[2obvious]

I get the insecure impression that it's odd not to enjoy traveling. I just checked the board and sure enough, when the topic surfaces it is more often than not met with enthusiastic endorsement.

um...Why? Travel is an invitation for discomfort.

• You force yourself to plan and organize logistics.
• You continually place yourself in social situations, having to depend upon others for transportation, shelter, and food.
• You leave the people you know.
• You immerse yourself in the idiosyncrasies of another culture.
• Once you've physically arrived at your destination...what's the goal again?

I'm feeling like the exception, but I chose to live at my current location, by factoring my values. I'm here because, all things considered, there's no place I'd rather be.

What am I missing?

[JohnDoe]

My reason is simple. Because you never really know anyone or anything until you have seen it in person. There are things that simple text and phone and even video communications can not capture about places, people, and things.

[Cincinnatus]

	Originally Posted by 2obvious To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	I get the insecure impression that it's odd not to enjoy traveling. I just checked the board and sure enough, when the topic surfaces it is more often than not met with enthusiastic endorsement.

First of all, I would not look down on you or think you bizarre for disliking travel. I know plenty of people who hate travel. You have provided a list below of why you do not enjoy it. Those are your reasons, and I'm not going to try to stop you.

	Originally Posted by 2obvious To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	You force yourself to plan and organize logistics.

Takes only a few minutes for me. However, I'm not ashamed to admit I like creating a travel plan and executing it.

	Originally Posted by 2obvious To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	You continually place yourself in social situations, having to depend upon others for transportation, shelter, and food.

Partially, yes. However, my friends are quite happy to have me stay for a few nights. I pay for my own food, and rent a car. Not to mention if it will put them out that much, I rent a room. No biggie.

	Originally Posted by 2obvious To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	You leave the people you know.

Sometimes... that's not a bad thing, if you catch my drift.

	Originally Posted by 2obvious To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	You immerse yourself in the idiosyncrasies of another culture.

I love soaking up new cultures, even if I'm shocked by them. It's a reality check like none other. I ask myself "am I so insecure in my beliefs that I am unwilling to find out I may be wrong about something?"

	Originally Posted by 2obvious To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	Once you've physically arrived at your destination...what's the goal again?

Food and drink! Art! Nature! Sport! Culture! Adventure! The lay of the land! Just staring at a land or cityscape can be awe inspiring.

	Originally Posted by 2obvious To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	I'm feeling like the exception, but I chose to live at my current location, by factoring my values. I'm here because, all things considered, there's no place I'd rather be. What am I missing?

Missing? From your angle, nothing. However, I'd go stir crazy if I couldn't roam even for a little bit. I would miss the moonlit travel and quiet out on the road. At that time, it's just me and my thoughts: no apartment, no obligations, just freedom.

[zibber]

All good points, although some of those aren't exactly inherent to traveling.

I guess I travel because I'd go NUTS if I didn't leave the city. Fuck a city. As soon as I'm done with my "responsibilities" here (ie finish school to avoid paying back my astronomic student loan), I'll probably start roaming around until I find a good place. Then, I doubt whether I'd be very much inclined to travel.

Congrats on having found your place; that is something I profoundly envy
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[Valielen]

I think the oddity is because it is natural for Humans to dream and long for the unknown or the desire to experience things rather than just hear about them. It is also human nature to think the grass is greener on the other side, so even when presented with the perfect location to live in, they will keep looking outwards.
I think it is pretty cool that you have found a place where you really want to be full with people you want to interact with.

I travel because I long to experience places and people as part of a cultural whole. I don't find discomfort in the issues you have mentioned. I'm a roamer. Minimal planning suits me fine.

[Elfrun]

I know SJs who feel this way very strongly, I've always put it down to Si's enjoyment in the known and existing routine along with a fear of change.

	Originally Posted by 2obvious To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	You force yourself to plan and organize logistics. You continually place yourself in social situations, having to depend upon others for transportation, shelter, and food. You leave the people you know. You immerse yourself in the idiosyncrasies of another culture. Once you've physically arrived at your destination...what's the goal again?

Everything in your list is a matter of perspective.

• You can plan as little or as much as you want
• You do not need to be social at all, I don't get into lengthy conversations with hotel concierge's
• You can travel with people you know
• You can stick to tourist areas to avoid any cultural shocks and
• Not everything needs a goal.

That said I love seeing new things, new places, meeting new people, experiencing new culture so I can't relate at all.

