I read an excellent article titled the case against travel (its worth expending your free article allowance for). It made a strong philosophical case against travel without mentioning the effect on the environment, which is a point so obvious that it is low-hanging fruit. How travel forces the locals to mould themselves and the surroundings to attract more tourists, how it pushes people to "demand to feel something" when standing before touristy sights, etc, On Twitter, the author conceded the transformational potential of travel for young people and admitted that her article was targeted at older rent-fattened chronic travellers, who abound in the UK and the US.
My own views on travel are that I am not a big fan of it because I cannot be buggered to sort out the logistics. All my trips are with friends/family or to see friends/family, treks excepted. I am moderately irritated that a fondness for traveler is a seen as a a signifier of an interesting, adventurous and vibrant personality. For instance, dating apps profiles are littered with the phrase "I love to travel". If everyone loves to travel, surely that's not a novel or distinguishing personality trait?
But, I cannot deny that I have had some very fun trips, and also trips which have been transformational. The first long trek at age 15 that started my love affair with the mountains, the trip in the US/Mexico in the winter of 2013, that ignited a restlessness in me, that resulted in me first moving out of my parent's house and eventually out of India.
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