Let’s face it: not everyone is able to travel. Whether it’s money, family obligations, or circumstance, travel is out of reach for a large percentage of the world’s population.
In the “quit your job to travel the world” cheerleading that happens so often on travel websites (including this one), we often forget that it’s not easy for everyone.
Years on the road have shown me that for many of us, our inability to travel is part a mindset issue (since we believe travel is expensive, we don’t look for ways to make it cheaper) and part a spending issue (we spend money on things we don’t need).
There are those for whom no mindset change, spending cuts, or budget tips will help them travel — those who are too sick, have parents or children to care for, face great debt, or work three jobs just to make rent.
After all, 2.8 billion people — nearly 40% of the world’s population — survive on less than $2 USD a day! In my home country of the United States, 14% of the population is below the poverty line, 46 million people are on food stamps, many have to work two jobs to get by, and we have a trillion dollars in student debt dragging people down.
Nothing any website can say will magically make travel a reality for those people.
Those of us who do travel are a privileged few.
Whether we quit our jobs to travel the world, spend two months in Europe, or take our kids on a short vacation to Disney World, we get to experience something most people of the world will never get a chance to do.
We overlook that too much. As I’ve started building FLYTE — a foundation to help high schools take economically disadvantaged students on educational trips overseas — I’ve thought a lot about privilege.
I grew up in a predominately white, middle-class town with parents who paid my college tuition. I had a job after college that allowed me to live on my own, take vacations, and still save for my first trip around the world. And, because I speak English, I easily found work teaching English in Thailand, where I could save to extend my travels.
That’s not to say that hard work doesn’t count, but hard work doesn’t exist in a bubble — the circumstances that create the opportunities for hard work to bear fruit are often more important.
I’ve met people of all ages, incomes, abilities, and nationalities on the road. Folks like Don and Alison, who are backpacking the world at 70; Michael, who worked 60-hour weeks at a minimum-wage job; Cory, who travels the world in a wheelchair; Ishwinder, who didn’t let visa restrictions stop him; and countless others.
But even they had circumstances that allowed them to travel — support from family and friends, jobs that allowed for overtime, or other skills. They weren’t barely getting by or on social assistance. They didn’t wonder if they could afford their next meal.
So it’s important to remember that we are some of the lucky ones. We get to do something that others will never be able to do.
We are privileged.
Even if you’ve hitchhiked around the world with no money, worked overseas, cut costs to travel around the world on $10 USD a day, or travel-hacked your way to a first-class ticket, you have the opportunity to do something most people go to sleep only dreaming about. You have the freedom and choice to move about the world in a way most people don’t.
That’s a form of privilege.
It’s important that we never forget or be ungrateful for our opportunity.
Allison
You’re so right, traveling at all is any sort of privilege and we all need to remember that! I think your scholarship foundation is great, and will definitely influence the recipients in so many positive ways.
After high school, I received a grant to study abroad in Germany. My family couldn’t have afforded it otherwise, so there’s no way I would have been to participate without that scholarship. It changed the trajectory of my life in a lot of unexpected ways!
Justin
Thank you for writing this, Matt! I don’t usually comment, but just had to for this one. Unacknowledged privilege is such a rampant problem in developed nations, perhaps most in the U.S., where people all seem to believe they created their own destiny with no help from society or the social safety net programs that keep it supported. Travel is a wonderful thing — and something we plan to do much, much more of once we retire early in a couple years — but it’s for sure a privilege. And we shouldn’t shy away from that fact. Doesn’t knowing that it’s a privilege make the experience of it that much sweeter?
NomadicMatt
I can’t change my life or how I grew up but I’m aware of that my privilege exists…..but, sadly, like you said, not enough people are!
rick be
There was no chance for me to ever travel,my dad didn’t often even
own a car. But the wanderlust was always in me after the US Army showed me another world. It took almost 20 years,many tears,a divorce & losing the best job I ever had. But a month later I was spending my 9 weeks of severance pay & on my way to Europe for the first time & haven’t stopped since.
Jeremiah
I’m curious what you think…
Just had an argument with my sister, who serves very underprivileged persons.
I stated that I wish I could visit Mecca, but would never be allowed per government restrictions as I am not a Muslim; although I am learning a lot and appreciate being to educate myself on Islam.
The argument was caused because I stated that while I fully understand I am privileged, I didn’t think that the history of Mecca makes sense as to why non Muslims are not allowed to visit ever.
This is fully acknowledging that holy sites exist and it’s extremely important to honor them and the restrictions placed on. However, does this mean I am privileged to even feel that I want to visit, even if I never am able too?
In other words, like the saying goes, knowledge can be a curse, but what if someone extremely non privileged received a calling to visit Mecca; via some kind of inspiration and knowledge of its existence. Would they be acting in a privileged manner to feel that they should be able to visit, even though they couldn’t because they weren’t Muslim?
Lynette
So true…and the more I travel the more I realize how blessed I am to have the health, funds & time to travel and also how blessed I am to live where I live & have the family & opportunities that I have!
