Original article is here, written by Chelsea Fagan.
This is an open reply to why I disagree and feel the article was blankly assuming many, many things about "younger" people who travel. I'm 29 and choose to prioritize travel over other expenses (houses, TVs, clothes) and things like settling down to start a family. That's my choice, not a privilege, as the article suggests. I don't think the article paints a fair picture of all of us out there exploring the world.
These are my opinions; I understand not everyone will agree and that is ok. I just felt compelled to reply to Chelsea.
***
Dear Chelsea,
Everything you do in life is a choice.
You choose your friends.
You choose your job.
You choose to travel.
You choose to save money so that you can travel, or you spend it on other things.
In your, article, '"Why Don't Worry About Money, Just Travel," is the Worst Advice Ever,"' I read yesterday, I was annoyed and felt that you blankly assume that anyone who travels is privileged, because of your internet acquaintance.
First off, with her being an acquaintance, how do you know she comes from a rich family? Do you know her intention for travel? Do you know if she is frivolous with her money? Do you know if she has scholarships for her Master's? The picture you paint sounds more like assumptions than actual knowledge of who this girl is.
"The girl in question posts superficially inspiring quotes on her lush photos, about dropping everything and running away, or quitting that job you hate to start a new life somewhere new, or soaking up the beauty of the world while you are young and untethered enough to do so."
As someone who also posts encouragement and inspiration via social media channels, like Instagram, I took this personally.
I know what my intention is on social media: to encourage and inspire. I don't get upset when others don't share my love for travel, and definitely do not look down on them.
How do you know that your friend isn't also trying to do the same? Since you didn't share her handle, we don't know for certain the verbiage she is using, but I highly doubt she is telling people they suck because they don't choose travel (yes, choose).
Yes, there are trust-fund kids who do get to travel often. Lucky them.
Moving on...
"...someone who has had the extreme privilege (yes, privilege) of getting out there and traveling extensively while young is not any better, wiser, or more worthy than the person who has stayed home to work multiple jobs to get the hope of one day landing a job that the traveler will assume is a given."
What makes you think that is the intention of your friend? What makes you think that is the intention of seasoned-travelers? I know that's not the intention of myself. I do find that I have a harder time relating to people who have not traveled, but that doesn't mean I think less of them or more of myself.
This blew my mind the most:
"...nothing about your ability or inability to travel means anything about you as a person."
Are you kidding me? Did you read what you wrote?
Just because someone is "saddled with more responsibility," does not mean they are less capable of travel. That is making an excuse for the people who don't know how to budget or do without in exchange for travel (if that's really what they want). If someone really wants to travel, they have to choose to. They do not have to be privileged to travel. They can eat at home, carpool, and learn how to plan travel efficiently if they truly have the urge to travel.
"They are learning what it means to work hard, to delay gratification, and to better yourself in slow, small ways."
You know what is most interesting? My desire to travel is why I know how to budget money now. My desire to travel is why I took a leap of faith and started my own business.
I've never worked harder in my life, and I have never grown more.
"Everyone needs to forge their own path to financial independence and freedom."
This, I can agree with. My path is not your path, and neither is the girl you're writing about - yet you are quite obvious with your judgement on her path. (Which is why I'm writing this article).
To sum things up, Chelsea, I think you probably did not mean to come across the way you did in your article, because you are making huge assumptions and lashing out at someone who is living their life differently than you would. The fact that you start the article of by telling us this girl is an internet acquaintance was a misstep, because you clearly don't know her intention, or her as a person.
You cannot assume that everyone in this world wants a good job, to buy a house, or have a huge nest egg. Some of us are ok with having enough to get by, and many of us choose experiences over having nice things or a stable financial future. This makes us resourceful, so that when we do get stranded in Southeast Asia, we can figure out what to do.
Like I said at the beginning of this reply, everything we do in life is a choice. I chose to drive home drunk 6 years ago, get a DWI, go completely broke, struggle for a long time (all the while dreaming of travel), and quite frankly, if I had read your article during that time in my life, I probably would agree with you, because I was in a "why is this happening to me," victim-mentality state. Side-note: my parents have never paid for anything in my life once I turned 16 and got a job to pay for my car.
I chose to turn my life around by making better choices, everyday. I had to take each day at a time and now, here I am, able to travel whenever I want on my own dime, because I chose to be here. I have lost friends, have moved away from loved ones, and spend lots of time alone. Could I go back and get a Master's? Yea, sure. Could I get a really great job somewhere, so I can buy a house? Yea, sure.
But I don't want to.
So I'm not.
Because that's my choice.
I understand why you wrote the article, and what you may have meant, but you also came across extremely one-sided and presumptuous.
Regards,
Tiffiny Costello
tiffinycostello@me.com
Eek, and I spelled your name wrong! As someone who is constantly getting "Kristen" (or any variation of) instead of "Kristin," I apologize =)
ReplyDeleteNo worries! :)
DeleteTiffany, thanks for posting this link on Facebook. While I agree with many of Chelsea's points, I also agree with you on the "privilege" argument. The majority of my friends who are full-time travelers (or nomads) don't care about all the things that I wanted and have, like a mortgage (actually two), a husband, a career, etc. And that's OK; we aren't all meant to want the same things—life would be boring if so. For example, I don't want kids and get angry when people apply that's just the path every woman in her 30s takes, so I get why this article would annoy you.
ReplyDeleteThe part that resonated with me was more her arguments about you can have meaningful travel in your life without it being a full-time thing. I've been traveling solo, often for work but sometimes not, for 12 years now. I probably take 30 flights a year, do a few big trips annually but at least two smaller trips a month, and I've caught flack from travel bloggers in the past who seem to think the full-time travel, no-home, no-mortgage, no-career path is the way to go. Again, that's great if that's not what they want, but I like having a job I love and knowing I don't have to worry about money (well, in a sense...I still always wish I had more of it, ha!), but that doesn't make me any less a traveler (or person) simply because I choose not to do that without pause. Does that make sense?
I admire people who do—my good friend Alex in Wanderland was just visiting me and she's been on the road for four years straight—but that's simply not a way of life that seems attractive to me personally, while fun and exciting and adventurous it may be.
=)
Thanks for understanding my frustration, and it all comes back to what I say at the beginning - everything is a choice - we are all choosing our paths, and not every form fits everyone. Not everyone who travels shuns those who don't, and not everyone who travels is privileged.
DeleteThanks for reading, Kristin! :)