Clearly it's a negative experience for you so there's no point in trying to tell you how it can be positive, not liking change if fine, it's simply your preference.

[smashy]

I love to travel and find it really fun. It really opens my mind and the way I see the world. I think it's also good to know other cultures and step outside your confort zone, you'll learn a lot about yourself as well in the process. I love to have a job where I have to travel since I hate to be stuck in the office. I started to travel late because my father didn't like to travel and I would love if I had travel while I was a child.

I don't find odd people that don't like to travel, we don't have all to like the same things, and I understand it can be a pain in many ways. But, I find everything involved travelling a pleasure (the logistics, the culture, being spontaneous, etc). I can't see my life without travelling.

[Amphorian]

I love travelling! I don't get out much often to bigger places, so I make adventures out of everyday walks. I'm a natural born explorer. Wanting to see new sites, travel unknown pathways. I like to have things shaken up and test my wits and ideas.

I don't really like routines despite some of them being necessary. Isn't being traditional and more into routines an S attribute though? Comfort through a known system of action? But here you got tons of Ns! Passionate about exploring not just through travelling physcial, but maybe through ideas, through finding a inovation or changing up their everyday life.

[LPM]

Traveling is a huge thrill for me. Experiencing other cultures. Seeing sites I've seen in movies, etc. Historical sites. Religious sites. Anything meaningful to other people, trying to get in their world. Seeing how other people live. Eating authentic local eateries, like Cajun food in New Orleans or BBQ in KC, Carnegie Deli in NYC, lobster in New England, etc. One of my favorite things to do is just ride subway or buses around or just walk.

[Xanthippe]

I've felt this way, too. I enjoy exploring new places (only on my own, though) and trying to pick up local languages; I find it interesting to see how other people live and how it affects their personalities. However, the logistical headaches, the expense, the discomfort (god, I hate airports) and the interruption to my enjoyable routine annoy me greatly. Road trips are more comfortable, but I live in America, and driving to places where people speak different languages is not very practical. In fact, I've never enjoyed a road trip for cultural reasons, although the peace and solitude of the highway can be nice. On the other hand, I hate tourists. The locals are generally okay, but I can't stand places filled with gawking foreigners with cameras, and tacky souvenirs/tourist attractions make me ill. I'd rather immerse myself in the culture and avoid other Americans.

I most enjoy travelling when it has a discernible purpose: auditions, research (well, it's a dream, at least) and performances make travelling worthwhile. I don't think I'd want to spend my summer holiday travelling, though, because a holiday is about relaxing and enjoying a well-deserved break. I might like travel better if I could pick my companions, but so far, I've only travelled with my SJ parents. It's easier to avoid conflict-ridden interaction at home than when you're sharing a hotel room.

[intellael]

	Originally Posted by 2obvious To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	I get the insecure impression that it's odd not to enjoy traveling. I just checked the board and sure enough, when the topic surfaces it is more often than not met with enthusiastic endorsement. um...Why? Travel is an invitation for discomfort.

You like or dislike for your own reasons. It is neither odd nor normal.

	Originally Posted by 2obvious To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	[*]You force yourself to plan and organize logistics.

*Logistics is an inescapable part of life. As long as the goal is worth it, I will contend with the necessary details efficiently as possible.

	Originally Posted by 2obvious To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	[*]You continually place yourself in social situations, having to depend upon others for transportation, shelter, and food.

How much interaction depends on my strategy. Renting cars, choice of hostelries, etc...

	Originally Posted by 2obvious To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	[*]You leave the people you know.

I am not that emotionally attached to anyone I can not leave to pursue my interests. If I happen to encounter other knowledgeable people in the world, then all the better.

	Originally Posted by 2obvious To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	[*]You immerse yourself in the idiosyncrasies of another culture.

It is part of a learning process. If I am going to be inconvenienced I rather it be according to my own terms and purposes. To gain more understanding/knowledge is worth it for me. Broadening my perspective is fun.

[2obvious]

Wow...from the variety of responses, I'm learning that people enjoy different aspects of travel for different reasons. So when people say, "do you like to travel?" they all mean vastly different things?

(Small talk is so utterly worthless...)

	Originally Posted by zibber To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	All good points, although some of those aren't exactly inherent to traveling.

Right. Many of them are inherent to temperament. And being that we're mostly INTJs, this vexes me. So then, hopefully people who think like me but reach different conclusions can explain them in enlightening ways.