Rob
Definitely true. Another thing that I read somewhere that came as a surprise – lots of people come from countries where their passport does not give them easy access to travel. Some people require expensive visas to go to a lot of countries, thanks to politics. As 1st-world westerners we don’t experience that very often.
There *are* still a lot of people who want to travel and believe they’re incapable, when really they have chosen to make different life choices.
People who spent all their money (no matter how much) on “stuff” and then complain they can’t afford travel.
People who are either clumsy or intentionally have kids and then complain that the kids tie them down.
Or any number of things that people think are “obligations” but are really choices.
Lu
I completely agree. I believe that some bloggers are trying to promote ‘quit and travel’ to people who made those decisions.
I am sure most bloggers are aware of people who would never be able to travel. They just prefer to focus on the ones that could travel, but decided to put other things as their priority and then complain.
At least this is the way I interpret those type of posts.
I do believe that chasing your dream is good. It will never happen if you dont chase it. But if you keep chasing them, you might have a shot of reaching them. Not always…..but its worth a shot.
Julie
This was such a great post Matt. I teach in a low income area in Chicago. When I return from my summer travels each fall I’m always reminded just how privelaged I am to be able to see the world. My students are fascinated hearing about places I’ve been and I really do wish that one day they will be able to travel too. Unfortunately, as you said, it just isn’t possible for everyone. I love that you started a fund to help students get out there and experience travel. I believe it’s a better form of education than anything you could ever learn from a book.
Naomi
Keep telling them about your travels! My freshman college professor talked about trips to Rome. I dreamed about it and one day made it a reality (after finishing my PhD). I eventually walked in the same churches he talked about. It was a motivation and opened my eyes to this world in front of me. Your stories may just inspire your students to do the same.
rick be
That’s what I did,if a stiff like me could go to London & Rome everyone should. I started dragging others with me to see what cannot be taught.
David
I’ve been wanting to write a post like this for ages but was put off because I thought people would think I am whiney… but I 100% agree! I remember sitting around a pool in Luang Prabang (where only foreigners could afford to go) and this girl saying to me, “Y’know, if I could convince one person to travel, I’d have done something great”, while she was sipping on a mojito. She was totally unaware of her own privilege and somehow thought that her backpacking trip was something noble. It’s something that I run into again and again on the road and it drives me nuts. Where I’m from in London there are people who cannot afford to make it across the River Thames for a job interview. If you travel, you are lucky and privileged and you should be aware of it at all times.
Erim
Lovely post, Matt. I could not agree more, and the irony is that travel, particularly in the “developing world,” is excellent for discovering fundamental truths about the world and coming the grips with one’s own privilege. It’s a shame to miss this wonderful opportunity to learn some incredibly important lessons.
Thanks for doing what you do!
Shanna
Could you fix the “You’re” grammatic error in the title before I forward it to my teacher friends? I’m very excited about your new project!
NomadicMatt
There’s no “your” in the title….
Brit
Great post, Matt. It is so refreshing to hear travellers admit that, actually, yeah we are damn lucky to travel the way we do. Yes, we might have worked hard, yes we might have sacrificed things along the way, but we have had privileges and opportunities that many people don’t get. I currently live in India as an unmarried woman in my 30s who gets to travel around as much as she wants. I don’t see many (any, in fact) Indian women with the same privilege. Indian friends much younger than me are told every day that they must marry.
I think it is all too easy for travel bloggers to write inspirational ‘If I can travel, you can too!’ posts (and they are inspirational), but if they actually opened their eyes and looked at the type of people who are staying in the hostels with them, taking the tours with them, and reading their blogs then they would see that there is a very narrow group of people able to do so.
I love the idea of your foundation. I could maybe see if I could hook you up with some schools in Mumbai. Not my school – the kids here are super rich and don’t need any help – they really do know privilege!
NomadicMatt
I couldn’t agree more about the diversity issue!
Michle
I agree. I try to bring presents back for friends and loved ones because I know that they don’t have the chance to travel as much – or if any – as I do.
Katie
Exactly, those of us that were born in developed countries or into families with money are lucky that we have the option to travel. It really annoys me when travel bloggers say they aren’t lucky and that they worked hard for their life. That may be true but they are still lucky that they were born into a reality where travel is even an option. I feel lucky every day
NomadicMatt
I couldn’t agree more! Luck and privilege are two different things!
rick be
I had neither,but Ronald Reagan & People Express opened the door for the poor.
Uelito
So true!
At the moment I am working hard and saving a lot to make my future traveling the world. As you know, this is the hardest part for any traveler. Because you have to hold on until you can pack your bag and hit the road. BUT, whenever things take me down, I think exactly about how privileged I am to do that. Being able to realize my dreams. Im grateful for that.
Thanks for the post Matt. It made me think again… and that’s good.
Take care,
Uelito
NomadicMatt
Glad we got you thinking! 🙂
Ulrike
You seriously made me cry with this post. There’s so much truth in what you say. It’s so easy to forget how incredibly lucky we are if we can afford the luxury of travel. Not having to worry about how you’re going to pay for your rent or even your food is a privilege we easily take for granted.
I love the fact that you give back to some people who are not born as lucky. I am a teacher here in Germany and I know what a difference such an opportunity can make for some students.
