I say yes, you say no, OR People are Strange

I have not traveled as much as I would like, but I have been to Canada, France, Great Britain, and Jamaica.  My bucket list includes Ireland and Scotland and hope to achieve Ireland in the next year as that is where my Komen sister Tricia lives.  We have great plans to close the pub down one evening.

My daughter lives in S. Korea and has no desire to move back to the US at this time.  She very much enjoys the culture and the inexpensive health care.

My son will be travelling to S. America in April as part of a medical/dental missionary group.

In all probability, at least one of my three children will eventually return to Canada to live, so I will have reason to visit once more.  I have never been to PEI or New Brunswick, and have only seen the inside of the airport in Halifax, NS, so hope to one day visit there.

I equate many of the "Birthers" theories to those that believed the earth was flat.  There is absolutely no point in engaging in argument, because when presented with facts, they choose to believe otherwise.  No amount of facts, figures or evidence will sway them.  It's a waste of energy and air to try to argue with them.

Have to go try to settle my Dad down.  He's been in full party mode since yesterday morning.

I like the idea of the $1000 theatre ticket to see how it feels like.  Just to do something outrageously decadent.  Or funny, like order mac and cheese with Dom Perignon or Cristal.

Reminds me of a movie Queen Latifa did when she thought she was dying and took out all her savings and had a grand adventure in Europe.

I don't think I could ever pay $1,000 for a theater ticket, either - or even pop for business class (though I will cheerfully use miles to upgrade).  I'm just too much of a tightwad/saver.  That said, one of the things I save for is travel, and I have a long list of places I want to go.  Sicily is near the top, as is Corsica, Vietnam, southern India (Kerala) and Peru.  And then there are all the places I've been, but want to revisit.  Sigh.

Revkat, I'm not sure I buy the idea that geographic distance is what keeps Americans from traveling internationally.  I really think it's more cultural.  I mean, it's hard to get more geographically isolated than Australia, and my impression is that Australians are huge travelers.  When I visited there (to see my boyfriend at the time, who'd taken a teaching job in Sydney), I was struck by how well-traveled Australians across social classes seemed. 

L

It is probably cultural, but I wonder if partly that culture developed because of distance and the associated costs (I'm resisting American exceptionalism as the reason because that would reflect so poorly on us!). HEY, maybe we don't travel because so much of our budget has to go to health care??? You think? But, I think it is changing. It will be interesting to see the figures in the next generation (you know, once we have single payer health care).

Travel!!!! My dh and I met in Turkey when we were in the Air Force. I love that country. We've since hiked the Alps (France to Switzerland) and traveled the South Island of New Zealand. Lived in this amazing. wild country called California (LOL!) and our next trip will be this summer to Peru to hike to Machu Picchu along the Inca trail. That's one of my bucket-list places besides Nepal.

And still there are so many places in the US I need to see!

How could I forget Cuba -- just added it to my post above.

Darlene- you can do anything in the world you want to...write down exactly where you want to go and post it somewhere you see it everyday and then no matter how small the amount of money you can put aside...do it...you have survived bc...you will make it to Europe my friend.

One reason mentioned in the original article about why Americans (U.S. citizens, that is) don't travel as much -- but not mentioned since -- is that most Americans don't get much vacation time, especially compared to Europeans.  And even those of us lucky enough to have a job that gives 4 weeks vacation per year can have a really hard time actually TAKING those vacation days, and can almost never take them in one stretch.

I haven't been to Alaska or Hawaii, but I think Louisiana is the only other state I haven't been to.  In Canada, I've been to Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta, Saskatchewan and British Columbia.  Europe: England, Scotland, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Czechoslovakia (back when it was Czechoslovakia, to both the Czech and Slovak parts), Slovenia, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg.  Can't really count Iceland -- was only in the airport to change planes!  Would love to really go there!

This past summer I spent a week in Rome, just for fun!  The only European vacation I ever had -- it was wonderful.  All that other traveling was as a musician in various bands -- really a great way to visit all those countries, as these were rock and jazz bands touring small festivals and gigs booked by local promoters -- sometimes staying in promoters' houses, with local musicians, things like that. Some amazing experiences.

But no Latin America, no Caribbean, no Asia or Africa or Australia/New Zealand -- not yet, anyway...

Vacation time is a huge reason for not traveling.  So many of us have to use vacation days for children's illness, dr's appts, and other family reasons that we really don't get a vacation.  Let alone the fact that at many jobs, you can only take 5 days at a time -- at most.

