American here.
I always attributed the lack of Americans traveling to something along the lines of us being "uncultured" and "afraid of the outside world". And while I think some of that may come into play, as I become more of an adult, I'm starting to really see the whole picture about why it is SUCH a challenge to travel like I used to.
Trying to live a middle class, responsible American life, is EXPENSIVE. Even moreso than other countries. And you can't always take a break from the following finances to take a trip overseas:
-Student loans
-Healthcare: you probably rely on a full time job to get insurance. If not, then you're paying for it out of pocket, which can be as expensive as one month's accommodation in another country. And if you aren't paying for health insurance, then you're risking financial suicide with every move you make.
-Retirement (us millennials can't depend on social security being there when we retire)
-the cost of buying a home is absurd in many of the places, especially where the "travelers" tend to live (major cities)
-A car: you probably depend on owning a car to get to the grocery store and to work, etc (only some cities are walkable, and in any town, you'll need a car to live).
-Other general consumerism in the United States, convincing you that you'll be happier if you buy newer, better "stuff"
And I know I'm not even addressing the lack of vacation time and geographical proximity to other countries. So while traveling outside of the US can be done on a budget (trust me, I know), paying for all of your bills at home while doing so makes it a much bigger challenge unless you leave all of it behind to travel long term (like selling your car, leaving your job, etc.).
So I guess I am just coming to this understanding now as I'm becoming more of an adult.
What are your thoughts?
Submitted November 25, 2020 at 06:58PM by pample_meese https://ift.tt/2J0bEeZ
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