Never traveling outside the East Coast

[Anonymous]

I have a friend from New England who went to school there and who now lives and works in the Mid-Atlantic (DMV). I just found out that she's never traveled outside of the Mid-Atlantic and New England. She's a professional with a graduate degree. I have a hard time understanding how her work or family and social life haven't required at least one trip to a conference, client meeting, or wedding in all these years. (We're in our 40s.) Is this as odd as it seems to me? She has traveled to a couple of the main destinations in Europe like Paris and Madrid. It just seems so odd to me. I've been to almost every US state except for the Dakotas, Idaho, Montana, etc... and I don't really have a job that involves that much travel. Is this as odd as it seems to me?

[Anonymous]

I mean, she has traveled other places, you just don't think they count. Lots of people don't have to travel for work, and don't have money to fly on vacations, so if you're not going to count EUROPE, yeah it's common.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I mean, she has traveled other places, you just don't think they count. Lots of people don't have to travel for work, and don't have money to fly on vacations, so if you're not going to count EUROPE, yeah it's common.

PS I'm 37, and the only ways I've traveled outside the east coast were by applying for grants and scholarships in my academic years. Even so i haven't been to most US states or to 4 out of the 7 continents.

[Anonymous]

My BIL at age 55 has only been out of country once in his whole life. He just doesn’t travel. He doesn’t get into it. I’m not like that but at the same time as much as I wouldn’t be like that, I understand it.

A lot of people don’t want or like to leave their comfort zone.

I find that the more you see, the more you want to keep seein new places but again, a LOT of people for not seeing one new place, aren’t going to see any new place. It’s just human nature. But also travelling now is not like it used to be. I often don’t want to go anywhere because it’s so stressful and expensive, a lot of beautiful places are soooo crowded. If it weren’t that I have 2 kids and that I have been to so many countries already, I could take a break from fly8ng everywhere. Truly, it’s not like it used to be..

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a friend from New England who went to school there and who now lives and works in the Mid-Atlantic (DMV). I just found out that she's never traveled outside of the Mid-Atlantic and New England. She's a professional with a graduate degree. I have a hard time understanding how her work or family and social life haven't required at least one trip to a conference, client meeting, or wedding in all these years. (We're in our 40s.) Is this as odd as it seems to me? She has traveled to a couple of the main destinations in Europe like Paris and Madrid. It just seems so odd to me. I've been to almost every US state except for the Dakotas, Idaho, Montana, etc... and I don't really have a job that involves that much travel. Is this as odd as it seems to me?

She literally has travelled outside the East Coast. OP, I love travel as much as you do, but not everyone can travel or enjoys traveling. Any number of factors -- number of kids, experience with travel going up, personal preferences, where one has family, and the big one (money) could discourage someone from traveling.

Again, though, she very much has travelled outside the East Coast.

[Anonymous]

She’s been to Europe OP. So not just the East Coast. She’s been further than a lot of people. Not everyone loves travel.

[Anonymous]

That sounds like a typical American. Just interested in their small little section of the universe.

I don't have friends who have only lived in one country and never left. Usually they are small minded. No matter how many degrees this person has - still an idiot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That sounds like a typical American. Just interested in their small little section of the universe.

I don't have friends who have only lived in one country and never left. Usually they are small minded. No matter how many degrees this person has - still an idiot.

The only small minded idiot here is you. Yiu can’t even read.

[Anonymous]

I'm in my 40's and aside from a layover in Dallas have never been to anywhere in the middle of the country. I don't go to conferences or meetings outside of my office (most of which I attend remotely from home). I've been to four weddings - one in NJ, one in NY, one in MA and one in Mexico. I don't have any friends in Piedmont, North Dakota or Bull Shoals, Arkansas.

I got a passport for the wedding in Mexico and haven't used it since.

[Anonymous]

My great grandfather was a farmer in PA and never left the state.

[Anonymous]

She has travelled to Europe. Why would you even post something about someone who never leaves the East Coast when….that isn’t at all true?

[Anonymous]

Have you ever met a Californian? Most of the native Californians I know have never left the state nor see any reason to do so.

[Anonymous]

Why travel to Oklahoma if you can go to Paris???

[Anonymous]

She has literally left the East Coast. I don’t think it’s odd at all for Americans to not travel much. There is no PTO.

[Anonymous]

Growing up my dad had a secretary - at a well-known liberal arts college in the Midwest- who had NEVER LEFT THE COUNTY. She was maybe 50 when I was a kid and had zero interest in travel. She wasn’t any sort of phobic as far as I could tell, she went to college functions and was married and seemed to have a pretty normal life.