A friend of mine said he doesnt need to travel at all because of YouTube and local restaurants

[Tyaren]

I love seeing the world, especially the great cities of this world. I do dislike travelling though, it's stressful and so much can go wrong and often does. So my favorite way to "travel" to far away cities is also visiting them virtually in games, on Google Earth, Youtube and so on.

 

[GasProblem]

I love those videos where someome just walks through a place without talking or added music. You're just taking in the sights. Doesn't really compare with actually being there for me though.

 

[Ryuelli]

I also think most people underestimate the pleasure of traveling your own country. I've always been envious of americans in this respect because you have such a huge variety of nature and climates.

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As an American who has said just that on this forum multiple times (but hasn't followed my own advice yet), my plan is getting international travel out of the way now/while I'm young because hostels are cheap, I'm single, I'm healthy, and don't have a whole lot holding me down right now financially speaking, but also because I think it'll make more sense to travel the US and see my own country when I'm older, my body isn't as kind, and 8-10+ hours in an airplane isn't as appealing.

 

[tangeu]

Ugh travel people are so elitist "you haven't really LIVED unless you traveled" "Your experiences mean nothing because you didn't experience them over here *points at map*" "Oh you're telling some completely unrelated story, let me tell you about my TRAVEL"

 

[Arilian]

local restaurant never have the exact same ingredients and won't taste exactly the same.

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You can find foreign ingredients in most of the western countries. And if the chef is someone from said foreign country, it can absolutely taste as fine as going abroad.

Edit: some parts of this message weren't my finest one and I deleted them. My apologies.

 

[rudeboyoslo]

Walking videos on youtube are amazing though.
I love traveling myself and can't wait to get on a plane again. But to each their own obviously.

 

[Stop It]

Are we really at the point of publicly shaming people for not wanting to do what you like?

Seriously?

At one point we'll have VR experiences that approach the real thing without the cost and immense damage that tourism does to the environment etc.

Being content with your lot isn't hurting anyone and this smacks of ivory tower sneering.

 

[benzopil]

I completely agree with him

 

[The Albatross]

What else do you need but the food court of your local mall? A taste of the world!

Joking aside, different strokes for different folks. My brother in law is like that, he's terrified of flying and so he has no interest in going someplace that isn't a days drive away.

 

[Rosebud]

I love to travel, but I usually don't eat local dishes lol (mostly because most of them have meat)

 

[Transistor]

Travelling just isn't a priority for some people and that's just fine. People can do what they want.

 

[crimzonflame]

Ugh travel people are so elitist "you haven't really LIVED unless you traveled" "Your experiences mean nothing because you didn't experience them over here *points at map*" "Oh you're telling some completely unrelated story, let me tell you about my TRAVEL"

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Had a friend like this. He thought he was better than anyone who hasn't traveled. He can't hold a job and quits to travel whenever he gets bored. He racks up thousands in credit card bills only to have his parents bail him out.

 

[Deleted member 46493]

The world would probably be better if less people traveled, but it's a difficult thing to suggest or bring up. Travel is the badge of honor for the middle and upper middle classes - it's become the strongest form of social capital.

I hope we see VR tech improve such that people without the means to travel can experience other parts of the world as close as possible.

 

[kmfdmpig]

I enjoyed traveling when I had the money to do so, but I don't begrudge people for choosing not to do so. I think nothing really replaces the experience of traveling abroad, but it is easier to get a sense of different cultures through restaurants, books, Youtube, etc... than it was generations ago so your friend's view is not too odd.

 

[Deleted member 46493]

Had a friend like this. He thought he was better than anyone who hasn't traveled. He can't hold a job and quits to travel whenever he gets bored. He racks up thousands in credit card bills only to have his parents bail him out.

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Except with the "holding a job" part, this is a very common NYC kind of person haha. Spend all their money on travel and rent (so no savings).

 

[Ryuelli]

At one point we'll have VR experiences that approach the real thing

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Okay, but we're nowhere close to that point and right now going on virtual tours or looking at pictures on the internet is nowhere close to the real thing. The only way to experience the real thing is to do the real thing.

I think it's fine if people have no interest in traveling, but to act like Youtube is the same thing is unequivocally wrong.

 

[swoon]

Traveling for pleasure is a relatively new concept. Most people throughout history lived and died roughly in the same area they were born. If he's happy with his life, why cause a big fuss?

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it's not, the greeks would travel for leisure, vacation homes became a thing during the roman empire, etc. you could also see the popularity of pilgrimages as a form of tourism and ones available to all classes.

also like the grand tour? it's just not new at all.

 

[MikeProtagonist]

I can't get a proper bowl of ramen within 400-500 kilometers or so. I need to travel.

And if you live in Germany you have a wide range of amazing cities within a couple of hours travel by train. In normal circumstances, nothing could be easier than taking a weekend in, say, Vienna or Prague or Gent.

 

[Forkball]

Gonna use this excuse if I get married and my wife wants to go on a honeymoon. Or maybe I can convince her just to watch a wedding on YouTube. Think of the savings!

