Anyone love their house so much they hate to travel?

[Anonymous]

I don’t think it has to do with “a house” but happy people don’t need to seek happiness from outside themselves.

I don’t need to “escape my life” to ge happy.

So while I enjoy travel it’s just not better than my life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t think it has to do with “a house” but happy people don’t need to seek happiness from outside themselves.

I don’t need to “escape my life” to ge happy.

So while I enjoy travel it’s just not better than my life.

That's a little surprising. Did you retire early with ample wealth? My kids love vacations and travel because all of us are together, no one has to work or spend the day fixing the loose boards on patio or tackling a huge pile of laundry. We spend the entire day doing fun, often new and exciting things, all together.

Is your daily life really full of fun, novelty, and no chores or work to pull you away?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t think it has to do with “a house” but happy people don’t need to seek happiness from outside themselves.

I don’t need to “escape my life” to ge happy.

So while I enjoy travel it’s just not better than my life.

That's a little surprising. Did you retire early with ample wealth? My kids love vacations and travel because all of us are together, no one has to work or spend the day fixing the loose boards on patio or tackling a huge pile of laundry. We spend the entire day doing fun, often new and exciting things, all together.

Is your daily life really full of fun, novelty, and no chores or work to pull you away?

Well I love to garden and cook so those are not chores.

I have a cleaning person and somebody who cuts the lawn.

I don’t understand “tons of chores”. I have friends that are always doing “chores”. I redid my house about 7 years ago and I’m thinking of redoing it again but I will hire painters/decorator. That will be 2 months of euro then fine for years.

I hike, yoga, golf, kayak, rock climb regularly.

I visit my kids where they live now. I visit family.

Everybody in my house has always done their own laundry (since HS) so I only do mine.

I do joke that I’m too popular cause I could really use a weekend home. I’m away with friends to the beach, lake, their house every month. I have a group of friends coming to “do DC” in a few weeks. Went to RI, their beach house for a weekend. Visited college friends. My niece in KA, my nephew in Seattle.

I have a normal govt job.

Gotta go, hiking with a friend.

[Anonymous]

I would never say I hate to travel, because I love it. But I do adore my house enough that we choose not to travel often specifically so we can spend time at home. We have friends who are out of town every weekend, or who will spend every holiday on vacation. No judgment (people should do what they want) but I could never do that because our house just feels so good to me in. It's thoughtfully laid out and decorated. Our furniture is attractive and comfortable and carefully selected to suit our lifestyle. Our kitchen has everything we need and we have a well stocked pantry and freezer. And so on. It's truly impossible to find all these creature comforts while on vacation, no matter how much money we spend. It's the kind of stuff that takes lots of planning and thought. Also, we have a cat who I adore and I find his presence very soothing and pleasant.

All of which is why Covid-era travel is a real bummer for me. I have not been into the whole "get an Air BnB out in the country or near a lake" Covid travel protocol. I mean, I enjoy a lake house so we can swim and go kayaking, but I get sick of a rental house quickly and want to be back home in my much nicer, prettier, more comfortable home. We finally started staying in hotels and doing city vacations after we got vaccinated, and that's much more my speed. If I'm going to spend a significant of time away from my house, I want daily maid service, access to good restaurants, and to see things I can't see where I live (cool museums, different architecture, markets, etc.). I don't see the point in spending more than a couple days in a rental house a few hours from my regular house, sleeping in a less comfortable bed and having to order out or try and pick up enough groceries to make okay meals in a poorly stocked kitchen. And the idea of spending every weekend in a rental like that, or just doing quick overnights in mediocre hotels just sounds like a bummer to me.

[Anonymous]

US! We love our house (tons of natural light) and have quite a bit of land where we've made places to sit outside and enjoy yourself (raised deck, hammock). We've always loved it and were doubly thankful for it when the pandemic hit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t think it has to do with “a house” but happy people don’t need to seek happiness from outside themselves.

I don’t need to “escape my life” to ge happy.

So while I enjoy travel it’s just not better than my life.

Why is the assumption on here always that people who enjoy traveling are trying to escape their lives or that they are seeking happiness outside their everyday life?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t think it has to do with “a house” but happy people don’t need to seek happiness from outside themselves.

I don’t need to “escape my life” to ge happy.

So while I enjoy travel it’s just not better than my life.

I agree with this. I feel very content and happy in my everyday life. Sometimes things get hectic during the week but we can always recalibrate on the weekends at home. I don't feel like I need to travel in order to relax or feel good. I really enjoy travel, but that's because it provides me with an opportunity to see friends, family, art, nature, architecture, etc. that I can't see at home. I'm happy to do that 4-5 times a year for varying lenghts of time, but I don't find it essential to my well being. More of a nice addition to an already lovely life.