Lauren Meshkin
Thank you for writing this. I’m definitely going to share this with a few of my friends. Also, I might have a person interested in talking to you. She works at a very low-income school in South Carolina. Thanks for sharing, Matt!
Happy travels 🙂
NomadicMatt
Awesome! Thank you so much!
Bob Merrick
Traveling definitely is a privilege. When I was younger, I had very little money and was raising a family. Vacations were small road trips with a limited budget. Now that the children are grown and my finances have improved, I am free to take trips beyond my local area. I get to travel the world, but still appreciate the fact that it is still not that easy for many. I now get to visit many places that I thought I would never see in my lifetime.
NomadicMatt
That’s wonderful to hear!
Britt
I’ve actually thought about this often. I myself come from some serious disadvantage- at one stage after my parents lost their business to the GFC we were living below the poverty line for almost a year. Despite those struggles I’ve managed to get to university and to save for 15 month trip around the world.
However a lot of that isn’t just a result of my determination but a result of the lottery of birth and the country I live in that provides opportunities especially to low income kids. If my country didn’t have a university loan scheme that meant I didn’t have to pay back anything until I worked a full time job- all of my savings would go into funding my education instead of travel.
If I didn’t live in a country that provides a basic income to rural students that allows them to support themselves when they go away to uni, and if my university wasn’t one that extended scholarships to those that need it, I would be working 30 hours a week to support my studies, rather than working 30 hours a week to save for travel.
rebecca
All I can really say is thank you for writing that. I’m all up for the positivity of anything is possible but for some people, it just might not be. Great write up! Well written
Rachel
I am a teacher in a fly-in community in Canada. Thank you for writing this. My students dream of traveling but most have never had the opportunity to leave the North. I would love to talk about a trip for my students!
NomadicMatt
Send me an email!
rick be
I’ll be in Van in a few weeks.
Emma
You’re so right! There are so many posts out there online about how ‘you’ can travel the world, how to save money for travel etc but you do still have to have a certain level of privilege in order to do so. It’s a shame the great majority of the world’s people will not experience travelling but it certainly does make me feel very grateful for how privileged I’ve been in being able to travel, and that I’ll be able to do plenty more of it in the future.
Lidia
Loved reading this article Matt! You’re so right. It’s a privilege for us to travel. I’m happy to be able to count myself with the few who can travel once a year, and trying to make the most of that every time of which I’m very grateful for.
Happy traveling ! And greetings from Marbella Spain 🙂
xxx
rick be
I’ve spent many a day in the Costa Del Sol. I remember an all you can eat for 500 Pesetas-they even had Flan.
Daniela Frendo
Thank you for writing about this. We are indeed privileged to have the choice and means to travel. I often thought about this when I was in Morocco – I knew that most of the people I met there had never been out of the country – and probably never will. This saddens me, but it also helps me appreciate this privilege and make the most of it.
NomadicMatt
Funny enough, I wrote this post in Morocco!
chewy
I think about this sometimes, and I also think about my carbon footprint from traveling and living. I don’t want to create more lasting damages on the earth, but I also want to see more of it, and bring my appreciation for it to new levels. I know I’m being a bit selfish sometimes, but I also am aware of how privileged and lucky I am that I can do what I do.
NomadicMatt
Up side to travel: owning less stuff means you have a smaller footprint! 🙂
Elena
Just wow! (not a positive one either) 100% disagree with you !! Travel is a RIGHT, not a privilege!! The above title is something I expect from a bought up politician, but not a traveler. Travel should be a right and ability to do easily for every person! Stupid political games is what makes it so hard for a lot of people. And political whores are the ones who are trying to convince people that travel is a “privilege” , so people who travel often feel bad and ashamed of their CHOSEN lifestyle!
Chosen to travel and create their own living and showing the middle finger to the system.
TRAVEL IS A RIGHT, NOT A PRIVILEGE !
NomadicMatt
I’m not trying to make people feel bad about their lifestyle – it’s my lifestyle too but we should remember we are lucky to do something many people will never be able to afford to do. Let’s keep perspective!
rick be
For many,fear keeps them in their chair.
Jakub Chodounsky
Every time I travel it makes me think how privileged I am that I can visit all those nice places. Great read, thanks.
Amy
Nice to see this written.
Other than brief vacations, I had to wait until I was 62 to take my first extended travel adventure. This had to do with a number of the factors you mentioned, including family , work, school obligations….I am very fortunate that the stars all aligned, I am still healthy and am now traveling in India for several months. But I don’t take that for granted.
Ken
It’s not just traveling, but a variety of other things that we’ve become so accustomed to that we take them for granted. It’s sad, but that’s how we humans naturally are wired. That’s why it’s so important take time to stop, just be and realize that nothing is for granted, to really feel grateful for the opportunities. Whether that’s being able to travel or something else.
Erika
This is great, Matt, and I also think is shows great growth. I’ve been following your blog for years now and I am and have been mostly in agreement about the excuses you say most people make to travel. That being said, I think acknowledging privilege is definitely mature and it’s a reminder that our set of circumstances may be different from other people’s. I also still love the advice you give here and it’s important that people see that they can still pursue their dreams even if privilege or lack thereof is an obstacle. We shouldn’t let our lack of privilege stop us from going after our goals, but it sure does help when people acknowledge that it exists. Thanks!
