I have not spent months traveling, more like weeks, but I have never regretted any trip that I have taken in my entire life. Each one teaches me something about a place that interests me and teaches me about how other people make a living in a place that I have not visited. And because my only worry is getting from place to place, I have a lot of time to relax with my travel mates or with my own thoughts if I am traveling alone.
Regret is useless, anyways. The only thing that eats me up inside are the things I did not do, not the things that I did do.
That's a holiday or vacation not travelling.
I can sort of get that but am curious about what constitutes "traveling"?
As for this, my guess is that if someone regretted traveling early on then they would stop doing it if possible. Here is use "traveling" in a broad sense.
I have a friend who really does not like being away from home. He has travelled for work in the sense of getting on a plane, meeting clients, and returning, but has rarely taken a 2 week trip somewhere. I think he has gone to Vegas a few times (he likes to gamble) but with gambling available now he even stopped doing that.
I cannot think of a trip I have taken (of my own volition) that I regretted. I either spent great time with someone whose company I enjoy or saw something really interesting.
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"Comfort must not be expected by folks that go a pleasuring."
For anyone who's spent a significant amount of time (months to years) traveling, do you regret it at all? Do you wish you hadn't spent the time or money? Would you be better or worse off had you focused more on your career instead?
Sort of surprised I didn't respond to this thread 3 years ago. I was recently talking with my two older boys about the importance of travelling and that they should plan to do it, on a shoestring, before their 30's. There's much to learn about dealing with stress, loneliness, border crossings, wonder, awe, budgets...and that's all in the same day.
When I told them that, in my 30's, I quit 2 jobs over the course of 5 years to travel for 2.5 years in that span of time. Most of the travel was pretty hardcore; motorcycles, bikes, backpacking, hitchhiking, trains, boats, stowing away, etc. The kids then asked how much it cost me? After I added it up, direct costs, plus the opportunity cost of lost income, promotions, and real estate appreciation, it was over $2 million.
Was it worth it? I'm going to say it could have been 10 times that amount and it would have still been worth it. Found a great woman, I have some cool stories, but the best part is that I bring the spirit of travel to everything I've done and continue to do.
Travelling is priceless for people like me but, obviously, it's not for everyone.
Quite the opposite. I squandered my youth being a complete cheapskate and being reluctant to be away from my now wife for any extended period. I wish I had just borrowed some dough from my parents and taken trains around Europe and stuff. Now I have an infant daughter and anything other than family-visiting travel is not in the cards for a long long time. So I essentially traded adventure for stability, when the reality is I definitely could have had both if I had wanted to. If the world is still reasonably stable in 20 years and I have any money, maybe I'll finally get around to it.
I've traveled a lot, mostly in Latin America. I seem to be drawn to the seedier side of developing places where interesting things happen. I've been to dozens of cockfights, once had a shotgun shoved in my face in a cantina in Nuevo Laredo (back in my younger days), danced with more prostitutes than I can remember. Made friends, drank, fought, go to bullfights, drink some more. I hitchhiked in Mexico well into my late 40s. Got jumped by two bad hombres two years ago in a crap town in a crap place in Mexico and though I escaped with my stuff and my life, I suffered a knee injury that ended up requiring surgery and left a nice scar. That was only the second time someone tried to mug me, but it's been twice in a few years and I'm starting to think that at my advancing age (51), I present as an easy target. I think I'm going to leave that era behind, and spend more time haunting cafes in Paris or whatever. I don't regret the weirdness of the Latin American adventures, it will always be with me. It's just too dangerous for someone my age.
Quite the opposite. I squandered my youth being a complete cheapskate and being reluctant to be away from my now wife for any extended period. I wish I had just borrowed some dough from my parents and taken trains around Europe and stuff. Now I have an infant daughter and anything other than family-visiting travel is not in the cards for a long long time. So I essentially traded adventure for stability, when the reality is I definitely could have had both if I had wanted to. If the world is still reasonably stable in 20 years and I have any money, maybe I'll finally get around to it.
You can still travel with your daughter once she can stand on her own feet. Stop family visiting and go to some cool places. And I don't mean expensive places, just good cheap outdoor stuff.
Don't use your daughter as an excuse to not doing stuff.
No, I never regret something like this. Traveling for me is actually the best thing, I love it. Somethimes of course I feel a little bit sad when I spend a lot of money, but it's for sure worth it. I make memories for life
I've not traveled that much, but I've never regretted a trip. Traveling is a way to get new emotions and memories, meet someone new, and just have fun. Yes, it costs a lot of money, but you receive something way more important. And now I travel whenever I can.
