What kind of question is that? I am a travel blogger, I love to travel and explore. Of course I should travel more, see more, discover more. And then tell you all about it and inspire you, so you can do the same. It’s an incredible privilege to have the passport that I have, and the opportunities to connect my passion with my work.
But is that really the ultimate goal? To see as much as possible just for the sake of it? Or – I hardly dare say it – is it better to travel less?
Lately I have been travelling a bit less than I used to, mainly because a) I’m back in full-time education, and b) I have a partner who’s job does not allow him to just take off and work from anywhere. He’s busy with his line of work basically every weekend – yes, every weekend; and being a full-time PhD student comes with quite a bit more responsibility (not to say pressure) to be present in the office, keep up with meetings with supervisors, and generally actually do your research in order to keep on track. The days of skipping classes in favour of a spontaneous two week holiday, and the days of being a freelancer who can literally work from anywhere as long as she has her laptop and WiFi, are gone. For now at least.
When I freelanced for a while as a travel writer and social media editor I would travel a lot. I would also work a lot – like 24-7 – but that is another story. I would be gone for three weeks, then spend a few days at home to do my laundry and catch up with my flatmate, and then I’d hit the road again. Last summer I travelled to Israel, England, Zambia, Tanzania, India, Poland, Austria, London and Ecuador in four months. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining about all these amazing opportunities I had – it is an incredible privilege to travel to all these places – but in hindsight I start to question whether it was really the best idea. Was a week in Israel enough to understand local conflicts and give them the attention they deserve? Hardly. Was the three-week holiday in Tanzania and Zambia with my Africa-inexperienced dad really the way I wanted to travel the continent for the first time? Partly yes, partly no. Have I seen enough of India in my 10-day getaway with my best friend from back home? Absolutely not. I hardly had time to digest and reflect upon the impressions I got from one place before I would head on to the next.
Impressions of foreign places floated by, raced by, and I could barely keep up. Even though I loved every second of it, I know now that traveling so much in such little time was simply too much for my senses. After my summer of travel frenzy I got restless, stressed out by tiny irregularities at home, and even had panic attacks when I felt I lost control for a moment.
Being able to constantly travel and explore sounds great at first – for a long time it was my dream to become a nomad, and I would jump at every travel opportunity that presented itself. Gosh, I’m still bummed every time I have to give an opportunity a pass. But constant travel can also lead to feelings of uprooting and not-belonging. As hard as it is to accept, a life of constant travel might not be for everyone – and the way I experienced it before, it is certainly not for me.
That is not to say that I have lost my wanderlust or my desire to move to a new city one day. Not at all. My list of countries I want to visit and places I want to learn more about is still growing. And yet, I want to travel less, at least a bit.
Maybe with ‘less’ I actually mean ‘slower’ and ‘more responsibly’. I don’t want to see 10 places in two weeks, but rather spend a week here and a week there. Instead of jam-packing my days with activities and things I have.to.see. I would rather just spend a few hours out and about, and use the rest of the day to hang out in a local coffee shop, working on my writing or my social contacts. Instead of racing from destination to destination I’d rather work on my personal bucket list of experiences.
I want to travel slower to learn more about one specific destination. I want to meet and interview people instead of seeing sights or attractions. I want to spend time with myself instead of networking and making loads of new friends (who you sometimes never hear from again). I want to travel more in my new home country instead of venturing out to a new continent. I want to sit and listen to my environment instead of rushing through it.
Travel is important to me because it teaches me about differences and similarities of people and cultures. It helps me to fight and overcome prejudices; to break out of my boring routine every now and then; to learn about alternative ways of organising my life; to remind me that I never stop learning; and to escape the bigotry of people who never travel. Travel is what makes me tick, but like with anything you love to do, it is easy to ignore your own personal limit. I think I overdosed on fast travel.
Luckily I don’t have to give up travel entirely. I still go on one trip per month on average – sometimes that means a weekend getaway to a town two hours from Glasgow (my home town); sometimes I’m luckier and get to travel to a new place for a week or two. The only thing that I need to do is to make sure that I take it easy and give each destination the time it deserves. There is not simple answer to my question, should we travel more or less.You have to find the best solution for yourself – and for me it is to travel slower and more consciously, see less destinations but those more intensely. For now, that is what works for me.
Have you had the travel blues before? How did you overcome the challenge? I would love to hear your stories in the comments!
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All photos by Kathi Kamleitner.
This is a post by Kathi Kamleitner.
Kathi Kamleitner was a regular contributor at Travelettes from 2013 to 2019. Originally from Vienna, Austria, she packed her backpack to travel the world and lived in Denmark, Iceland and Berlin, before settling in Glasgow, Scotland. Kathi is always preparing her next trip – documenting her every step with her camera, pen and phone.