NomadicMatt
Thanks for the great comment! 🙂
Will
Exactly. When we travel, we need to pay atention on these things – poverty, inequality, racism and all – cause travel isn’t only fun or pleasure, it’s also discover and knowledge about the reality too!
NomadicMatt
For sure!
Kasia Kowalska
I agree with you. People don’t have equal rights in this world unfortunately, It’s good you are aware of your White Male Privilige, many are not.
Lauren
Absolutely right! When my dad and I went to Bali last summer, we really learned this for ourselves. We saw that many of the family compounds didn’t have power and found ourselves avoiding giving specifics as to our living conditions in the US – e.g., we live in an average size house (which is true). It’s important to remember that we have this privilege to live well and see the world and not take that for granted.
Erika
Great post Matt! Not only is it important to maintain empathy for others who never get the same opportunities in life that we do (travel and more), but it’s also important to frequently reflect on our privilege with gratitude and appreciation (which helps us enjoy our experiences even more). As soon as we take our fortune for granted, the joy fades.
Travel on!
Tamara
Thanks for the real talk, Matt. It’s so true. While I do think that a lot of people who do have the privilege of traveling just need to make some mindset and lifestyle changes, there are always the folks where it’s just not that simple. I often think about how fortunate I am to have a U.S. passport, for example, and, in most cases, can just show up on the doorstep of any country simply because of where I was born. And that someone else can’t, simply because of where they were born. I agree with Erika that we shouldn’t let this stop us from pursuing our goals, but we should also do what we can to help those who cannot. Thanks again.
NomadicMatt
Definitely! We should give back. Too much of today’s work is take, take, take!
Ella
Thanks for acknowledging this important truth.
Adria
Hi Matt,
I’m really glad you wrote this article. I’m 68 and in 1972, I travelled (unexpectedly) half-way around the world on $1/day for a year. I know when you started your blog, you didn’t think that many of us older folks did that. Well we did and still do!
In following your blog, I’ve agreed with much you’ve had to say and I relate to your enthusiasm about travel. But I didn’t agree when you wrote that you thought anyone could travel if they wanted to you. I’d certainly seen enough of the world–either around the globe or in the inner cities of America–to know that not everyone has the opportunity, funds, free-time, etc. to travel. As a therapist, I had clients who couldn’t come to see me in my clinic because they didn’t have the carfare. However, I didn’t post my opinion because I didn’t want to be a dream-killer.
I’m so pleased you’ve arrived at this conclusion and that you’ve started a foundation to help kids whose families can’t afford for them to travel to have a taste of the larger world. I know travel opened my eyes–and they have stayed open. Yes, we are privileged and lucky.
rick be
I read Europe on $25/day in 1985 & was able to do it for near 1/2 that-
you are my idol!
Irma
It absolutely is a privilege and gift. Thanks so much for reminding us. I just came back from two weeks in Paris, Poland and Amsterdam. Took my 2 daughters and granddaughters. We talked about the blessing of travel and today j showed them your blog. We all agree, yes a beautiful privilege. I’m happy to hear of your work to make travel available to more folks.
Thank you also for your great tips, they helped us with our trip and we saved money too.
Michelle
I could not agree with you more Matt! As a female, I have been all too aware that females I have seen in other countries may never have the same opportunities I have, including traveling around the world.
My former neighbor’s mom was a kind elderly woman who never got the chance to travel. I would send her postcards so she could “travel” with me. My former neighbor said her mom really treasured those postcards.
rick be
My Aunt & Mom saved every card I ever sent & I sent dozens.
Jared
Great perspective Matt! Thanks as always for sharing your unique view of the world.
Kallie
I have yet to experience the joys of traveling full time, and I agree it is a privilege. So many don’t get to see our world except through video or television, stories or photos. That isn’t enough for many. I believe travel opens our mind and allows us to discover parts that otherwise are ignored and opens us up to see how much we truly know about ourselves. I am blessed to be in a country with so much opportunity bring upon success to travel.
Matt, I enjoy your posts and e-mails. You give me a reminder about what I desire to accomplish in life and I appreciate it. Thank you for keeping me on track!
Gena Cameron
Great reminder. I do try to be grateful that I have been so blessed. I always try to write my blogs as sharing and not bragging. I feel so good when people say they enjoy my blogs. I’d freak if I ever came across as bragging.
How wonderful you project is to help students travel You are a very thoughtful person and that comes through in your writing. Thanks for all your good sharing.
rick be
And their Goulash is good too.
Relyn
Thank you for writing this. I forget to remember that I am lucky to be able to go to school, get a good job and travel. I complain a lot about my life but I know parents out there work very hard to try and send their children to school. I love travelling but whenever something unlucky happens I feel so bummed out and pissed. So thank you, thank you for the reminder not to waste and complain. Your project/movement is a great opportunity for kids to travel. More power and God bless 🙂
swanny
Hi Matt, this post is very true.