Something I've noticed in DC is that people here can be very competitive about travel and about having been to lots of people or traveling extensively abroad. I'm sure there are people like this elsewhere I just find it more common here. Like I said, I enjoy travel and certainly foreign travel can be particularly rewarding because I feel fortunate to be able to go experience another country and culture. But I don't get the competitiveness or this idea that traveling a lot makes you a better person or more accomplished. It is largely a marker of privilege. That seems like such a weird thing to brag about in this day and age and I always feel uncomfortable when people do this, especially if in a group with some people who have not had that same opportunity to travel. It's just an odd flex.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I love my home so much that I hate going out to meet friends (at restaurants, outside events, their homes). I do it because I love my friends but I’m just so happy when I return home. I love to travel, but many hotels don’t impress me - I prefer the comfort and cleanliness of my home. Still love to travel but also love to come home if that makes sense. And before anyone makes an assumption, I live in a modest 1800sf home.

We're traveled a lot so I'm over it. Plus hotels are nasty if you think about it.

Yes I love my home and don't have to work. Loving upgrading my home, yes miss it if I'm away. Of course we live in the W. near the mountains which was a great move back in the day.

Same. My husband and I traveled so much 26-35 pre-kids, even lived abroad. We kept it up for some time and kids have been to Europe a few times as well.

Now that they are in HS, I am pretty much done with long flights and living out of a suitcase. If I do travel, going to a beautiful place and staying in a VRBO for a month and relaxing is more my speed.

I like being home now with all the things I love the most and I always despised packing.

I think it's a phase. I think at empty nest in 5 years, I'll probably get the travel bug again.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t think it has to do with “a house” but happy people don’t need to seek happiness from outside themselves.

I don’t need to “escape my life” to ge happy.

So while I enjoy travel it’s just not better than my life.

I agree with this. I feel very content and happy in my everyday life. Sometimes things get hectic during the week but we can always recalibrate on the weekends at home. I don't feel like I need to travel in order to relax or feel good. I really enjoy travel, but that's because it provides me with an opportunity to see friends, family, art, nature, architecture, etc. that I can't see at home. I'm happy to do that 4-5 times a year for varying lenghts of time, but I don't find it essential to my well being. More of a nice addition to an already lovely life.

Something I've noticed in DC is that people here can be very competitive about travel and about having been to lots of people or traveling extensively abroad. I'm sure there are people like this elsewhere I just find it more common here. Like I said, I enjoy travel and certainly foreign travel can be particularly rewarding because I feel fortunate to be able to go experience another country and culture. But I don't get the competitiveness or this idea that traveling a lot makes you a better person or more accomplished. It is largely a marker of privilege. That seems like such a weird thing to brag about in this day and age and I always feel uncomfortable when people do this, especially if in a group with some people who have not had that same opportunity to travel. It's just an odd flex.

I love that everyone around us travels every single school break and summer. It makes the neighborhood and local bars and restaurants and parks so much more enjoyable. Everything feels relaxed. Also- family time is better as there isn't constant pressure to do things with others, kids constantly out with friends. It's chill time.

[Anonymous]

My house has an incredible view, is quiet, secluded, comfy, and 4 miles from the ocean. Al my animals are here. I wish they'd hurry up with the Beam-me-up-Scotty technology so I could see other wonderful places and be home in time for dinner.

I do appreciate it even more when I return after being away.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t think it has to do with “a house” but happy people don’t need to seek happiness from outside themselves.

I don’t need to “escape my life” to ge happy.

So while I enjoy travel it’s just not better than my life.

I agree with this. I feel very content and happy in my everyday life. Sometimes things get hectic during the week but we can always recalibrate on the weekends at home. I don't feel like I need to travel in order to relax or feel good. I really enjoy travel, but that's because it provides me with an opportunity to see friends, family, art, nature, architecture, etc. that I can't see at home. I'm happy to do that 4-5 times a year for varying lenghts of time, but I don't find it essential to my well being. More of a nice addition to an already lovely life.

Something I've noticed in DC is that people here can be very competitive about travel and about having been to lots of people or traveling extensively abroad. I'm sure there are people like this elsewhere I just find it more common here. Like I said, I enjoy travel and certainly foreign travel can be particularly rewarding because I feel fortunate to be able to go experience another country and culture. But I don't get the competitiveness or this idea that traveling a lot makes you a better person or more accomplished. It is largely a marker of privilege. That seems like such a weird thing to brag about in this day and age and I always feel uncomfortable when people do this, especially if in a group with some people who have not had that same opportunity to travel. It's just an odd flex.

