Are upper middle class family gatherings now just luxury travel pissing contests?

[Anonymous]

Anyone else experiencing this right now? We've been to a few extended family gatherings so far this week and travel dominated the conversations. Suddenly, everyone thinks they're Anthony Bourdain and wants to brag about passport stamps. So and so to Japan, uncle so and so just went on a pheasant hunting or fly fishing trip, Utah and Colorado ski trips, Hawaii, Caribbean, Mexico, Italy, Spain, golfing in Ireland, Scotch sipping in Scotland, hiking in some SE Asian country, F1 racing in Brazil, cousin so and so is studying abroad in Australia, blah blah blah. It's dizzying.

It didn't always used to be this way, did it?

[Anonymous]

Maybe you just weren’t this prone to jealousy before?

[Anonymous]

People talk about what they've been up to and their interests. If you perceive it as bragging, that's probably your own insecurities.

[Anonymous]

Travel has always been a topic among those who travel. Oneupsmanship has also been around a very long time. They frequently crossover.

[Anonymous]

No it didn’t use to be this way.

[Anonymous]

thankfully this was the one topic my obnoxious rich brothers didn’t touch on this year

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Maybe you just weren’t this prone to jealousy before?

Who's jealous? It's just shallow and boring conversation. Shallow and boring is fine among professional work associates but family are only together a couple of times a year and THIS is the most spirited dialogue now? It's sad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:People talk about what they've been up to and their interests. If you perceive it as bragging, that's probably your own insecurities.

It is bragging.

[Anonymous]

I married into a UMC family from a MC/LMC family and it's always felt like this to me.

[Anonymous]

No idea, as DH and I both grew up working class/lower middle class.

Off topic but we live in an UMC neighborhood now and I am amazed by all the expensive travel some families do (and wonder how they afford it). Pricey trips at peak rates for every school break/holiday (Hawaii, ski trips, Caribbean, Europe etc) and then really big summer trips also (African safaris etc). And many have larger families with 3-4 kids!

Anyway I definitely think travel is a big topic among a lot of the UMC. So doesn’t seem that unusual to me.

[Anonymous]

I’d be interested, especially if people went to places I’m not likely to ever go to. If they can tell information about the food, sights, people, climate, and culture, then I’d like to hear it big they’re just talking about points and what they spent in a hotel and how they paid X for some souvenir, then I’m not interested.

[Anonymous]

It has always been this way.

[Anonymous]

Yes, agreed. This is a thing.

[Anonymous]

I guess I’m lucky but our high net worth friends rarely talk about their travels. I never mention it unless I’m asked about what we did last summer. Or, I may ask has anyone been to New Zealand?

[Anonymous]

Our family has 3 hobbies—scuba diving, snowboarding/skiing, and unique natural or man made wonders. Most breaks we’re going to do something that ties into one of those 3 things.

For thanksgiving, we’re in Grenada diving. Airfare was on points. For the 4 of us, we got one hotel room. We all have our own gear. So 2k for diving for the week, 1k for the room, and another $1k for food.

$4k for 4 people to dive the Carribean isn’t crazy. But our trip was based on where I could get airfare. The hotel was running a stay/dive special.

When people ask how were the holidays, they know it will involve some travel. It’s what our family does.