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No. I think Vagabonding by Rolf Potts is a good book for people who think this, unless your idea of travel is only to go to Paris and stay in a 5-star resort th

No. I think Vagabonding by Rolf Potts is a good book for people who think this, unless your idea of travel is only to go to Paris and stay in a 5-star resort the whole time. https://vagabonding.net/book/excerpt/ https://vagabonding.net/book/excerpt/ > For some reason, we see long-term travel to faraway lands as a recurring dream or an exotic temptation, but not something that applies to the here and now. Instead — out of our insane duty to fear, fashion, and monthly payments on things we don’t really need — we quarantine our travels to short, frenzied bursts. In this way, as we throw our wealth at an abstract notion called “lifestyle,” travel becomes just another accessory — a smooth-edged, encapsulated experience that we purchase the same way we buy clothing and furniture. That's just my favorite part of the excerpt, not supporting evidence for my first sentence though. :)

PaulRobinson 9y ago
Quibble: there are no 5-star "resorts" in Paris, for the same reason there are no resorts in London or New York. There are hotels, though.
- always_good 9y ago
  It was supposed to be an obnoxious idea. A resort being a compound you don't even have to leave at all, its own amusement park.
- sammoorhouse 9y ago
  Holy mother of god, man. Get a grip.
LearnerHerzog 9y ago
Thanks, I'll check that book out... I've never been out of the country.
- ci5er 9y ago
  A lot of Europeans take some months (up to a year or more) to backpack across various regions and get service jobs in various countries for a month or 6 weeks while living at youth hostels. Lonely Planet press has books about this for various regions of the world. When I (a USian) went backpacking across Tibet (being held up in Chengdu trying to even get to Tibet) and then Nepal with a friend of mine (also a USian) about 20 years ago, I met Tibetans (of course), Chinese (of course), a couple of Japanese, Australians and Canadians. But mostly British and continental Europeans. Call it 100~200 foreigners over about 6 weeks. Not. A. Single. American. Not one. [Yeah - I know: anecdote is not the singular of data] Comparatively - Americans don't seem to get out much. In terms of global travel, I mean...
  - EADGBE 9y ago
    > Comparatively - Americans don't seem to get out much. In terms of global travel, I mean... Probably has something to do with the generic distaste the rest of the world has for the US (going back more presidents than I've been alive for). Of course, the US has a lot to offer me; before I plop down the cold hard cash to travel abroad. If I want to be frugal, or take my time, my own personal car will take me to the continual 48 (+1, technically with passport). I'll get to see more cultures than I'd like to admit, and even more varying landscape/climate. Plus all of my money works all over. It's ideal (to me).
    - ci5er 9y ago
      That makes sense. Interests vary across individuals - and certainly some people have both less a taste for the exotic and less comfort visiting places where English might not be spoken than others. And, traveling the US is great!
  - deadmetheny 9y ago
    If I had to wager a guess, it would be due to international travel being a bit more difficult for Americans, what with large oceans between us and most the rest of the world. That, and the fact that the continental US itself is larger than Europe. I feel like a lot of Europeans don't really realize how vast the USA really is.

PaulRobinson 9y ago

Quibble: there are no 5-star "resorts" in Paris, for the same reason there are no resorts in London or New York. There are hotels, though.

always_good 9y ago
It was supposed to be an obnoxious idea. A resort being a compound you don't even have to leave at all, its own amusement park.
sammoorhouse 9y ago
Holy mother of god, man. Get a grip.

LearnerHerzog 9y ago

Thanks, I'll check that book out... I've never been out of the country.

ci5er 9y ago
A lot of Europeans take some months (up to a year or more) to backpack across various regions and get service jobs in various countries for a month or 6 weeks while living at youth hostels. Lonely Planet press has books about this for various regions of the world. When I (a USian) went backpacking across Tibet (being held up in Chengdu trying to even get to Tibet) and then Nepal with a friend of mine (also a USian) about 20 years ago, I met Tibetans (of course), Chinese (of course), a couple of Japanese, Australians and Canadians. But mostly British and continental Europeans. Call it 100~200 foreigners over about 6 weeks. Not. A. Single. American. Not one. [Yeah - I know: anecdote is not the singular of data] Comparatively - Americans don't seem to get out much. In terms of global travel, I mean...
- EADGBE 9y ago
  > Comparatively - Americans don't seem to get out much. In terms of global travel, I mean... Probably has something to do with the generic distaste the rest of the world has for the US (going back more presidents than I've been alive for). Of course, the US has a lot to offer me; before I plop down the cold hard cash to travel abroad. If I want to be frugal, or take my time, my own personal car will take me to the continual 48 (+1, technically with passport). I'll get to see more cultures than I'd like to admit, and even more varying landscape/climate. Plus all of my money works all over. It's ideal (to me).
  - ci5er 9y ago
    That makes sense. Interests vary across individuals - and certainly some people have both less a taste for the exotic and less comfort visiting places where English might not be spoken than others. And, traveling the US is great!
- deadmetheny 9y ago
  If I had to wager a guess, it would be due to international travel being a bit more difficult for Americans, what with large oceans between us and most the rest of the world. That, and the fact that the continental US itself is larger than Europe. I feel like a lot of Europeans don't really realize how vast the USA really is.