Travel Snobs
Snobbery. We all say that we hate it, but each one of us is guilty of being a snob in something or another. Some of us are snobs when it comes to education and job while others are culinary snobs, the type who gasp in horror when a friend does not know how to properly order wine with his meal.
And yet, there is one type of snobbery that has lately been bothering me quite a bit. At a rational level, I have no idea why I find it more unacceptable than other forms of snobbery. Shouldn't I be equal opportunity in my indignation? Alas, such feelings defy any sense of human reason or logic.
The victim of my righteous indignation is travel snobbery. First, let me preface by saying that traveling with loved ones and friends is an amazing experience, one that adds enormous pleasure to life. Seeing new exotic places expands our imagination, giving us a sense of the awesome beauty of this planet we call home.
Travel snobs, however, use their travels as a form of social status, not at all unlike from say a harvard grad who deploys his education to somehow validate himself in the eyes of others. For them, going to a place like bora bora is proof that they have finally succeeded and have the financial means to go somewhere that is the embodiment of luxury.
Consequently, they have to constantly remind their friends and acquaintances that they just came back from so and so, and the experience was so AMAZING that they just had to post endless photos via facebook.
What is more bothersome is when the travel snobs express amazement when a fellow professional is not well-travelled. I for one have not travelled much. Part of this was due to a lack of time, but also I find flying excrutiatingly uncomfortable. To make matters worse, I often get sick when I return from a trip abroad. I thus choose to limit my travels. When this fact is revealed to the travel snobs, I am looked upon as a cultural phillistine.
Apologies to the WSO monkeys if this post may have offended their sentiments. Again, this is not an indictment of travel lovers. But I just needed to get this off my chest through my writing, something I look forward to as I continue my new blog on WSO.
"If the world was perfect, there would be no need for arbitrage."
Arbitrageur1980
wahhhhh
I tend to save most of my cash during the year and try to do an amazing trip on a yearly basis (think asia or south america). What I don't understand is people's obsession with business classseats for long haul flights. THAT'S being a travel snob. Why the heck would you pay extra 500 dollars to rent a seat 2 inches wider for 12 hours ? That's probably the worst value for money i could ever imagine. And don't start arguing that you get "better food" and "better service". Plane food is never great, its eatable, and most of the time the stewardesses from first class work in economy too.
I could understand getting an upgrade to business class if you are over 2 meters tall (6.5 for our fellow Americans), but there is always a way to pay for economy class and get a seat next to a safety exit to get plenty of leg room. Economy seats are not that bad; i tend to get trashy drunk the day before I fly so I sleep during most of the flight and then spend the other half of the flight in zombie mode watching movies and eating the crappy food they give out.
Going to amazing places around the world doesn't have to be crazy expensive; you just have to spend your money wisely and be able to compromise superficial shit.
Rant: OFF
I don't understand business class for shot haul flights. For long haul flights, it's a borderline necessity for me. Those god damn small economy seats give me horrific back pain that'll last two three days after a 10 hour flight and no amount of stretching or in flight exercise helps. The food is a bonus but whatever.
If you don't travel you are a cultural philistine. Not my rules, just the way it is.
Could you please elaborate? Not just Grandpa-Edmundo, but anyone.
Whenever I mention I dont have the "passion" or the "cultural curiosity" for travel, my professional friends and colleagues always have the same reaction -
"Whattt?? How could this be??? What is the meaning of this??? How could you not just LOVE travel???? Traveling is sooooooo amazingggg!!!! Ethnic food!!!! OMG sploogeee!"
^^Yes, that reaction. A combination of anger, confusion, joy and sexual arousal. Always the same. Always annoying.
FWIW, I volunteer for an non-profit that operates in a 3rd world country, so I am have been to that particular country a couple of times. I also travel occasionally for mountain biking and snowboarding trips. I also visit my country of origin at least once a year. But I cant say that I am into travel or culture or any of that. I am some kind of oddball because of this. Please explain.
On a deeper level, there is a certain enlightenment that comes with travelling and being outside of one's comfort zone.
Immersing yourself in another place and culture and being among others who are not like you can tell you more about yourself, your own culture, your way of life and your shared humanity than any amount of reading or any other academic enlightenment. You think you know who you are, but you really don't. It's like becoming aware, you can't go back to being an isolated person.
This is before you even get into seeing how beautiful and ugly the world is.
We are so isolated nowadays... We live standardised lives, hanging out with the same people, eating the same food, consuming the same ideas, having the same manufactured experiences. Travel has the potential to challenge all of this and take one outside of one's comfort zone.
