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

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That sounds so boring, OP.

How is it boring? Do you think I want to hear about the mundane details of your daily life? No, I’d much rather hear about an exotic part of the world.

It's just boring. People talk about the weather, beaches, food... they never talk about anything really interesting like the art they saw, because they don't know anything about that and it's just about taking photos for instagram.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When I hang with my extended family, it's more about people's jobs, college, kids' sports, tech, etc.

My brother and his wife are literal millionaires and I had Thanksgiving with them last night. Here's what was discussed: some place in Northern Spain I've literally never heard of before, one couple who has a house in Marin, Sausalito, Hawaii, and Paris. A guy who has been to Japan six times. People hanging out with celebrities (two people there from LA - one is a millionaire), wine, plastic surgery, surprise trips to England and Spain, and food. I was the only person there who has never left North America, and there were six children there.

lol. How is more or less this exact conversation happening at every dinner table across America that features UMC and wealthy strivers? It's such a bizarre phenomenon. Travel was not this obsession a few years ago. Everyone of some means has always traveled, sure, but it didn't dominate everyone's life. Is social media and reality TV fueling this?

[Anonymous]

Maybe people are trying to avoid conversation about fascism. Not that many people want to be in the U.S., physically or mentally, right now. At least your drunk uncles weren't prattling on about cybertrucks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That sounds so boring, OP.

How is it boring? Do you think I want to hear about the mundane details of your daily life? No, I’d much rather hear about an exotic part of the world.

Why, are you taking notes? You are not even active listening, you're just itching for an opening to brag about your own travels. It's all so superficial. This travel trend has like brainwashed everyone in our orbit.

Yes of course. I would love to hear about places I haven’t been, or share notes about places I’ve been that others might like to go. And I’ve never posted a single thing on social media. Ever. Why is this so triggering for you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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?

I would much rather hear about your travel than your boring job, even if it makes a lot of money. Or how amazing your kid is.

Why do you mind so much? Are you jealous? Isn’t it fun to hear about people’s travel experience?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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.

This doesn't sound like an UMC neighborhood, who are you kidding.

[Anonymous]

Why the sour mouth, OP!?

[Anonymous]

Every one is so worldly and then they came home and voted for the yam🤷‍♂️🙁

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When I hang with my extended family, it's more about people's jobs, college, kids' sports, tech, etc.

My brother and his wife are literal millionaires and I had Thanksgiving with them last night. Here's what was discussed: some place in Northern Spain I've literally never heard of before, one couple who has a house in Marin, Sausalito, Hawaii, and Paris. A guy who has been to Japan six times. People hanging out with celebrities (two people there from LA - one is a millionaire), wine, plastic surgery, surprise trips to England and Spain, and food. I was the only person there who has never left North America, and there were six children there.

lol. How is more or less this exact conversation happening at every dinner table across America that features UMC and wealthy strivers? It's such a bizarre phenomenon. Travel was not this obsession a few years ago. Everyone of some means has always traveled, sure, but it didn't dominate everyone's life. Is social media and reality TV fueling this?

I disagree. Travel has been a topic of social conversation among the adventurous and UMC for many decades. People also talk about schools, sports and politics.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If others in the group don't have the funds for that type of luxury travel and/or show no interest in discussing travel, then yes it is a rude to keep bringing it up. If the group is situated similarly financially and enjoys discussing travel then why not?

+100

Travel is a nice topic for the most part, but obviously people need to read the room also.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If others in the group don't have the funds for that type of luxury travel and/or show no interest in discussing travel, then yes it is a rude to keep bringing it up. If the group is situated similarly financially and enjoys discussing travel then why not?

+100

Travel is a nice topic for the most part, but obviously people need to read the room also.

Except in this case it sounds like a group of people were talking about travel OP was the one who got upset

[Anonymous]

I like hearing about what people have been up to. Maybe you just dont like your family and friends very much?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When I hang with my extended family, it's more about people's jobs, college, kids' sports, tech, etc.

My brother and his wife are literal millionaires and I had Thanksgiving with them last night. Here's what was discussed: some place in Northern Spain I've literally never heard of before, one couple who has a house in Marin, Sausalito, Hawaii, and Paris. A guy who has been to Japan six times. People hanging out with celebrities (two people there from LA - one is a millionaire), wine, plastic surgery, surprise trips to England and Spain, and food. I was the only person there who has never left North America, and there were six children there.

Everyone present at our Thanksgiving dinner is a “literal millionaire” (this isn’t as rare as it once was) and the topic of travel never came up. Neither did any other topic openly or tangentially about money come up. My in-laws in their 70’s, 3 couples in their 40’s, and 4 teenagers. It was mostly NFL talk, fantasy football, conversation about the food, my in-laws boring retirement social life, and asking what the teens wanted for Christmas.

[Anonymous]

We go skiing in Colorado most breaks and I don’t see it as something to brag about. It just happens to be an activity that we all can enjoy together as a family.

[Anonymous]

Social media fueled mindless consumption.