I recently got an amazing opportunity to visit Kiwirkurra a remote indigenous community halfway between Alice Springs and Newman in WA. Basically its in the middle of the desert. It is a completely indigenous community, and many of them have never been to a city. Perth, the capital city of WA and my home is 1000s of kms south west.
I went to give them football (AFL) equipment and cricket equipment and helped run a football carnival there between their community and others ‘nearby’ communities (all over 500km away). It was an amazing experience to meet such amazing people.
Considering distance away from a major city, it could well be the most remote community in the world.
Anyway your post made me reflect on my experience in Kiwirkurra and how lucky I am to be traveling the world next year. many of these people will never see a city or even a tall tree (if you are familiar with the desert in Australia, all you see is sand and small desert scrubs). It is great to remind people that there are others less fortunate that will never enjoy the delights of traveling and it reminds me to enjoy it even more as it is so special and it is only available to such a small part of the population.
Cheers (=
Sandy
Great point Matt, and nice discussion. As a Canadian woman, I have always felt very fortunate to have had access to the kind of employment that could fund my almost annual vacations. Now that I have taken early retirement and more or less “run away from home”, I am thoroughly enjoying the liberating feeling of my solo travels, first in western Canada and the US, and now in Central America. It would be a wonderful world if everyone could experience cultures other than their own, and I applaud your efforts to help less fortunate kids. (I am sending your info to a teacher friend who may be interested.)
NomadicMatt
Thanks! Please put us in touch!
Brian Kidwell
Matt – great post. I agree with you and I think it’s definitely important to remind ourselves of this often. The fact that I’m sitting here typing this is proof that I am extremely fortunate.
We start to take these things for granted. When someone with your reach online can speak out about these kinds of things it’s great. It really gives the community a perspective that we should not forget.
Thanks again and keep up the great work!
-Brian
NomadicMatt
Very appreciative of the comment! Thanks!
rakhi
@ NomadicMatt
I concur with you. Individuals don’t have equivalent rights in this world tragically, It’s great you are mindful of your White Male Privilige, numerous are definitely not.
regards
rakhi
Alison
Great post Matt. Don and I are endlessly grateful for the life we’ve been given. We rarely lose sight of how lucky we are to be able to live the life we do. Like you – white middle class from the ‘developed world’. What a huge privilege and blessing.
We’re still going strong – four years on the road now. Currently on a journey through Turkey Jordan and Egypt.
Blessings, Alison
Kyle
Wow, that’s a strong backstep from you’re stance from a couple of articles on your site. I’m pretty sure in one of those articles it went something along the lines of anybody can travel and people were making excuses. I don’t know the specifics I can’t quite remember so don’t quote me, but I’ve read on this blog a few times where you talked about how people made excuses for not being able to travel and how it’s possible for everybody.
In any case, I’m not trying to argue with you about it but it’s good that you finally wrote on here that yes we are (myself included) privileged to come from first world countries that are developed and that no not everybody has the opportunity to travel.
NomadicMatt
The article you refer relates more to people who go “I can’t afford to travel” and then go buy a TV or spend $100 on drinks. But yeah, I cheerlead a lot but I think it’s important to remember that not everyone can do what we do! We take it for granted!
Kyle
Thanks for clarifying Matt. I can’t remember the exact article but yes you probably did mention in the article that it was for people who were wasting money. I agree with you 100% based on your reply, good work.
Claudia
You know what Matt… I think you are right. Mind you, I am not that privileged, but at least I can choose to travel. I have a family that supports my choices, and my choice in the past few years has been to spend every single cent on travel. I won’t go out for expensive meals, I won’t buy a new pair of shoes even if I used to be a fashion victim, I won’t do many other things because I want to travel. Yet, I can do it. I know that if I work and save, I am able to do it. Perhaps not as much as I would like to, but I can.
It is a great post to read at this very moment, when people are dying crossing the Mediterranean sea to get to Italy and Greece and escape poverty, war and persecution in Africa and Syria. We hear that every single day here and it is disturbing that some of the EU countries – that very EU that was meant to be a symbol of tolerance, respect and protection of human rights – are actually building fences along their borders to stop migrants from crossing.
Yes, we are privileged.
Bridget
Great post, Matt. Thanks for the reminder of how fortunate I am to be doing what I am doing every day right now. It is truly amazing. I also love what you are doing with FLYTE. It is something I have wanted to work on for a long time and have looked into various organizations along those lines for when I start working again. And…I am going to forward your info to a teacher I met in Tanzania. She works in a low-income school in Kansas City, travels every summer and is always looking for ways to bring the greater world into her classroom. Travel is such an education and in ways a classroom just can’t do. Thanks again!
NomadicMatt
That would be awesome! Thank you!
Beth
This is a wonderful post, Matt. I think, until we travel, we Americans sometimes don’t realize how good we have it. We often take for granted the freedom we have to travel anywhere in the world, along with the money to do it. It is absolutely a privilege and one that I am very grateful for. As much as we bash our country, and by the way that is a privilege that many don’t have, freedom is a beautiful thing.
That said, I’m going to Morocco in January for my 60th birthday, with my awesome son, to surf, ride camels in the desert, and absolutely enjoy everything the Moroccan culture has to offer! Can’t wait to read more posts about your adventures there.