 

[Desi]

I see tourists buying KFC and McDonalds and shopping at GAP and Apple stores abroad.
People valule familiarity

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Bruh don't down the MickeyD's it is one of my travel musts. It actually changes based on location and the menu is always interesting. Also some places it is the only thing opened at 8 in the morning lol.
Apple at least has visually striking stores. I want to see that new orb one in Singapore or maybe it's China.

 

[Mendrox]

I was the same till I started traveling. Now I get bad moods when I see videos about a country I would like to visit again. It's not the same at all.

Germany also sucks (I live in Hamburg). Have seen most of the country and I just don't like most parts here. Really boring.

Are we really at the point of publicly shaming people for not wanting to do what you like?

Seriously?

At one point we'll have VR experiences that approach the real thing without the cost and immense damage that tourism does to the environment etc.

Being content with your lot isn't hurting anyone and this smacks of ivory tower sneering.

Click to shrink...

You can already do that with VR right now. Lots of places are already filmed like this and on Youtube. It's still not the same at all.

Traveling for pleasure is a relatively new concept. Most people throughout history lived and died roughly in the same area they were born. If he's happy with his life, why cause a big fuss?

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This is wrong. https://www.europeana.eu/de/blog/travelling-for-pleasure-a-brief-history-of-tourism

 

[Ryuelli]

I see tourists buying KFC and McDonalds and shopping at GAP and Apple stores abroad.
People valule familiarity

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Even those restaurants will probably have menus that have items specific to the country they're in though. I'm not getting a bulgogi burger at a McDonald's in America.

 

[XR.]

It's not viable for everyone on this planet to travel, so I don't see the issue. If they're happy, they're happy, no need to dig into it deeper than necessary.

 

[Dekuman]

Traveling is incredibly wasteful , expensive and not eco friendly

Though there are places I'd like to visit its a once in a lifetime thing. the rush rush travel credo of so many working people where they absolutely have to go somewhere far away each year with a packed itinerary is a new concept and feels more like conditioning from.boomer parents and keeping up with the Joneses than an actual need

Keep it local whenever possible

I personally prefer staycations myself . Much less stressful and easier on the finances

 

[Annubis]

He is a smoker, so most of his money goes into smoking (around 100€ each month).

I get that people dont wanna travel or cant, but like some other poster said: A youtube video and a restaurant arent the same as actually being there.

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Is it though? This sounds like a digital divide between generations.
If someone periscopes their entire trip and you watch the entire footage, you have literally seen everything they have seen.
The difference between being there then lies in the choice of where to look, but then there isn't much of a difference between this and a travel plan and guide that forces you to go places and see things.
What was the real difference then? The smell of Germany?

To me, this is an ok-boomer thing derided from misplaced pride.
"I took a real vacation, people don't know how to vacation!. Walked that country uphill both ways!"

 

[DFG]

Why is not wanting to travel such a weird concept to some of you? What a weird thread. Smells of privilege as well.

 

[shrapnelmagnet]

And I noted that not wanting to travel is fine. My issue is acting like a YouTube video and a local restaurant compare. They do not at all. It's a foolish notion.

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I agree. It is harmless but making the comparison is silly. In the end, whatever lol. Not terribly surprised at this thread, though, either...

 

[shnurgleton]

Why is not wanting to travel such a weird concept to some of you? What a weird thread. Smells of privilege as well.

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Not wanting to see the world suggests extreme incuriousness, which suggests closemindedness

 

[MikeProtagonist]

Is it though? This sounds like a digital divide between generations.
If someone periscopes their entire trip and you watch the entire footage, you have literally seen everything they have seen.
The difference between being there then lies in the choice of where to look, but then there isn't much of a difference between this and a travel plan and guide that forces you to go places and see things.
What was the real difference then? The smell of Germany?

To me, this is an ok-boomer thing derided from misplaced pride.
"I took a real vacation, people don't know how to vacation!. Walked that country uphill both ways!"

Click to shrink...

Why eat when you can look at a picture of food while taking a pill and getting the same experience?

 

[Dr. Mario]

I've known the type.
He's most likely scared he wouldn't be able to find his way in a foreign place and uses this to rationalize it for himself.

 

[Doc Kelso]

I mean, I agree and disagree all at once?

If the idea of traveling is to just see new things, yeah. I can just do that on the internet. Seeing something in person isn't the religious experience that some people masturbate to. It's cool if you enjoy it, but it's not something to shame someone over. I've had the privilege of traveling and I've never seen something that hasn't just made me go, "Huh. Neat!" and then go on with my life.

I do disagree with him with regards to socializing and being immersed in a different culture; There's no experience on the internet (or being in a restaurant made for local consumers) quite like being thrust into a culture you don't wholly understand and having to find a way to navigate it. I believe that it's one of the reasons America is the way it is. The vast majority of Americans will go their entire lives knowing nothing but their immediate surroundings and people--you're actively discouraged from visiting Canada or Mexico (the only two truly viable travel destinations for many Americans) by pop culture and media. Though that's slowly changing.

 

[shnurgleton]

Gonna use this excuse if I get married and my wife wants to go on a honeymoon. Or maybe I can convince her just to watch a wedding on YouTube. Think of the savings!