I love that everyone around us travels every single school break and summer. It makes the neighborhood and local bars and restaurants and parks so much more enjoyable. Everything feels relaxed. Also- family time is better as there isn't constant pressure to do things with others, kids constantly out with friends. It's chill time.

and I get what you are saying about 'competitive travel' . It's constantly 'where are you going' 'we just got back from blah, blah, blah' where are you traveling spring break, winter break, etc. I recharge over breaks and I found when I did travel a lot, I needed a day off pre-travel and a few days off when we got back to recalibrate. And, god, I despise packing and then coming back with suitcases of laundry to do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t think it has to do with “a house” but happy people don’t need to seek happiness from outside themselves.

I don’t need to “escape my life” to ge happy.

So while I enjoy travel it’s just not better than my life.

I agree with this. I feel very content and happy in my everyday life. Sometimes things get hectic during the week but we can always recalibrate on the weekends at home. I don't feel like I need to travel in order to relax or feel good. I really enjoy travel, but that's because it provides me with an opportunity to see friends, family, art, nature, architecture, etc. that I can't see at home. I'm happy to do that 4-5 times a year for varying lenghts of time, but I don't find it essential to my well being. More of a nice addition to an already lovely life.

Something I've noticed in DC is that people here can be very competitive about travel and about having been to lots of people or traveling extensively abroad. I'm sure there are people like this elsewhere I just find it more common here. Like I said, I enjoy travel and certainly foreign travel can be particularly rewarding because I feel fortunate to be able to go experience another country and culture. But I don't get the competitiveness or this idea that traveling a lot makes you a better person or more accomplished. It is largely a marker of privilege. That seems like such a weird thing to brag about in this day and age and I always feel uncomfortable when people do this, especially if in a group with some people who have not had that same opportunity to travel. It's just an odd flex.

I love that everyone around us travels every single school break and summer. It makes the neighborhood and local bars and restaurants and parks so much more enjoyable. Everything feels relaxed. Also- family time is better as there isn't constant pressure to do things with others, kids constantly out with friends. It's chill time.

PP here and YES. My DH and I learned a long time ago that Thanksgiving and Christmas/New Years are some of the best times to hang out in DC because no one is around. We go to museums, out to the movies, go to restaurants it's usually hard to get reservations to. Or just walk around and enjoy how quiet it is an how little traffic and noise there is. We do occasionally visit family for these holidays, but our preference is to visit them when traveling is not so hectic and annoying (I loathe flying over these holidays, and I'm a good flyer normally, I just hate that hectic holiday travel vibe). Pre-covid, our standard move would be to visit his family in early November, do Thanksgiving and Christmas in DC on our own, and then visit my family in January for skiing, and then his family again in February when they were in Florida so we could go to spring training. It was great! Also, I've found that we get much better calm, quality time with family if we visit them when it's not a holiday. There is less specific pressure to have a certain kind of experience and we can just enjoy company.

We also have friends who like to do things like London for Christmas or foreign travel for Thanksgiving, and even pre-Covid, that sounds like a waste to me. It just seems like trying to pack too much stuff into one trip. I'd rather to a cozy Christmas at home and visit London at a time when it's not so busy (and freezing). And Thanksgiving is such an inopportune time for travel, IMO. Lots of bad weather, tends to be a busy time of year at work and school as people start gearing up for the end of the year, plus everyone else is traveling. I'll never understand, but it certainly is nice that so many people do this so we can enjoy the quiet and calm!

[Anonymous]

OP here. For me it’s not anxiety. I’m really into interior design. As I’ve gotten older and earn more, I have more of an opportunity to decorate my house how i like. It’s been great, now everything fits me well. I find that if I travel in order to stay in a hotel that would equally pleasing I’d have to spend a ton of money. Then I think....why spend thousands on a hotel stay? I could just use that money for a house update.

[Anonymous]

When I was younger the hotels were always nicer than home, the beds were lovely, the TV's great etc. Now that I am older and can afford nicer things, I miss my own bed when I travel, I miss the comforts of my home. I have nice dinners and food at home. I love to garden and I love my pets. I live near the ocean so I don't need to go on holiday to relax at the beach for the day. I can kayak, surf, snorkel, hike.

In saying that, I love to travel, I love to see different places and different things, I love to see different landscapes, nature, wildlife. I don't go to a resort thinking it will be somewhere nicer, I now go to a place, to explore and see different countries and areas. I can't say I will ever hate travelling, the experience has always lifted my soul especially areas involving nature and wildlife.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We can’t travel much because we have to pay for our house - does that count?

Haha this is us. We are house poor.