Image via Unsplash / Danka & Peter
This has probably been said a lot of times already but somehow, I am still bothered that a lot of people don’t get the gist of it. Traveling is NOT and will never be a competition.
I once read an article about how we are overdoing traveling and it’s not the first time that I’ve read something that exposes the dark side of traveling. I do, in fact, will be sharing my own take on it soon but for now, I know that I just have to speak out. I strongly believe that there’s no such as thing as overdoing it because in the first place, there’s no proper way of doing it.
It’s all about traveling at your own pace.
The sad thing about traveling is that we think there are rules. We confine ourselves to what it should be and how it should be done when in fact it’s all up to us. Some people find peace taking selfies at the touristy spots, some people find it on the rough track. There are trips where I feel like going on the path that other tourists are taking. You know those typical trips to the museums, historical landmarks and spots, and visiting those on the Top 10 list of TripAdvisor. And there are trips where I feel adventurous enough to take on what we call the road less traveled. Is there a difference? Yes. A lot. But if I take the other one, does that make me less of a traveler? No. Definitely not.
“We confine ourselves to what it should be and how it should be done when in fact it’s all up to us.“
You see, everyone of us has his own definition of traveling. Some wants a staycation, others adrenaline rush. As they may say, there are two sides of the spectrum but neither one is the right way. At the end of the day, it’s about how we felt during that moment. That’s the real soul of traveling.
So who’s the culprit in all of these? Social media? Maybe. Maybe not.
I’d like to think that it’s all part of our human nature to be competitive. Take it from me who has done it. As a travel blogger, I have this side of me that wants to be on top of every other blogger out there. I need to have an edge. I have to be unique. I have to sell myself. In fact, that’s how all of these Budget Trips started. I need to show people that it can be done. It’s a challenge I am always ready to take. I admit that I can never remove that side of me but over the years, I have learned that traveling is not a competition. I’ve learned from others that traveling is so much more than that.
…the trend is always about who’s cheaper and who has traveled farther… It has become a competition and everyone wants to be on top.
Social media plays a vital role in traveling nowadays. With just one click, you can access a lot of travel guides. I can’t count how many travel groups I am part of and that’s just on Facebook alone. But what I’ve noticed is that the trend is always about who’s cheaper and who has traveled farther. Where will your *insert very cheap amount* take you? It has become a competition and everyone wants to be on top. The field has become unhealthy. It’s the ugly side of traveling and technology. I can’t blame them since I was once part (or even still part) of that race. But because of that, somehow this world of traveling starts to limit us… dictate us.
I know it sounds ironic especially that this is all coming from the guy who does budget travel guides with all those gimmicks of how far will your budget take you but let me tell you this: there’s a reason why it’s called a guide. While I personally celebrate whenever I get to travel at such a small amount, that doesn’t mean it’s the only way to go. Like I mentioned, each one of us has his own way of traveling. What may apply to me may not be applied to you.
It’s not yet too late to change our mindset though. We just need to think clearly and be open-minded to all the possibilities that traveling offers us. It’s not about how many you have visited or how much you have saved. It’s not about staying at a backpacker’s inn or at a 5-star hotel. It’s not about how cheap your trip is or how luxurious your experience can be. It’s not about the bucket lists or fancy photos and videos. It’s time we stop this competition at who’s a better traveler and what makes someone better than the other. At the end of the day, traveling is simply about traveling. No rules. No qualifications. No dictations. So go and take your own path. Travel at your own pace. 🙂
This is entirely my opinion at the current state of traveling. I wanna know yours. Drop a comment below and let me know what you think.
