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Travel is an essential part of growth into a mature, well-rounded adult

coinop

When I was a teenager, the idea of "experience" was aggressively pushed onto me. The only way I could grow up and enjoy life, I was taught, was to get a lot of experience. It would make me a mature, responsible adult. I went on to rack up a lifetimes’ worth of experience all around the world, and now that I look back at it all, I see that it was a waste.

In 2007, I backpacked for six months through South America. I started in Ecuador and snaked my way through half of the continent, eventually ending up in Rio de Janeiro to celebrate Carnival. During that trip, I met hundreds of people and saw countless exotic sights. I drank in dank bars and had deep conversations with dozens of Australians about nothing. I went through six years of experience in only six months. Where is that experience now? How does it help me today outside of the specific task of taking a road trip?

Spare me the meaningless platitudes like "travel helps broaden your horizons". It's fun while you're in the moment, like playing a videogame, but where are the life-changing revelations I was supposed to receive?

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[Deleted User]

Travel is great if you like it and ****e if you don’t. The former tend to think their way is the only correct one though.

Nigel Fairservice

I wouldn’t call travel essential to becoming a well rounded adult but it can supplement it. Some people will take more from it than others. Growing up in Ireland I hated the place, couldn’t wait to leave. Then I did the first chance I got. I spent time living in 2 countries and visited 43 others. One of the biggest things I took away from it was realising we don’t have it so bad here in Ireland.

johnnyskeleton

coinop wrote: »

Such as?

Dont worry about it. Its not for you

Mr_Muffin

It can help young adults become more independent and depending on the country, show that Ireland is a decent country compared to most. Wouldn't call it essential though.

coinop

johnnyskeleton wrote: »

Dont worry about it. Its not for you

What's not for me?

Louis Friend

Travel does broaden one’s horizons and makes ill-thought out nonsense like Brexit less likely

Thelonious Monk

I am ridiculously privileged enough to have been all over and lived in different countries but the way people go on about it I find annoying.
On internet dating it actually puts me off women when they start banging on about how travelling is their whole reason to be here and blah blah.
I mean we all love going on holidays but just shut up about it. I'm sure blokes go on the same.
It's great to experience different cultures and I know people who were pretty close minded and didn't know much outside their tiny world in Northside Dublin and getting out and about in the world did them the world of good.
But you don't have to travel to be open minded or a "well rounded adult". If that were the case we wouldn't have had any decent adults before we could get working holiday visas and cheap flights and the likes.

Thelonious Monk

Wanderer2010 wrote: »

The amount of lads i know who came back from a "life changing" year or two in Australia, and not only are they the exact same people afterwards but some of their existing prejudices and attitudes are actually strengthened. And this is because they went to live in a house full of other Irish lads...working day and night with other Irish lads and you guessed it, drinking in Irish pubs every weekend with Irish lads. So no chance to get exposed to enough locals or native people which may have given them some life lessons.

Well it probably is life changing for a lot of people regardless of what they did, as it was totally different to how their life had been before.
Anyway your locals in Australia are basically Irish/Brits in the sun, they're not going to gain that much by talking to a few Ockers down the local legion.

chrissb8

I don't think travelling gives you those 'life-changing' experiences that are going to effectively turn you into someone different. But certainly being the stranger in another country gives you a perspective of what it's like to be an 'outsider'. That you don't know the language, the customs and are slightly jarred being among a new environment. To give you more tolerance in future to those who come to visit/live in your home country.

I've known many who have travelled and honestly, they're all much the same people as they were before. They just met English speaking travellers like themselves and stuck with them mostly, doing the drinking, sightseeing etc.

The people who I've seen having a marked change is those who have gone and lived in another country. It's one thing to go for fun for a few weeks/months but another thing to make a life somewhere else. I wouldn't include the Uk in that though to be fair, I'm talking about a whole new language/climate/worklife.

Mongfinder General

coinop wrote: »

I mentioned low IQ populations. You mentioned low IQ countries. A region of the world can have several different populations living within it.
What are the low IQ countries?

https://www.healthline.com/health/average-iq

A lot of these seem to be in Africa.

Thelonious Monk

Also there seems to be more people who bang on about Irish people going to Australia and drinking with other Irish people than there are Irish people who go to Australia to drink with other Irish people

RWCNT

Definitely not essential to becoming a mature, well-rounded adult - always found that mentality very snobby and irritating. I went to University with a lot of rich kids who were big on this thinking - they'd been all over the place on Mommy & Daddy's money but were among the most vacuous people I've ever met.

Personally, I love travelling. It's great fun exploring new places and observing or participating in different cultures.

jackboy

I think there was a lot more to be learned from travelling in the past when Ireland was more insular and the internet was not as much of a thing.