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better yet, skip the relationship altogether and just watch romantic comedies and porn

 

[Man with Knife]

Can't lie, I came into this thread expecting your friend to be American.

I don't know if I've ever met anyone who never left Germany. I mean you're smack in the middle of a continent where travelling is as easy and convenient as breathing (and almost as cheap). You don't even have to fly if you don't want to, there's literally not a single location in Germany where you can't reach a bunch of countries within a couple of hours with train, car or bus. I can see it being problematic if you live in a huge, remote, dangerous or poor country, but for a German that's a weird attitude to have.

 

[Wackamole]

Yeah that works fine for some people. Shouldn't be a problem for other people.

 

[Desi]

Even those restaurants will probably have menus that have items specific to the country they're in though. I'm not getting a bulgogi burger at a McDonald's in America.

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exactly McDonalds is not ShakeShack. If shit is local, chances are it will stay local.

 

[Deleted member 70788]

I love traveling. I've met so many great people and made good friends traveling. YouTube can never make up for the conversations you get to have.

Most of my travel involves hiking or more outdoors focused activities. It's just not the same at all to do it at home.

 

[nded]

Not everyone wants to travel and that's fine.

 

[Dr. Mario]

Let him live his life if he's happy doing it his way, it's not really weird.

Be thankful that you can afford traveling twice a year because that's a privilege not everyone has so you should recognize that it may have skewed your perception

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The friend of the OP is from Germany, this will tell you
1. He's privileged
2. He's within three hours driving of another country by car
3. Or if he doesn't have a driver's license through an excellent railway network, or for $20 with Ryanair.

 

[Cipher Peon]

I hate traveling so I see where your friend is coming from. It's just not for everybody.

 

[Deleted member 31873]

There are whole categories of food I cannot get from local restaurants. My city only just got it's first ramen restaurant last year, and it wasn't too long ago that I had to travel to another city to visit an Indian restaurant.

And I still can't get fried chicken in my city (I don't count KFC 'cause it's trash).

 

[Deleted member 4461]

It's fine that he's not interested in traveling.

Nothing he mentioned is comparable to traveling, though. Or even a remotely close substitute.

 

[WindUp]

While I agree with those in this thread saying it isn't quite the same, this is most likely what future generations will need to adjust to (and better than what many previous generations had access to). Air travel is just too expensive in terms of climate related effects for it to be as normal as it is right now. It sucks a lot but this is the reality we are currently heading toward.

 

[Ikuu]

Is it though? This sounds like a digital divide between generations.
If someone periscopes their entire trip and you watch the entire footage, you have literally seen everything they have seen.
The difference between being there then lies in the choice of where to look, but then there isn't much of a difference between this and a travel plan and guide that forces you to go places and see things.
What was the real difference then? The smell of Germany?

To me, this is an ok-boomer thing derided from misplaced pride.
"I took a real vacation, people don't know how to vacation!. Walked that country uphill both ways!"

Click to shrink...

Are you being serious? Watching a video or a stream of someone is not even remotely similar to actually living the experience.

 

[Edge]

I almost agree.
I never went out of Germany too besides one time where we were in an amusement park in Netherlands but in general, I have zero interest in traveling.
It's such a gigantic waste of money in my eyes, spending hundreds if not thousands of Euros just to travel to a popular country for 2-7 days where everyone on every corner tries to rip you off in numerous ways. I don't need this to be honest.

I'm rather watching cool YouTube series like Honest Guide where he shows all the tourist traps and stuff and I'm sitting here happy I'm not one of these tourist.

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLM9_KZNJw8qGuEHJf4lcfIiGwpiRtcKAm

What I absolutely can't understand is people in our current times still wanting to travel and still doing it instead of staying home. If they catch Covid they deserve it in my eyes.

 

[legendofgood]

Being able to travel is a HUGE privilege. Not everyone can afford it. Not everyone is able to.

If ones only means of experiencing and enjoying the wide world around them is through videos/YouTube, then that's just fine, I say.

 

[Combichristoffersen]

Gonna use this excuse if I get married and my wife wants to go on a honeymoon. Or maybe I can convince her just to watch a wedding on YouTube. Think of the savings!

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Imagine how much money you can save if you don't get a partner to begin with! Partners are expensive to have and take care of too. Also they tend to complain if you leave books all around the house.

 

[Foltzie]

Is your friend Karl Pilkington?

 

[Scuffed]

I travelled quite a bit in my twenties and I think it's highly overrated. That said I'm probably just the kind of person that doesn't appreciate it that much. I had friends that fantasized about it so I went along. I'm not against it and would go on a vacation to like a Disney World, site seeing notable things or something like that but the whole travel to experience other foods and cultures is gratuitous imo unless you are rich. We are more the take a trip every 5 years type.

 

[sven]

I hate to travel. I find it more stressful and exhausting than my actual job.

Are we really at the point of publicly shaming people for not wanting to do what you like?
Seriously?

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You act like this a new thing. "OMG people don't like to travel?!?!?!" posts have always been very common of this community in the 20+ I've been a part of it.

 

[SABO.]

theres just no chance I could experience the same atmosphere of a Vietnamese street party in my country

edit: but its okay to not want to travel.