Kevin Kato
Perhaps the greatest irony is that through travel – particularly to the ‘poorer’ places around the world – we truly realize and understand how fortunate we are. Cycling through Laos was just one occasion where it really hit me – that it is only by chance that I was born where I was and not in a bamboo hut in the mountains outside of Kasi. That understanding is hard to come to through books and pictures and videos.
NomadicMatt
Travel gives you a great perspective on privilege. I relearned that in Morocco! We are lucky.
Sydney
Absolutely right – and absolutely well said. It can be hard hard work to make it, it can be great fun as well as hard on the road, but whatever – its extreme fortune that enables us to be able to do it however it happens.
Julie
I’m glad you wrote about this topic, Matt! It’s such an important reminder to those of us traveling not to take any of it for granted, because it indeed is a privilege to see and explore the world. I also think this applies to everyone, even those not traveling, because no one should forget to be grateful for whatever little they may have. The one thing I’ve noticed on the road is that if anything, it’s the people who have very little who remember to treasure what they have the most. Ironically, it’s the “most privileged” ones that often overlook all of their good fortune. So in a way, traveling has helped to remind me how much I have to be happy for, both on the road and waiting for me at home.
NomadicMatt
I’m always reminded of this cartoon: http://deadstate.org/youll-never-see-privilege-the-same-way-again-after-looking-at-this-comic/
Hana
Thank you for writing about this!! Such an important (and real) aspect of travel that is most often left out on blogs and social media posts that make it sound like anyone should be able to “drop” their life and globetrot to their heart’s content
Tom
Matt
I could not agree more with the sentiments you post in your newsletters.
I was born and raised in the USA and now live in Australia (one of the smartest things I ever did). One of the big differences I notice between Australian kids and US kids is that it is almost a rite of passage in Australia that sometime between the age of 18 and 25 any Australian kid that can afford it takes at least a year off normal life and travels. Along the way they get part time jobs, sleep on the floor or a couch but they travel in a way they can meet lots of people. When my son went to London to work for a year there were more kids from our street in London at that time than there were in Australia.
It is not just what you see but the people you meet and the different opinions you get from travel-if enough Americans travelled more it would not be long that they realized most of the world decided to stop shooting each other with guns years ago.
Tom
NomadicMatt
I wish we did that in the US. We need a gap year culture!
PJ Magalhaes
I very much agree with your point point of view here. It’s a very big privilege and one that is wasted if the traveller never realises it. Whether we choose to give back (the way you are with FLYTE, and huge props to you) is another issue. I also think that while it’s a current privilege, it would be nice if it became a right and a possibility for the greater majority of us around the world.
Cheers Matt.
-PJ
Joella
Thanks for this Matt! People forget what a privilege it is to be able to travel. Yes, many people have to work hard to save up to travel, but they are still in the position to be able to do it. Like you say, many people in the world live on $2 a day or they might have to be careers to sick parents or siblings and so on. Those of us who get to travel are very lucky, in my opinion. Well done for starting FLYTE- I’m a primary (elementary) school teacher who has taught in both very privileged and very underprivileged schools and I know what a wonderful part of education travel can be for kids. Hopefully FLYTE will be able to open that door to many more. Cheers.
Michael Mc Carthy
I think you are on to something, but You should also consider “time”: Time is almost as important as money. In Europe, We have 6 weeks vacation, We have to take a vacation. We have no choice.
Silvana
This is so true, as a single mother with a Canadian passport I count my blessings everyday that I am able to travel so much with my son. Just the fact that I am born into this country that allows such freedom of movement is a blessing but also just the fact that I live in a society where I am able to BE a single mother and have the opportunities I do is amazing.
Elisa
Great post! Travel truly is a privilege, I have not been to a third of the places I still want to go but I am still grateful for what I have been able to see or do. I think it’s important to always remain humble and grateful.
Anca
Such a great post.
It happened to me once that I met a guy in Albania who worked as a waiter in a Restaurant. He was the nicest waiter ever and we exchanged our Facebook addresses and continue to chat for the next few years. I told him once that he’s always welcome to visit me in Croatia, and even though those countries are pretty close, and travel expenses are not that big, he told me there’s no way he could ever earn so much to come visit me.
Then I realized that I should be really thankful for the possibility of traveling not just around the Europe, but the possibility to explore a lot more of this World cause even in my own country of Croatia, the average wage is 850 USD, but young people usually have around 650 USD, which means we can barely save around 100 USD a month (if we don’t have a family and if we live pretty modest life) which means we need to save almost a year just to save a money for the transcontinental flight and then a few more years if we really want to travel the World.
LeAnna
I am not going to be naive and say that us travel addicts aren’t privileged. But I am going to argue that for MANY (not all) people, it is a matter of priorities (especially in the Western world). Many of the people who claim that they can’t travel (including extremely low income individuals) ultimately can make the choice. Like many things for these people, is it easy or even the smartest thing to do? No, but you can travel for dollars if done correctly. It is like most things in life (your health, getting a job, getting out of a bad situation, etc). If you make it a top priority and focus on that one goal and will do anything to achieve it, you can most likely make it happen.