In 2016, Kathi founded Scotland travel blog WatchMeSee.com to share her love for her new home, hiking in the Scottish Highlands, island hopping and vegan food. Follow her adventures on Instagram @watchmesee!
Great post!
Kate | http://www.petiteadventures.org/
Great question and article. I travel 2-3 times a year. Usually for a week or two. And it's not enough for me. I dream to have a job that would allow me to work and travel. I do travel locally on weekends. It helps to stay in my favorite wanderlust mood :)
Great post!! I agree....and keep asking to myself ....may be it's not a matter of how much time i spend on a travel...but my reasons to do it......What's my very special interest in that destination.....is it the "must see"? The people? Or simply take some time to rest getting away from the daily stress?
Great point! Thinking about why I wanna go to a certain destination enables me to stress out a bit less too :) Thanks for your comment!
I am exactly in that same situation. From February to June I have been traveling amost every each week to a new destination, either for work or just for myself (or other more misfortunate events), and in the last few weeks, I have been feeling like it was too much. Traveling like this was starting to take a toll on me. I love travel, is one of the best parts of my life, but I think that in these past months, alond with my daily job, it was absorbing me completely... So for now, I am going to rest a bit and find myself. I hope I will feel excited about it soon!
Thanks for your comment. Totally - taking a break and letting yourself rest is so important. We all need to re-charge our batteries sometimes! I still travel quite frequently, but I'm much more aware of the mental implications of that! Have a great time resting :D
First of all I love this post! I've been travelling across Canada and I came to the exact same point where you're at right now! After almost 2 months of scheduling and rushing from one place to another, seeing 5 destinations in less than a month I realised that it needs a lot more time to discover a place and to did deeper than just the surface! I figured that 3 months, that I was initially planning on staying in Canada, are not enough and extended my stay fort another 15 months to see all the places i wanted to see. Now I take a lot more time to meet locals and get involved in the community and make friendships that probably for a lifetime and especially try to avoid touristic spots! And you are right, we should take moretime to travel for less destinations
Thanks for you comment! Absolutely - I put a lot more emphasis on talking to people these days. I still travel quite a lot, mostly in relation with the travel blog, but I enjoy it a lot more lately! Hope you have a great time in Canada. I'm actually going for two weeks in September and plan to stay a full week in Toronto - any tips?
I totally agree with your suggestion to find a coffee shop and just relax while absorbing the vibe of the place. Take a step back and be in the moment. It's easy to get burned out and exhausted trying to see and do everything. Great post!
Makes complete sense. I have also returned to full-time teaching and have slowed down on travel. I've gone from trying to see as many places as possible and satisfactorily adding those pins to my TripAdvisor Map to wanting to experience each place I visit on a profound level. The beauty of travel isn't only in the sites you see, but in the connections you make, whether by meeting locals or simply taking in the culture on a deeper level. Though not impossible to make those kinds of connections on shorter trips, the longer you are in a place the better and the more profound.
The only thing that makes me want to travel less is the awful airport experience!
I think this is interesting. I traveled a lot in the last two yeas and do a travel blog (DesignDestinations.org) but for a variety of reasons I am not on the go so much. I am really enjoying time at home to process what I've seen. Cuba. Austin, Texas, Bhutan, Paris, the Baltic Sea, Iceland, Myanmar, Bangkok, Hawaii, Chicago, New York, CA. Such different places and difference experiences. The comment about fleeting images hit home....I have them all the time. I am continuing to post photos and write once a week for my blog which really helps me sort out what I saw and did while sharing. I love the ongoing discipline of this creative effort. Helps to keep the travel alive for me.
Yeah, I agree with you. I feel that sometimes, people forget about the joy of "slow" traveling, and they just race for more stamps in their passports. I don't make it my goal to visit as many countries as possible anymore, I'd rather be immersed in fewer countries and fully enjoy them. Traveling is not about ticking off a list!
This is exactly the transition I myself have been working through, and you put it to words so well! After a year living abroad and desperate to "make every moment count," I'm now taking time to explore the States and do it at a more leisurely pace. I totally get behind the idea of talking to locals versus seeing attractions. The people are what make a place anyway. Take courage darling, that the exploring you are doing now is as important as any other.
Kathi,
Enjoy the travel you can do. Travel as much as you can. See and experience the world as and when you can. Sometimes due to partner commitments or attitudes you will find another adventure and another way to travel. Just enjoy it however, it comes.
All the best.
Never experienced the wish of the 'less traveling' but yet fighting with the need of feeling at home.. this is what I miss as one who travels and not for weeks but for years
I feel you! Slower traveling definitely helps me with that feeling - then I can start to feel a little at home in every place I visit and create some routine. Thanks for sharing!