Ireland is now full of other cultures and any small town will have people from countries all over the world.

We know though, people in their early 20’s mostly go travelling to have an extended piss up and hopefully score many times. The cultural experience is generally secondary to that.

riclad

travel helps you connect with people, understand how others live, it seems before we had the boom, most irish people would work in england or america for some time .
the benefits of travel can be exaggerated .
eg go to paris,its very expensive, most people do not want to speak to you ,
unless you speak french.real life is not like the movies.
you can go to a pub in any country and mostly end up meeting people like yourself or idiots.
i dont think its essential to travel to be well rounded.
no more than if you want to be fit you have go to a gym.
You can exercise by walking and cycling.
Most americans do not have a passport, they never travel outside america.

Spanish Eyes

Travel is great, but is mostly used as a boast to others about the parts of the World visited.

No one cares.

85603

coinop wrote: »

When I was a teenager, the idea of "experience" was aggressively pushed onto me. The only way I could grow up and enjoy life, I was taught, was to get a lot of experience. It would make me a mature, responsible adult. I went on to rack up a lifetimes’ worth of experience all around the world, and now that I look back at it all, I see that it was a waste.

In 2007, I backpacked for six months through South America. I started in Ecuador and snaked my way through half of the continent, eventually ending up in Rio de Janeiro to celebrate Carnival. During that trip, I met hundreds of people and saw countless exotic sights. I drank in dank bars and had deep conversations with dozens of Australians about nothing. I went through six years of experience in only six months. Where is that experience now? How does it help me today outside of the specific task of taking a road trip?

Spare me the meaningless platitudes like "travel helps broaden your horizons". It's fun while you're in the moment, like playing a videogame, but where are the life-changing revelations I was supposed to receive?

You know never to go to the Mexican donkey show again.
See you did learn something.

sameoldname

coinop wrote: »

When I was a teenager, the idea of "experience" was aggressively pushed onto me. The only way I could grow up and enjoy life, I was taught, was to get a lot of experience. It would make me a mature, responsible adult. I went on to rack up a lifetimes’ worth of experience all around the world, and now that I look back at it all, I see that it was a waste.

In 2007, I backpacked for six months through South America. I started in Ecuador and snaked my way through half of the continent, eventually ending up in Rio de Janeiro to celebrate Carnival. During that trip, I met hundreds of people and saw countless exotic sights. I drank in dank bars and had deep conversations with dozens of Australians about nothing. I went through six years of experience in only six months. Where is that experience now? How does it help me today outside of the specific task of taking a road trip?

Spare me the meaningless platitudes like "travel helps broaden your horizons". It's fun while you're in the moment, like playing a videogame, but where are the life-changing revelations I was supposed to receive?

Based off your post history on boards you already know everything OP so how could you possibly have any revelations?

Doctor Roast

I found myself, on the banana pancake trail in Asia, still have the singha t-shirt

Potential-Monke

jackboy wrote: »

I think there was a lot more to be learned from travelling in the past when Ireland was more insular and the internet was not as much of a thing.

This. Years ago, because of the lack of affordable travel and internet, travelling was a way to get an idea of the world and other experiences. But if you still need to travel to another country to experience this, then I feel sorry for you. The world is literally at our fingertips.

There was a time I would have liked to travel, but the internet has shown me that these places are usually far worse when you remove the veneer of advertising to people outside the country that is being advertised. Take Abu Dhabi and Dubai for example. Thousands of people go there, even though it's part of the UAE and their Sharia laws, relaxed for the most part for the foreigners, hiding the fact that it's still a backwards, religious run country. It's like going to visit North Korea and saying it's a lovely country but all the poverty and state sanctions.

I don't understand people who willing give money to the governments of these countries. And then have the gall to say it's a great country because of their diluted experience of the good parts of it.

Similarily I don't understand people who take on holidays or treks into dangerous places, ie: climbing mountains or travelling through jungles or deserts... It's like ye are trying to kill yourselves all in the name of a thrill. Madness imo.

Thelonious Monk

We're all giving money to Arab states for oil whether you like it or not

Ubbquittious

Thelonious Monk wrote: »

We're all giving money to Arab states for oil whether you like it or not

I'm sure some fella on here has a private backyard oil well and micro-refinery on the QT in case the revenue hounds / "keep it in the ground" crowd come knocking

Potential-Monke

Thelonious Monk wrote: »

We're all giving money to Arab states for oil whether you like it or not

Fair point, but seems completely unavoidable. But when it comes to spending "holiday" money, I don't understand when people go to these backwards countries with terrible human rights and still run by a fecking religion. All so they can get a selfie at da Burj. Personal feelings though.

Oh, I remember a wish I had if I ever won the lotto, and that would be to travel the world attending all the safe themeparks. I'd probably still do that.