For those not in the Western World, I am going to say that it is clearly something that they may only dream about, but once again, with even just a few of the right resources (and I’m not even talking monetary), it is amazing at what motivated people can accomplish and do.
sean
I definitely think its a privilege in a way that those who travel have worked hard or took risks to be where they are travelling to day and are privilege few that have earned that…A lot of people say they want to travel but a lot never do anything about it or complain why they ant travelling.
Colin
Hey Matt, thank you for the post. I definitely agree with you that traveling is a privilege and I am SO thankful that I have had a chance to do a lot of it so far in my relatively young age. I live in Hawaii and I don’t know if it is because we live on an island but I know so many people who haven’t been outside of the island chain or Las Vegas. It is kind of weird and sad but true!
Cesc
Totally agree.
Traveling is a privilege and all of us are privileged, we should be cosciente.
Very good post a theme sometimes forgotten
Bianka
Big up for this post! Since we are born in a small country where poverty and corruption are still such an issue, we really appreciate the chance we have to be able to travel and explore the world. Even with not so much money, traveling it’s still an enormous source of pleasure and inspiration! However there are many people who crave to have that privilege…
Célia Ouali
Thanks Matt for this beautiful post and true reminder. I’ve always felt so blessed, being able to travel because of the job that I have chosen “teaching French abroad” and travelling is all I wish to my siblings and my friends all around the world.
Congratulations as well for the amazing work you are doing with your foundation.
I’m starting a project of an online language school and the aim is to organise language retreats that will allow people to meet during a week with other people from all around the world and enjoy their vacations together and learn the language of the country we are staying in. I want a model where the one who can afford these language courses and retreats will be able to sponsor someone who can’t! YOU ARE AN INSPIRATION TO ME.
Ed
If you can travel, be grateful. It’s one of the greatest gifts one can have in their entire lifetime.
To me, traveling is the ultimate experience!
Jonathan
Stimulating stuff, thanks. You, and particularly a lot of the comments, really made me think about parallels between my work and travel. With humanitarian work you don’t respond to a crisis (earthquake, conflict etc) without asking those affected what they want/need and giving them a role in delivering it.
What do we know (individually, or as a collective of travellers) about how locals feel about us? What about asking each of those who benefit from Flyte to return with one comment, learnt from a local, which you can use to create a Travellers’ Manifesto shaped by those we travellers meet and affect and support and trample and learn from and educate and and and…..
Sumti Bhadani
Nice post Matt…I fully agree with you that travelling is a privilege which not everybody gets…I have recently started travelling and from my experience I can tell that travelling is not just for fun..its always provide you a opportunity to learn new things and provide you a different perspective of life….
Travelling is a best gift someone can get in life.
Have fun !!
BR,
Sumti
Pamela
All I can really say is thank you for writing that. I’m all up for the positivity of anything is possible but for some people, it just might not be. Great write up! Well written.
Rosie Jones
What an incredible post! I agree, that travel is a privilege and by travelling, we are able to see many different forms of lives and many different people, with different backgrounds. Travelling always makes me realize how blessed and lucky we are in this world, and how giving back is important.
Tina
@ NomadicMatt
Very true! More I travel the more I recognize how fortunate I am to have the fitness, money & time to travel and also blessed to have the family & chances that I have! Thanks for sharing with us!
Jessica Ray
Maybe the best incongruity is that through travel – especially to the “poorer” spots far and wide – we genuinely acknowledge and see how lucky we are. Spinning through Laos was only one event where it truly hit me – that it is just by chance that I was conceived where I was and not in a bamboo cottage in the mountains outside of Kasi. That understanding is difficult to come to through books and pictures and recordings.
Dan
Matt, thanks for an honest and insightful article.
I have to admit, I have been a \”lucky\” traveler. I have seen close to 3/4th of the United States, including Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico. as well as numerous countries on both sides of the Atlantic and the Pacific. In fact, I have been to every continent except Antartica, and I really don\’t plan to make that trip.
I say I am \”lucky\” because I have always had somebody else to pay for almost all of my travel expenses. My traveling adventures started when I was a kid thanks to my parents who were Baptist Missionaries in South America. I also had the privilege to go to over 50 countries, all expenses paid by the US Government, during a 30 plus year career in the Marine Corps.
I know many of you reading this won\’t be too excited about following my career path, especially since I asked to be an infantry Marine. But think about the perspective of someone who joined in the early 80\’s decades before 9/11.
On my first two deploymemts I saw the entire Pacific Rim from the Aleutians down to Korea, Japan, across to Hong Kong, Singapore, then on to Thailand, the Phillipines, and Australia.
Of course I would be wrong to not mention that my third deployment was Desert Shield/Desert Storm. I also served in Kosovo, Iraq, and Afghanistan. But I also traveled to Spain. Italy, Greece, and Mongolia, amongst other exotic locations, all in the middle of the war years.
Even though I made many more trips to peaceful places than I did to combat zones, I understand the Armed Forces aren\’t going to be the first choice for many. But I still want to point out that a majority of first time deployers in the foreseeable future will not go anywhere near the current global hot spots.
