Bali/Vietnam/every central american country/what, youve never been?/map of the world on my office wall/hehe/three new countries a year

It was like watching a gambling addict spend 10k in quarters at a slot machine, robotically, eyes-red, brain-dead, her mouth moving but her soul long gone, listing off her vacations, "raving" about local food, checking off the boxes she has been ordered by GC and feminism to check off. It was a recitation of a creed memorized in a foreign language. It was like a zombie trying to share a gospel.

At the end of her monologue, all the air sucked out of the room, all I could say was "oh you travel", think about XO, and watch my heart continue to die.

(https://xoxohth.com/thread.php?thread_id=3310618&forum_id=2#31554787)

But I believe I would likely be able to afford three trips a year to new countries. I wouldnt fly first class like you or ball out in the best clubs. But I could afford what she can afford.

So I dont think this is class envy on my part. It has to do with the difference in the intended result and actual result of her spending, much like a bald middle-agedmo with his Ferrari in a tinder pic.

Not surprised it has to be spelled out for you, though, when dozens of others posters get it immediately.

(https://xoxohth.com/thread.php?thread_id=3310618&forum_id=2#31555406)

obviously there are exceptions but do you honestly believe that there is no truth to this stereotype, and if there is truth to it that it's not worth mocking?

(https://xoxohth.com/thread.php?thread_id=3310618&forum_id=2#31555514)

going "off the beaten path" for them isn't literal. it means that they are going out of cities but on paths that have been set up for them to do so. the path to Machu Picchu is extremely beaten by the footprints of selfie-takers and yoga-posers. if they are "genuinely interested" in these things so be it but I think the proof is in the pudding that these sorts of things have been commercialized and cater to the casual tourist, and that's who you see going to these places for the most part.

but that's besides the point. the real point is that most of these women who travel are no more passionate about the places and cultures they visit than they are about "policy" and "non-profits" for which they strive to work. they might say they're passionate but if they have the money to travel it's a cheap way for them to pursue an easy leisure activity which is smiled upon.

(https://xoxohth.com/thread.php?thread_id=3310618&forum_id=2#31555601)

And what is the difference between passion and leisure? Not everyone has the time for real "passions". We're a collection of weekend warriors and none of us are quitting our jobs to circle the globe, write a novel, or whatever.

(https://xoxohth.com/thread.php?thread_id=3310618&forum_id=2#31555743)

Girl: "Last year I went to machu pichu, it was an amazing experience"

pumo: "FUCK YOU! You think you're better than me!? I'm very busy, you're not better than me!"

(https://xoxohth.com/thread.php?thread_id=3310618&forum_id=2#31556569)

It's not a class thing. Any ghetto kid or trailer park meth queen's son can get a library card and read about the world.

(https://xoxohth.com/thread.php?thread_id=3310618&forum_id=2#31557497)

I do think there's some sense that these people think there's some sort of moral obligation to travel and learn more about the world. But a lot of these middle class people don't even own and use library cards, so I'll give the point to the travel shrews here.

And Maui is 180. So are certain parts of Florida.

(https://xoxohth.com/thread.php?thread_id=3310618&forum_id=2#31557288)

What's grating is that these people will say there's a moral obligation to learn about the world, but they rarely actually do that. They spend 5 hours on a previously beaten path in the third world and suddenly reach a new level of enlightenment.

(https://xoxohth.com/thread.php?thread_id=3310618&forum_id=2#31557377)

Agreed that the busier I am, the more I want relaxed holidays as opposed to overscheduled holidays.

(https://xoxohth.com/thread.php?thread_id=3310618&forum_id=2#31557475)

If this girl was always posting Instagram shots of herself at Soho House or doing hashtags like #preppystyle, then she's probably worth a bit of mockery. But if her social media posts are a blend of friends/family at normal-looking bars which could be anywhere in the world, pictures of local landmarks and special occasions, and travel pics, then she's probably cool.

(https://xoxohth.com/thread.php?thread_id=3310618&forum_id=2#31555572)

For every smug travel shrew, there are twice as many smug suburban mommies guzzling Oyster Bay as they debate what private pre-K to send little Chester to as their beta husband slaves away at his office job. Photos of Little Chester's 1st birthday party at the Bel-Air Bay Club, Little Chester on his first day of Montessori, Little Chester "flying to meet Grandma and Grandpa for the first time" (inevitably on some first class long haul cabin), Little Chester "eating" some elaborate adult meal, Little Chester in a bowtie...

(https://xoxohth.com/thread.php?thread_id=3310618&forum_id=2#31556904)

Amidst a cultural phenomenon of the Traveling Shrew so ubiquitous an XO poster satirized it in his fucking moniker, tons of posters got the joke immediately, and I nominated it for moniker of the year (to a dozen blank bumps), MAYBE SHE IS NOT MERELY UNDER THE SWAY OF KARDASHIAN/IG/SELFIE/FEM-CAPITALISM AND JUST SINCERELY LOVES INDONESIAN FOOD SOLD IN A THATCHED HUT IN A WAY I COULD NEVER UNDERSTAND.

Yeah, maybe.