	Originally Posted by zibber To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	Congrats on having found your place; that is something I profoundly envy To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

	Originally Posted by Valielen To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	I think it is pretty cool that you have found a place where you really want to be full with people you want to interact with.

Let's not sugarcoat things: I live in a city full of apathetic, fickle people. While I do have what I consider friends, most of them live in other states and
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. My family, coworkers, and health care professionals are the only folks I interact with on any regular basis.

"All things considered, there is no place I'd rather be": consider this less an affirmation than an indictment.

	Originally Posted by Elfrun To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	I know SJs who feel this way very strongly, I've always put it down to Si's enjoyment in the known and existing routine along with a fear of change.

eh, My N was 50 on
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(although I plead ignorance on how to interpret score). I thrive under routine, but I dislike boundaries, if that makes any sense? Infinity is overwhelming, yet I could spend a lifetime exploring my limitations (which I thought was more of a P/J trait?).

	Originally Posted by Elfrun To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	...not liking change i[s] fine, it's simply your preference.

"Travel" is not synonymous with "change." I like changes that tweak, improve, and refine things. If travel is the desire for something different, then I've got to wonder what people who love travel are constantly trying to get away from...?

	Originally Posted by intellael To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	I am not that emotionally attached to anyone I can not leave to pursue my interests.

This would be fine if I cared about myself more than anyone else. Personally, I strive not to be this way. There are people worth living anywhere for.

[runoverazebra]

	Originally Posted by 2obvious To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	Travel is an invitation for discomfort.

This is true. I'm very odd in that I really enjoy the discomfort. There's something I find exhilarating about being away from everyone I know and the luxuries of my present lifestyle. The following quote sums up that way I feel far more eloquently than I could:
"Stripped of your ordinary surroundings, your friends, your daily routines, your refrigerator full of food, your closet full of clothes - with all this taken away, you are forced into direct experience. Such direct experience inevitably makes you aware of who it is that is having the experience. That's not always comfortable, but it is always invigorating."
- Michael Crichton


I think it's very normal to hate travel. I'm the only person in my family that has ever left the country. Most of my family would be content to never leave the town they live in. It just amounts to people being different.

[Elfrun]

	Originally Posted by 2obvious To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	"Travel" is not synonymous with "change." I like changes that tweak, improve, and refine things. If travel is the desire for something different, then I've got to wonder what people who love travel are constantly trying to get away from...?

I agree it's not about change, for me it's about new or different experiences, it just seemed that stepping outside of your comfort zone or a familiar routine is what you didn't like about it and therefore that it's the change that you're not into.

[JustMel]

I have lived in my current home for longer than I've lived one place my entire life. I have wanderlust in a bad way. I used to pick up and move across the country on a whim. Even when I bought a house at 25 I only stayed in it for a year before it went back on the market and I moved across the country again.

I enjoy travel. I can understand why you don't. I have family members that hate to travel so I understand the concept. I think it's a personal preference and nothing more.

[nrk112]

I used to loathe traveling with a passion, because all the traveling I did as a kid was to visit family members. I got removed from my life, as boring as it may have been, to go stay on some relatives couch. Not exactly something im comfortable with and I wasn't really free do do my own thing since I was there for visiting purposes. Etc. etc. etc..... As I got older and I finally got to travel for my own purposes, I discovered I really do enjoy it for the most part.

Xanthippe summed up alot of what I think.

Originally Posted by Xanthippe To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

I've felt this way, too. I enjoy exploring new places (only on my own, though) and trying to pick up local languages; I find it interesting to see how other people live and how it affects their personalities. However, the logistical headaches, the expense, the discomfort (god, I hate airports) and the interruption to my enjoyable routine annoy me greatly. Road trips are more comfortable, but I live in America, and driving to places where people speak different languages is not very practical. In fact, I've never enjoyed a road trip for cultural reasons, although the peace and solitude of the highway can be nice. On the other hand, I hate tourists. The locals are generally okay, but I can't stand places filled with gawking foreigners with cameras, and tacky souvenirs/tourist attractions make me ill. I'd rather immerse myself in the culture and avoid other Americans.

@2obvious: Also, not that it matters much or means anything but you do sound like my ISTJ brother in some of your posts.

[Synchronicity]

Traveling is something that I really enjoy doing, but in practice it is rife with troubles, which is probably why I do so little of it.