A stint in the Armed Forces can do more for an 18 to 20 something than give them a chance to see other countries and experience other cultures while doing an honorable service. It can also give you a solid financial foundation or neat egg for your future endeavors and travels if you pay attention to the financial tips mentioned by Matt and the other commentators on this article (or if you get other solid money advice) before you start blowing your bi-weekly paychecks on fun and stuff.
If the Armed Forces aren\’t your gig, no worries. There are other ways you can get somebody to pay for your travels. As an example, my oldest son played jazz in Germany. One of my daughters made a medical/nursing trip to Nicaragua. And one of her sisters took part in a humanitarian water relief project in Africa. Several church groups I have heard of will help with expenses for those who volunteer for specific projects such as orphanages, water projects, and building programs.
The US and the UN have numerous organizations that require every type of skill imaginable, from medical and dental skill to teaching skills, from agricultural expertise to engineering know how to meet aid requirements all across the globe. There are also a large number of non-governmental humanitarian organizations that are constantly looking to fill vacancies for every type of job imaginable under the sun. A few years working for any one of these types of organizations could be the opportunity to have the experiences of a life time.
Another way to get paid to spend time overseas is to find a job teaching English. Many universities, colleges, and even local private institutions of learning in many countries are constantly seeking college grads to teach English for a semester or more. I am unsure of going rates, but when I was in Paraguay in 2001, I was offered a job teaching English for a local trade school with a starting salary of US $1,000 a month. I could have lived comfortably on that salary in that economy for as long as I wanted to. I also would have enjoyed the opportunity to visit neighboring countries during school breaks.
If you are willing to do some research, and are willing to give a year or two to helping others with the skills and training you have, I am confident you can find a way to both travel and to enrich your life through service.
Greg Kamphuis
Normally I hate posts on ‘privilege’. I think everyone has some sort of privilege and focusing on other people’s just holds you back, but I like this one, not too preachy and you hear a lot of preachy Backpackers! I really love the idea of FLYTE where are you going to work mainly? May I suggest Uganda, that was the only country where people seemed like they were constantly dreaming of travelling! Where would I go to read more on fkyte and to donate?
Wan
I would say, Bless, those who are FORTUNATE to Travel. As you travel more, you see how people are so stuck up with making ends meet or constantly worry about things to come.
Sheena Bajaj
Thank you for writing this. I’m definitely going to share this with a few of my friends. Also, I might have a person interested in talking to you.
Thanks for sharing,
Regards
Sheena Bajaj
Helen
A great honest post, Matt. It’s so true, my boyfriend and I work hard to travel but we are privileged and lucky to be able to, with supportive family and a lifestyle that can suit around us.
People we’ve met in China say how lucky we are and envious of our lifestyle because they can never have that. It makes you realise how privileged we really are. Thaks for sharing this!
Claudia
This is so true – being able to travel is a privilege and an absolute gift. We sometimes take it for granted that we get vacation days, let alone that we get to travel on those days. I sometimes almost feel sorry for those who have the means to do so, but never really step out of their comfort zone and see something of this world… Traveling is something that will enrich your life – never forget how lucky you are that you are able to do so!
Cisley
This is a great post, but I will tell you that it made me a bit sad \’cause it got me thinking about all the people that can\’t and will never travel the way we do. I don\’t come from a developed country and I don\’t come from a rich family, I don\’t even live in a big city but rather a growing one. My knowledge of English since I was halfway through University is what has opened a lot of doors for me and has allowed me to earn a certain income that allows me to travel, but along with this there are several other circumstances that have been by my side: my parents support, the exchange program from my university that gave me the scholarship with which I made my first big travel (and couldn\’t stop ever since) and well, a blessed life that has allowed me to keep coming back to the road.
Yes, it was a set of circumstances that has allowed me to be out there and there\’s not a moment where I don\’t remember just how privileged I am.
Thanks for the awesome post!
Edna
Hi,
after reading, I have to say that Travelling is a privilege. We explore more the world and more ourselves.
Thanks
Edna
Heather
Travel is definitely a privilege, but unfortunately many of us don’t understand that privilege until we are actually able to go. There’s nothing like appreciating clean water from a tap or garbage pick up, or a professional police service until you’ve gone travelling. Coming home and listening to people complain about dandelions or pot holes makes you realize just how privileged we are in the West. Wish everyone could experience travel for that very reason!
ART
Excellent article! I have been waiting to read something like this for a long time. I am 30 years old and have visited only 9 countries in my life. Don’t get me wrong, as much as I desire to keep travelling and seeing the world, I realize that I am extremely lucky to have even travelled as much as I have. The majority of people in the world are to busy surviving and trying to meet the necessities of life to even think about the possibility of even getting on a plane and going anywhere. Even those of us who can only take a trip once in a while (as in maybe once every 2 years) are still in a small minority of the world’s population.
The interesting thing about it is that when you actually do travel to underdeveloped parts of the world especially, you realize even more how lucky you are just to have been able to travel there! I have met people in India and Peru who have never even left there home town/region, let alone ever travel outside of there country or see the world!