Do you find travel stressful? (airport, flights, Spain, trip)

[Chava61]

I don't find the travel itself stressful as I see it as adventure. But it can be annoying to stand in long lines or waiting for delayed airplanes, etc.

[VT'ah]

Yes, all the highways are congested these days...you cant drive like a normal human being on the higways in the southeast or 95. And the airlines, forget about it...its a big huge rat race...I try to avoid flying...

[AustinB]

I only find it stressful if my wife is driving.

[jazzcat22]

Wordsmith, we are so much alike except for my being a woman twice your age! But married and childfree, introvert, not liking travel. You may be like me that you are not just an introvert, but a highly sensitive person as well, so you experience stuff more intensely. I traveled some and never enjoyed it that much. Nothing lived up to my expectations. Like the week I spent in Hong Kong. Just spending a week in a city only enables you to see it superficially. I like more depth. And I like to decompress and restore my energy, but when you travel that far, you don't want to spend half a day in your hotel room just chilling it out. Plus---I miss my cat too much and she misses me (there, I've admitted that, at the risk of seeming like the crazy cat lady). By the middle of the week when I went on a city vacation, I was itching to get back home. I also would miss my own cooking too much and it's too difficult to eat out all the time (I'm a whole foods vegan). Not being a beach or golfing person, I am bored staying at a resort. Every time my vacation was over, I felt like I had overpaid for what were just a few memories or bragging rights, like my passport being stamped with an exotic place like Macau. We originally stopped traveling twenty years ago to take care of my elderly parents and then we discovered we didn't miss out and were happier staying at home. Our goal was to escape from the work world early, which we did at 52, even making very low salaries. Now that we are retired, we are never bored. As Stan said, the goal is to create a life so fulfilling that you'd never want to get away from it.

I love this quote by author Meghan Daum:

"The key to contentment is to live life to the fullest within the confines of your comfort zone. Stay in safe waters but plunge as deeply into them as possible."

And that's what I do. I don't need travel to live a full life. I watch foreign movies. I live in area where there lots of immigrants from all over and I try to partake in the culture. I run an Asian food lovers Meetup group where we explore authentic cuisines. I had a friend who took a Viking river cruise to Vietnam and she tried dragon fruit for the first time. I didn't know if I should tell her that I tried dragon fruit years ago in Atlanta---the Asian stores sell it. But she is the type of person who would never take advantage of the Asian markets here---for her she needed to go to Vietnam to explore. Different strokes for different folks.

[censusdata]

I depends on the mentality you take with you. The OP sounds a lot like my two oldest sisters (who raised me after age 11), they have OCD issues and are always prepping for the next disaster. Everything has to go perfect or the world will end. Our big vacations quite frankly stank, usually we drove 10 hours and ate at Mcdonalds then went to the motel and watched cable tv - so why not stay home LOL?

Now I do understand what they mean about DC, which was my last big vacation. I'm not use to being searched 10 times a day or get stared down by guards with machine guns. It is down right creepy. Plus if you're from a car centric place getting use to walking or transit is different too. But we still were able to see a lot of cool things, most of which were free.

The person who changed my view of travel is Rick Steves - you can watch him free on hulu. He taught me that travel is about human interaction. He says not to pack every little thing because obviously those other people survive too. If you run out of something buy it there. It's about People to People. Take a back road. Eat somewhere you couldn't at home.

[HattieB]

The only thing I find stressful about traveling is carrying luggage... I wish I could fit all I need in a backpack . My husband on the other hand loves to pack, I mean he loves taking as much as he can with him if are going on a trip somewhere. I always have this tight packed little bag and he has this big bag full of stuff and a backpack that is packed as if we are prepared for doomsday lol. It stresses me to see all that stuff just for a trip. Ok everyone I am not as crazy as it sounds, you guys know about the tv show hoarders? well I think I am just the opposite of that

[knezevolk]

Of course, the cons are inevitable during travelling but the pros outweigh it all!!

[JoeCollege]

Originally Posted by Wordsmith12

How can I neglect to mention the never-ending plane rides? I was super uncomfortable on my last trip. I start getting antsy after a while.

So you've taken one round trip, 2 hour flight in your life and now complain about "the never-ending plane rides"? I think it's pretty clear that travel is not for you.

[Wordsmith12]

Originally Posted by jazzcat22

Wordsmith, we are so much alike except for my being a woman twice your age! But married and childfree, introvert, not liking travel. You may be like me that you are not just an introvert, but a highly sensitive person as well, so you experience stuff more intensely. I traveled some and never enjoyed it that much. Nothing lived up to my expectations. Like the week I spent in Hong Kong. Just spending a week in a city only enables you to see it superficially. I like more depth. And I like to decompress and restore my energy, but when you travel that far, you don't want to spend half a day in your hotel room just chilling it out. Plus---I miss my cat too much and she misses me (there, I've admitted that, at the risk of seeming like the crazy cat lady). By the middle of the week when I went on a city vacation, I was itching to get back home. I also would miss my own cooking too much and it's too difficult to eat out all the time (I'm a whole foods vegan). Not being a beach or golfing person, I am bored staying at a resort. Every time my vacation was over, I felt like I had overpaid for what were just a few memories or bragging rights, like my passport being stamped with an exotic place like Macau. We originally stopped traveling twenty years ago to take care of my elderly parents and then we discovered we didn't miss out and were happier staying at home. Our goal was to escape from the work world early, which we did at 52, even making very low salaries. Now that we are retired, we are never bored. As Stan said, the goal is to create a life so fulfilling that you'd never want to get away from it.

I love this quote by author Meghan Daum:

"The key to contentment is to live life to the fullest within the confines of your comfort zone. Stay in safe waters but plunge as deeply into them as possible."

And that's what I do. I don't need travel to live a full life. I watch foreign movies. I live in area where there lots of immigrants from all over and I try to partake in the culture. I run an Asian food lovers Meetup group where we explore authentic cuisines. I had a friend who took a Viking river cruise to Vietnam and she tried dragon fruit for the first time. I didn't know if I should tell her that I tried dragon fruit years ago in Atlanta---the Asian stores sell it. But she is the type of person who would never take advantage of the Asian markets here---for her she needed to go to Vietnam to explore. Different strokes for different folks.

Wow -- we are very alike!

[Wordsmith12]

Originally Posted by JoeCollege

So you've taken one round trip, 2 hour flight in your life and now complain about "the never-ending plane rides"? I think it's pretty clear that travel is not for you.

Lol. Yep. Either that or I need to go on more vacations to get more accustomed to those long flights.