(https://xoxohth.com/thread.php?thread_id=3310618&forum_id=2#31555468)

Because travel is your "thing" maybe you ought to sit this one out, given that the entire rest of the thread seems to comprehend my point.

No harm, no foul I still will buy you a beer if you come to Art Basel this December.

(https://xoxohth.com/thread.php?thread_id=3310618&forum_id=2#31555511)

XO is an echo chamber. Don't have such expectations of people you meet IRL.

(https://xoxohth.com/thread.php?thread_id=3310618&forum_id=2#31555528)

Copping to liking the girl, who perhaps subsequently rejected you just gives further validity to my argument. You seem to be trying to frame her in a poor light to make yourself feel better and look better in this situation. Just my take on it brother. I won't be down for Basel though :(

(https://xoxohth.com/thread.php?thread_id=3310618&forum_id=2#31555533)

But here's the thing. Many people enjoy travel, simply because they enjoy changing their scenery and seeing something they haven't seen before. And the people I know who actively dislike travel are homebodies, so they don't even like domestic travel.

If you're going to crap on everything that's GC-approved, then go live in a cabin in the woods all Thoreau-style.

(https://xoxohth.com/thread.php?thread_id=3310618&forum_id=2#31555505)

tbh, a cabin in the woods does really appeal to me :)

(https://xoxohth.com/thread.php?thread_id=3310618&forum_id=2#31555515)

But different strokes for different folks: when dating, you'll meet all sorts of people who travel (or don't travel) for a bunch of different reasons.

And you do need to TRAVEL to get to that cabin in the woods, no?

(https://xoxohth.com/thread.php?thread_id=3310618&forum_id=2#31555538)

#WaldonPond #coldaf #thoreautho #bucketlist #BristolLoungetakeout #fallcolors #dirtythirty #isitfridayyet #nature [leaf emoji] [wine emoji]

(https://xoxohth.com/thread.php?thread_id=3310618&forum_id=2#31555560)

The annoying part is their having to feel like they MUST go to Indonesia, etc. to show how EXOTIC their life is. But if that is what they truly enjoy, then more power to them, and I'm not trying to denigrate that.

(https://xoxohth.com/thread.php?thread_id=3310618&forum_id=2#31555610)

Like where?

Also, sometimes one of travel's appeals is to thrust yourself into completely alien situations. And to someone who hasn't spent a lot of time in SE Asia, Bali is an EXOTIC trip despite it being to Australia what Cancun is to the US. But to recognize this takes experience, i.e. more travel.

It's usually the most well-traveled folks I know who don't have a bias for either domestic or international travel and can prefer either depending on the circumstance. I love my parents' little beach town. I love janky street carts in Saigon. As I grow older, my tolerance for long-haul economy flights shrinks and I appreciate the places I can get to within a 3-4 hour direct flight.

(https://xoxohth.com/thread.php?thread_id=3310618&forum_id=2#31555693)

But they would gladly put up pics or rave about some rural area or slum they visited abroad because that alone is somehow supposed to make them seem more cultured than having visited a place in rural Nebraska that is an "alien situation" for them. Instead they just shit on Nebraska (for example)

(https://xoxohth.com/thread.php?thread_id=3310618&forum_id=2#31555821)

You have to go the fuck out of your way to get to rural Nebraska, and there isn't much interesting around it. Also, while rural America is alien and interesting, it isn't particularly vacationworthy. There's no Taj Mahal or elephants galumphing across the savannah or beach or wineries. There's just corn.

(https://xoxohth.com/thread.php?thread_id=3310618&forum_id=2#31556933)

There's a little bit of status signaling in everything we do outside of going to church with Grandmother (and even that could be status signaling, depending on the church and on the grandmother).

(https://xoxohth.com/thread.php?thread_id=3310618&forum_id=2#31555355)

>>>

(https://xoxohth.com/thread.php?thread_id=3310618&forum_id=2#31554942)

The first thing that came out of her mouth was a complaint about how her boss never listens to any of her "good ideas."

(https://xoxohth.com/thread.php?thread_id=3310618&forum_id=2#31555243)

Many of these women don't have any tact, any way of communicating their experience without it coming across as the newest form of elitism/status whoring. It's not about experiencing and being an enlightened human or whatever, or visiting friends man. It's not.

(https://xoxohth.com/thread.php?thread_id=3310618&forum_id=2#31555536)

it's unfortunate that rsf and other travelmos get defensive when other posters make fun of conspicuous consumption traveling. we get it, some people 'genuinely' like to travel (whatever that may mean for a particular person), but jfc it's impossible to deny that the shrew-traveler stereotype is real with many people. just let us make fun of it and don't take it personally, cot damn.

(https://xoxohth.com/thread.php?thread_id=3310618&forum_id=2#31556604)

"So, take any fun trips lately" - could be to Antarctica, could be to the Jersey shore. You learn a lot about someone based on where they've traveled.

(https://xoxohth.com/thread.php?thread_id=3310618&forum_id=2#31557083)

Oh, You Travel is arguably the best moniker ever used on here.

(https://xoxohth.com/thread.php?thread_id=3310618&forum_id=2#49661313)