’s all that’s needed ! And yes a will to travel .. a strong will !
Invest in a camera too maybe? in case you want to relive those moments.
Loved the post though!
Same here! I want to save more money and experience the world with my husband. explore and learn the culture or other countries is really one of my list and the foods! Hahaha
These are so similar to the reasons I travel! Great post :)
great post you have a new follower xo
travel and photos are always more valuable than things. I just did a trip to Quebec City this year and though it was short, it was marvelous at the same time. Where are you looking to go next?
Travelling is my favorite hobby for all the reasons (and more) you listed :)
Great! You definitely can’t put a price on experiences and memories.
love this!!
you have a new follower!!!!!
This is something I’ve recently discovered as well! Beauty in the memories and the positive feelings you get from being somewhere new.
Very well said. Can’t have amazing memories with things. :)
Life sure is too short not to see what it offers. How could one ever discover it without traveling? Loved this post, your reasons are facts! ♥︎
Suffocating if you stay in one place for more than three months… well phrased. Great piece ❤️
Beautiful read and so true! Travel is much more rewarding than things
I love this! A philosophy I can believe in!
so true!
I’ll always choose travel too!