RE CapM, it seems like you are relatively well travelled. Don't you think that your travels have helped shape who you are, or have challenged your boundaries?
guilty, travel is a must
If you hate traveling, don't travel, but also don't whine about those who do.
I also hate the people who post overwhelmengly amounts of travel photos on facebook. A picture of you with Machu Pichu on the background is good, but 6 pictures with the mule that took you there is fucking annoying.
I disagree with the long haul business class argument. business class is warranted in my opinion only on long haul flights. Longest flight I've flown business class was 7 hours, and since then every 7+ hour flight has been very uncomfortable.
also fyi, most people traveling business/first class aren't really doing it on their dime. A vast majority are business travelers etc. who may make a truckload of money but wouldn't travel business class if they were to pay for it.
Travelling is enjoyable but requires money and effort, kind of like sailing, golf, fine dining, etc. No one can be at a snob at everything, so next time you find yourself the victim of a someone's travel snobbery maybe just out-snob them with something else!
booo fucking hooo
I have flow from Newark to HK and Newark to Shanghai multiple times (15 and 17 hours, respectfully). For the times I have flown B-Class (and we are talking B-class with a fully-reclinable seat) I have arrived in relatively good shape and not had too much difficulty fighting jet lag.
On the other hand, when I have made the same flights in Coach I arrived absolutely shredded. I am almost totally useless for at least a day afterwards. However, my B-Class seats were the result of upgrades so it was not like I paid for them. However, if my bank wants to send me on a trip like that for business after I start, I would be very disappointed if they did not pop for a B-Class seat. On a flight of that length you can get a legit 8-9 hours of solid sleep in B-class, not the torturous half-sleep of the ergonomically-challenged coach seats that make you want to go directly from baggage claim to a chiropractor.
As far as travel snobs, the ones that I do not like are the trust fund babies who talk about all their travels while monkeys like us are sweating it out trying to make the money that they were born into. I have met more than my fair share of these d-bags.
This. Can't say for first class but economy/business class already makes a huge difference for transcontinental flights. I just laugh at those travel snobs b/c it's not even like they have lived abroad.
if your trip is
guilty about he facebook photos...but is anyone forcing you to look at them?
Also, i would never look down on someone if they didn't have the $ to travel (or didnt realize how cheaply you can travel) - but I would question whether that person had any curiosity or passion to see the world.
If you have TIME, travel can be very cheap...so not sure why traveling a lot would be viewed as "snobby" - what if you travel because you genuinely like to see new places?
umm facebook news feed is. Another thing about travel photos that grinds my gears: tons of shitty hotel food. Do you really have have to take a photo of every single meal that you eat during your travels? I mean again if its exotic or if you are at the fat duck and want to show a masterpiece its fine. But lets get real, the buffet at the four seasons Brussels is the same shit as the four seasons Toronto. I don't need 892735823475389 photos of it.
That being said I love travelling but I'm very humble about it
if certain friends annoy you with their travel photos it's pretty easy to eliminate them from your feed and/or reduce frequency in feed. Agree with some of the food pics...
I know multiple trust fund kids... they travel all over the world on private jets and have never held a job. THAT shit I cannot stand and almost makes me want a high inheritance tax.
Alright guys, you are jumping too quick on the OP. I think he is talking about the trust fund kids that NOBAMA88 mentioned or non-trust fund kids who travels a lot and think that it's "COOL" to blast the pictures all over the place, or to simply be a douche when they meet someone who does not travel.
People who travels for business/work related activities rarely have time to take pictures and do all the shit that the OP despise lol.
I only find it strange when someone ca afford (trust funds, hard work, or employer-sponsored) to travel but refuse to do so. Now, that's where I ask "Aren't you curious about the world, other culture etc..."
Agree Patrick but sometimes I do want to see the albums cause they are in cool places. Its just that 60% of the album is food or shitty pics.
I also don't understand the hate for trust fund babies who luxury travel all the time. You guys wouldn't do the exact same thing if you were in their position?
For the handful of trust fund babies I know, it has more to do with their attitude of their shit doesn't stink. They certainly have a very pompous attitude toward people with less money. As if they somehow are better for driving a Lamborghini and are able to afford unlimited bottle service at the club in Vegas every weekend, all purchased using their dads American Express card. None have ever held a job before, and they will probably never work a day for the rest of their lives. All of this while they make fun of the people working 15 hours a day and driving around in a Toyota as lesser human beings.