What I hate about traveling is having to do so much planning. You're going into unknown territory. An unknown location, unknown people, possibly an unknown culture. I love it because it gives me new experiences and lets me see parts of the world that are radically different from my small corner, but the time, money, and energy investment is very high. It's a double-edged sword.

I could be happy living in Seattle my entire life. It's a great place, I feel like I really understand the people here, and it has all the things I need to be happy, but even so I feel it is worthwhile to spend some time visiting other places in the world, because even though it may be burdensome on me, I always feel enriched by the experience. It's like exercising; sure, it may be a bit painful, but doesn't it make you feel good afterward?

[Freedom Geek]

I don't really get the appeal of travel either.

[Corrosive]

	Originally Posted by Freedom Geek To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	I don't really get the appeal of travel either.

Travel inspires me. Looking at the world's history allows me to see how great our civilization was and is. Research shows that learning new languages keeps your brain healthy and resistant to age-related deterioration of the brain. Enjoy your xenophobia!

[curiousgeorge01]

Originally Posted by 2obvious To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

I get the insecure impression that it's odd not to enjoy traveling. I just checked the board and sure enough, when the topic surfaces it is more often than not met with enthusiastic endorsement. um...Why? Travel is an invitation for discomfort. You force yourself to plan and organize logistics. You continually place yourself in social situations, having to depend upon others for transportation, shelter, and food. You leave the people you know. You immerse yourself in the idiosyncrasies of another culture. Once you've physically arrived at your destination...what's the goal again? I'm feeling like the exception, but I chose to live at my current location, by factoring my values. I'm here because, all things considered, there's no place I'd rather be. What am I missing?

I totally agree with you, especially if traveling is done only for a week or two. To me, its like whats the point? By the time you've unpacked and relaxed, you have to pack and go again! I generally don't like to go to another country unless I could stay at least a month. Which in my current situation, is difficult unless I quit my job.

I do enjoy it though if its relaxed and I have a lot of time.

Yes for a long time, I never understood people's obsession with traveling. I think, for the majority of people anyway, it's sometimes their only way to prove that they are different. Often people tell me to try food (I mean gross ones like bugs) from different cultures, and I have, but to me, it's like what's the point? I know I didn't grow up eating these foods, hence I won't like it, so is trying it going to make me a different person? No! I'm just going to go back to my hamburger and fries. I'm not going to be like "hmm, I'm craving that grasshopper now."

I also can see what you mean especially if you like to stay home. Homebodies generally like the familiar, so totally faced with the unfamiliar and having to pack and pay for it makes it very painful!

[deicruxified]

i guess my tip for you is to try traveling before you totally debunk it. at first, i find it hard too however, as time passes and as i get to learn a lot of things from organizers, traveling becomes less headache. i have organized mountaineering, camping, diving, family... etc...

it's really up to you if you really want to learn the "art" of traveling otherwise, there's nothing we can do about it.

[reckful]

I was never a big traveller, but had the bug more during the first few years after I got done with school. Nowadays I wouldn't say I really dislike travel -- just that the cost/benefit analysis doesn't generally come out positive for me.

I'm definitely a man of routine, and it's fair to say I'm more interested in "exploring" the world of books/ideas/etc. than the physical world. So, since the former kind of exploration is more meaningful to me and cheaper and hassle-free, my travel motivation is pretty minimal these days.

[Prunesquallor]

I'm with the OP - I loathe travel. I'd much rather read about places than go there.

Exception being camping...been often enough that once I get there, there's very little hassle in adapting. It's just getting there that, now I have no car, makes it difficult. And it's quiet, and you get to burn things, and canoe, and burn things, and there's no people, and it's quiet...

[Jantei]

Why travel? To gain new perspectives. Not on your particular destination, but on the place or situation you leave behind. After coming back, you'll often start seeing things and people in a different light, which can lead to new and fascinating insights. This is often impossible to do when you face the same environment day after day.

This might be something that's particular to me, I don't know. I tend to get wrapped up in detail very easily.

[deicruxified]

Originally Posted by Jantei To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

Why travel? To gain new perspectives. Not on your particular destination, but on the place or situation you leave behind. After coming back, you'll often start seeing things and people in a different light, which can lead to new and fascinating insights. This is often impossible to do when you face the same environment day after day. This might be something that's particular to me, I don't know. I tend to get wrapped up in detail very easily.

i totally agree. it's the experience of being in that certain place when you travel. i have reshaped my pov's and principles because of the people i have met in my travels. most of the time, the people you just met tell the most sensical things than those people you see everyday.