[Deleted User]

Sam Hain wrote: »

Living and working abroad is far more rewarding than travelling or backpacking or taking a year off.

This 100%. Working abroad gives you a real insight into the local culture, along with forcing you to become proficient in the language.

Traveling around South East Asia or the gringo trail in South America, not so much. Some of the most tedious and sanctimonious people I’ve ever met are folks I encountered when backpacking in my 20s.

Jim2007

coinop wrote: »

This is some hippy, dope-smoking, let's all hold in a circle and sing kumbaya, clichéd nonsense. I, as a Western male, hold vastly different beliefs to a bearded jihadi living in cave in Afghanistan or a Congolese pygmy shoving a bone through his nose in the jungle. We value different things and of course you can't ignore IQ differences between populations.

Seriously! With an attitude like that you’d have been as well off to stay at home.

DubLad69

coinop wrote: »

When I was a teenager, the idea of "experience" was aggressively pushed onto me. The only way I could grow up and enjoy life, I was taught, was to get a lot of experience. It would make me a mature, responsible adult. I went on to rack up a lifetimes’ worth of experience all around the world, and now that I look back at it all, I see that it was a waste.

In 2007, I backpacked for six months through South America. I started in Ecuador and snaked my way through half of the continent, eventually ending up in Rio de Janeiro to celebrate Carnival. During that trip, I met hundreds of people and saw countless exotic sights. I drank in dank bars and had deep conversations with dozens of Australians about nothing. I went through six years of experience in only six months. Where is that experience now? How does it help me today outside of the specific task of taking a road trip?

Spare me the meaningless platitudes like "travel helps broaden your horizons". It's fun while you're in the moment, like playing a videogame, but where are the life-changing revelations I was supposed to receive?

I've done quite a lot of travel and I feel like it helped me develop as a person. Any time I arrive back into Dublin from a long trip I am appreciative of what we have in Ireland. I learn to be patient and solve problems. I became more tolerant of other cultures.

I feel happy that by traveling, I am developing as a person. There is not big ah ha moment. But gradual developments. I'm sure that I am not even aware of many of the ways that I've changed.

Upforthematch

coinop wrote: »

When I was a teenager, the idea of "experience" was aggressively pushed onto me. The only way I could grow up and enjoy life, I was taught, was to get a lot of experience. It would make me a mature, responsible adult. I went on to rack up a lifetimes’ worth of experience all around the world, and now that I look back at it all, I see that it was a waste.

It's fun while you're in the moment, like playing a videogame, but where are the life-changing revelations I was supposed to receive?

enricoh wrote: »

U didn't score enough brazilian chicks. That's the main problem!

Enricoh is right, first thing that came into my head.

Did you get to have any relationships? It's the people you meet that make these things.

Jim2007

Hamachi wrote: »

This 100%. Working abroad gives you a real insight into the local culture, along with forcing you to become proficient in the language..

I went to Switzerland to spend a summer climbing in the Alps thirty plus ago and forgot to go home! There always seemed to be some reason to stay on.... These days I live in a small town on the edge of the Emmenthal and communicate with the locals in a dialect that has no written format.

I’ve worked with a lot of expats over the years some make an effort to fit in and others just like in an expensive bubble. I remember one particular chap who went home to Dublin once a month and returned with rucksack full of sliced bread! Apparently we don’t have any proper bread in Switzerland.

John_Rambo

I loved it and gained a lot of perspective from travelling. I'm still an avid cultural observer when it comes to my area of business & what can be learned. Everything fascinates me from the automobile culture to the culinary culture. My little family relish in the differences of how things are done differently in various regions, even in Ireland, county by county how things are vastly different in Belfast and Kerry.

I do get the whole boasting thing and was probably guilty of it when I was younger. And... (not boasting here, but) drove the kids from Spain to Morocco and even the seven year old recognised the massive cultural shift from Europe to North Africa. The food, attitudes, attire, architecture, and she still asks when we can go again. My young boy was totally impressed by the cool Fiat Uno's! No longer seen in Europe.

It's all down to the individual. Some people get value from it, some people don't.

jimbobaloobob

Travelling has different meanings. Maybe wandering South America for 6 months wasn’t beneficial to you. Maybe working in particular places would have suited you better to give you life experiences. Maybe some day you’ll have something occur and you’ll draw on your experiences from travelling to figure it out or cope with it.
The world is what you make it

.anon.

coinop wrote: »

I, as a Western male, hold vastly different beliefs to a bearded jihadi living in cave in Afghanistan or a Congolese pygmy shoving a bone through his nose in the jungle.

Your beliefs may differ from the guy in the cave, but your levels of tolerance towards people who differ from you are probably not a million miles away from his. People are generally the same wherever you go, and this is equally true of extremists, bigots, racists, etc.