5 Travel Opinions that Make me Want To Throw A Lamp

I know that for every different person there is a different way to travel, and different opinions about how it must be done. There do seem to be some pervasive themes which I have encountered time and time again and I just don’t understand where these opinions came from or how they perpetuated. All I know is that a lot of people seem to hold them, and I think they are absolute nonsense.

#1. Travel makes you cultured.

Nope. Your understanding of a place, your respect for it’s people, struggles, and heritage, and your appreciation for its differences, mysteries, and complexities makes you a cultured individual. Many people travel the world without gaining any of these things. And on that note …

#2. Travel makes you an intellectual.

I assure you; it does not. It makes me sad to think that because someone doesn’t travel much they might think themselves uncultured or unintelligent. Travel helps build these traits but there are plenty of perfectly intelligent, well rounded people who have not set food outside of their province. There are also plenty of people who have seen the world and somehow managed to learn nothing from it. I’d much prefer a conversation with the former over the later.

#3. If you want to know ‘the real’ wherever you are, you need to backpack.

I seem to come across this all the time and it’s infuriating. Certainly some situations and areas call for backpacking, but others decidedly do not. You can travel to many fabulous places around the world without having to haul your entire existence around with you while you do so. If you wish to backpack and couch surf your way around the world, fabulous! It’s an amazing experience! You do you. Just don’t look down on people who prefer not to travel in the same manner you do.

#4. It’s expensive, so it must be good.

This applies to a lot of things but when it comes to travel I’ve seen it mainly in tours and food. I’ve gone on tours that cost me maybe £10 that were more enjoyable and informative than some of the £100 tours. Likewise, I’ve eaten at some pretty fancy places, but some of the best meals I’ve had have been at food stalls and pubs. Don’t turn up your nose at something just because it’s cheap.

#5. I’m here, therefore everything should be my way.

There’s two very sides to this, and both make my blood boil.

The first one is the one we’re all familiar with. The person who comes in demanding that because they speak English, everyone else should as well, despite being in the middle of a small town in Spain or some other such country whose official language is not English. They come in other varieties as well, demanding that certain customs be adhered to or that their favourite brands be available to them, but generally they’re loud and obnoxious.

The second one is the opposite and not quite equal to the first. It’s a little less familiar, but I consider it more sinister because it’s so covert.

This is the person who demands that everything be done their way because they happen to live in a certain place.

Let me give you a personal example.

I was abroad and had just returned from a quick trip into a grocery store to get a snack. I had wanted kielbasa, but couldn’t find any, so I bought some pepperettes instead. I was telling my friend this when our conversation was interrupted by a local. They told me “Well, it won’t be like at home,” in a tone that suggested what they actually meant was “If you don’t like it, go home.”

That’s it. My looking for a snack in a foreign country was enough of a reason for this person to unleash their negativity parade on me.

The moral of all these unpopular opinions is simply this, gentle readers: don’t judge people for where they have or haven’t gone, how they got there, how much they paid for it, or where they’ve come from. Love your neighbours.

Oh, and let people snack in peace. That’s important too.