I live in a small rural town and was shocked that many folks I knew had never been "off the mountain" to even the closest small town 38 miles away.  So I guess that is cultural.  Lots of very close knit families who would spaz out if daughter or mom were more than 5 miles away.

All the other reasons listed are valid as well.  But I believe the main ones are above.

Europe is such a small area in comparison to the US, Canada, etc.  I need to begin real travel here.  I've done the other, almost all except Africa and not interested.  We've traveled here, too, but I still love London and Italy.  Wish I could have done more of it when I was physically able.  Europe isn't made to accomodate non-walkers.  LOL.  I had my time and share of travel and am grateful for every minute of it.

My ex and I made a conscious decision to put travel high on our list for "things our daughter must do."  Nothing fights prejudice like experiencing other cultures and realizing that people are people everywhere, regardless of their rituals.  Thankfully, we've been able to afford it.

My 19-yr-old has been to England, Ireland, Wales, Italy, Finland, Lapland, New Zealand, the wilds of Ontario and BC Canada (haha), the Bahamas, Kentucky, Tennessee, Idaho, Utah, California, Washington, Florida, Georgia, and probably a few that I've missed.  She was also in the International Baccalaureate program in high school and its members looked like the United Nations.  She has friends of every color and religion and they're a tight-knit group.  They give me hope for the future.  :-)

Exposure to other cultures and different races is GOOD.  It won't turn you into a naive commie socialist dingbat.  On the contrary, my daughter is about as anti-racist and pro-world as you can get, and has one of the best BS-detectors I've ever seen. 

Okay, I'm done with my daily "My Daughter Is Awesome" monologue. 

Hope everyone has a great day!

E

Your daughter *is* awesome, enjoyful, so why not proclaim it from the rooftops? 

On the why-Americans-don't-travel-more-internationally thing . . . I think the vacation time issue is a big one.  As are the economics, as Darlene pointed out.  Our distribution of income is so unequal (amazing factoid: since 1989, 56% of all income growth in the U.S. has gone to the top 1% of the population), international travel becomes one more luxury to be enjoyed by a few.  I used to frequent a running message board, where one of the regular posters was an older guy who worked as a baggage handler at an Australian airport.  He regularly flew all over the world to run marathons; when he came to the U.S. to run in NYC, he was shocked at how little people in blue-collar occupations make here, and how strapped they are with expenses.  (And this guy was far, far from being a leftwinger.)

And then there's the issue of college debt . . . young people in Australia (and elsewhere) are freer to travel because they're not burdened with college loans.

That said: Darlene, I know you'll make that trip to Italy someday.

(You guys are really whetting my appetite for travel.  AnneW mentioned Turkey . . . how could I have forgotten Turkey!  I drove through Turkey with my parents as a kid, and it's amazingly beautiful and interesting.  Gorgeous coastline, freaky rock formations in the interior.  Great food. I soooo want to go back someday.)

L

I just spent the last 10 minutes posting about my travel dreams, hit Submit, then the back button to edit something and lost it! 

Suffice it to say... although I live in NJ, own a home in San Diego (well, owe more on it than it's worth -  with a husband from whom I'm temporarily separated - long story and not sure how temporary that is! LOL.... ) I sometimes dream of retiring in Italy.  Been there twice but still haven't seen as much of the country as I'd like too.  Would actually like to spend years eating my way through it!   Would be satisfied lately with just a few weeks in Rome and the Amalfi coast (which I haven't seen yet).  

I did have one of the most beautiful and romantic dinners of my life in San Remo, on the Mediteranean. I choose San Remo so I could get over to Monte Carlo on a day trip. Turns out San Remo was wonderful!  I traveled there alone because... my husband won't fly anymore.  Hasn't flown in over 20 years.  Makes for a lot of road trips - and I'm not a happy passenger. In fact, car travel makes me very anxious; worse than watching or reading the news!   (Which, btw Shokk, I don't do much of any more.  Although I've met Arianna Huffington, I don't read the Huffington Post, Drudge or anything heavier than CNN.com's drivel.  I get my Alex Jones straight from Alex Jones because I find him passionate and probably accurate, and certainly entertaining food for thought. But even Alex Jones I take with a very large grain of salt!)

I'm an American who keeps her passport updated all the time because I never know when the next time will be when I have that lucky combination of time, money AND health on my hands! Hope it's soon, though...

sue

It's = its. Damn you, auto-correct!

I ahave been to Europe. When I was 11 my 2 unmarried aunts took me to Spain and Portugal. It was truly amazing and we did a lot of things I wouldn't have done if I had been there with my parents, like get a big blond streak in my hair (it was the sixties) so I would look older and be able to get into nightclubs!