I dont have a trust fund, so I dont know how I would have acted if I was in their shoes. I can assure you my kids will not have trust funds set up allowing them access to millions of dollars each (if I were fortunate enough to make that kind of trust fun money one day). When I die and if I feel that they have good heads on their shoulders will they inherit part of my money... the rest will go to charity.
I personally font mind them having a good time. What I do mind, and find highly frustrating, is that they land great internships/jobs thanks to daddy's network and money, although they barely passed their undergraduate degree. I know a lot of kids with the crappiest grades which where almost constantly in academic probation that landed internships which would be unachievable to a "normal" candidate with much better grades.
This may sound like a generalization, but I am speaking from what I have experienced:
Trust fund babies luxury travel like you said; they stay in 5/7 star hotels, park by the pools, eat at the most expensive restaurants, do touristy stuff and call it a day. By the end of their trip, they have done what they usually do in their home towns where the only thing that changed is the scenery.
Most other people who are not as fortunate, find alternative accommodations, take public transit, eat at mom and pop restaurants and by doing this, intentionally or not, they develop a feel for the local community. They get to see and experience more than the tourist traps and gain a new perspective from their experience.
I guess I am a travel snob somehow- I find no pleasure in luxury travel and don't feel satisfied unless I get to live like the locals for a few days.
In regards to pictures: Start commenting on how shitty the food looks and they will eventually stop posting just because they are tired of your comments.
Food pics are utter shyte. Who fucking cares what you had to eat? That said, Instagram made a billion dollars off fuckwits taking pictures of their food.
This is erroneous, have you even read the drivel that gets posts posted to this site? The commentariat here lack the cultural refinement, pedigree, and joie de vivre to adequately justify the standards to which they might lay claim.
I have a feeling many people who say they love to travel, only like the idea of traveling. For many, traveling is a fucking headache, especially if you have a family and responsibility at work. I feel like if you are flying with kids, in coach, on a long overseas flight and have a thousand emails coming in while your gone... you are going to have a bad time.
Traveling is ideal for people (such as Patrick) who run their own business, no kids, no ball and chain, no worries. Or ideal for your average unemployed creative writing major who waits tables for 2 months a year, continues to go to school on loans or scholarship, and uses his loans or waiter money to travel a couple months out of the year so they can feel like they are exploring themselves. Or, as already discussed, having a trust fund.
Side note, I LOVE to travel... I just dont seem to have the time. I wish I could pack up for 4 months and travel Europe. The only way I see myself being able to do that is quitting my job and using my savings, but that is hard thing for most to do.
My parents have travelled me since I was born. Travelling abroad for leisure is simple:
Bottom line IMO: If oyu have money to travel, and you don't do it, you're missing out. Get out there.
This is the cheesiest post I've seen on here in awhile. You just decided to construct a list of tips for traveling abroad like you write for a women's magazine. Sick value add bro.
The first sentence is the best.
Traveling with kids is fucking miserable. I've even gone so far as to forbid my wife from referring to a trip with our kids as a "vacation", because it's the furthest fucking thing from a vacation you could ever imagine. It is just awful. I'm spending two weeks in Spain with them at the end of the month and I'm already girding my loins. Don't even get me started on travel with kids. Amoebic dysentery coupled with a genital herpes outbreak is more pleasant.
Nobama, you're 100% correct - the time to travel is when you're young and unencumbered.
RECapMkt - sounds like you're a pretty serious traveler and just don't think of yourself as such. The average American dies within 50 miles of their place of birth.
I've found the people who've traveled the most are spoiled rich kids that want to impress other spoiled rich kids. You can't make it to +20 countries before 25-30 and not getting mommy and daddy to pay.
Im not against travel, i thoroughly believe its a good thing to learn about other countries. But the way most people do it is to just seems very egotistical. The only "cultural exchange" takes place is when they call the tour guide or book a flight.
Traveling and learning about culture =/= 1 week Facebook photo shoot.
Posting this on a finance board seems naive. If you believe the hype, you've got kids graduating at 22 into a $80,000 starting salary, and the motivation to go to Europe, they'll do it. Plus you don't even need money if you have the youth and energy to backpack or couch-surf.
At 16 I'd gone to two countries on my own dime as a missionary. Many of my friends that age had been to 5 or 6, and we all paid for it ourselves, by fundraising. We weren't doing it to be snobs, we did it to make a difference.
Even now days I've got friends who are lawyers, my age (24) who have been to more than 30 Countries.
Mummy and daddy have nothing to do with it.
If kids are coming out of college making those huge salaries, they're most likely to be coming from a target (80%). If you're working through college, you're not going to have the ability to do more than 1 or 2 countries per a year at BEST and if you're on scholarship its most likely you needed the money to study not fly around.
Post-College trip = 4 countries 4 years of college X 2 Trips a year = 8 High school X 2 Trips a year = 8 (and highschoolers are getting money from where?)
Total 20 pre-professional
Before high school, you know its the parents completely paying. Even then, doing that much a year without parents paying at all before a real job is quite impressive
And do you really think being a missionary and fundraising for traveling are that common? The exception proves the rule.
Travelling is the least offensive form of snobbery. I respect a travel snob far more than some tool who drops stupid money on watches, cars, shoes, clothes etc.
I agree with this completely. Especially because the kinds of people that buy those things purely in order to show off how much money they make often seem to lack any sort of taste. I have never met anyone in my life that goes to the trouble of traveling to far off places just to talk about how much they travel, but the same can't be said of those other things (watches, especially).
For me, travel is one of the only things that keeps life "interesting".
I've played a bunch of sports competitively, have a good group of friends, like to get out and party etc, but after Uni, it just felt natural to get out there...
Americans seem wayy underrepresented in my travels.. Aussies and Kiwis tend to be everywhere, as do Brits and Frenchies. I'll use Tokyo as an example, which is approx the same distance from all of these countries.
That's a crazy comment, "you have to be rich to travel". There are fuck-loads of hippies around Asia and Europe who just show up in new countries and work odd-jobs to pay the bills. If you do that for a year, fine, any longer and the girls you're dealin' better be 9+
Op, try not to take it personally when people share their experiences. Sometimes, well, they just want to share their experiences. You have a point though when it comes to rich kids. Accumulating "Four Seasons" points at the age of 20 is certainly douche x 10.
Don't hate on the OP.
I think what he dislikes is "competitive tourism".
I literally have read neither the OP nor any posts, but I will say this (whether irrelevant or not, idk and idc) but if when you travel you have to share everything you did with ppl via the interwebs to feel fulfilled, there is probably something wrong with you. You travel because YOU enjoy doing so, not because you need everyone to know about it. I have always said that the downful of FB will occur when ppl start gaining a stronger interest in living their own lives than stalking those of others (I'm not saying this would ever happen, I'm just saying if it did FB would be fucked). Anyway, I lol'ed at this and find it kinda relevant to my post.
I feel compelled to post on this thread. While I'm not a trust fund baby, I do LOVE to travel internationally (and domestically, although less so). I also use Facebook as my personal online photo storage site, so I'm probably guilty of being a snob.
I think Relinquis made some great points above. I think the most interesting experiences in life are the ones where you're in an "unknown" situation, exploring and figuring it out for the first time. Experiences where you're way outside your comfort zone. I remember being in Germany for Oktoberfest. I don't speak a word of German and there I was in the middle of a throng of people celebrating in the streets. The experience was so different than anything else, which made it exhilarating. I imagine the same feeling would come from riding an elephant in Thailand or a camel in Egypt. While similar types of unique experiences certainly exist at home, you're far more likely to find them abroad.
Also, regarding business class seats: While I'd certainly never drop an extra $5k of personal money to fly business class, they serve a distinct purpose. I flew from Newark to Tokyo once in first class (the first class where you get your own cubicle). When the flight touched down 14 hours later, I felt completely refreshed. In fact, I was so comfortable that I didn't even want the flight to land. When you're traveling overseas for business, flying first class enables you to sleep comfortably and arrive rested. Some overseas trips only last a day or two, so if you aren't ready to go when you land, you risk wasting the entire trip. Not to mention it was far easier to open my laptop and be productive for 6+ hours during the flight in first class than it would have been cramped up in coach.
Eddie's right.
The cultural philistines are wrong.
I've done a lot of traveling in my life, mostly stemming from visiting family (European parents). I am very grateful for it and think its been a great experience. I understand that not everyone can do this, but that doesn't make it snobby if you have. I also understand the annoying people that post pictures all the time and think travelling is a competition, but I wouldn't say thats a majority of travelers and has nothing to do with being a trust fund kid or not. I've met people that are not at all trust fund kids that think they are so wordly because of the time they went to X country for 2 weeks in high school on a school sponsored trip
A bit unrelated, but the best way to experience another culture fully is to actually live there for an extended period of time. Avoid just doing touristy things and get to really experience life in that country. Just my 2 cents
100% agree
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