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

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As a family, we’ve always traveled. It’s our thing. I’d rather spend money on trips than tons of gifts at birthdays/holidays on crap that’ll end up being donated/broken/discarded. DC has been traveling internationally since Kindergarten and has always loved it which is great.

Post-pandemic I think people want to travel even if they didn’t before. Now that the world has experienced what it’s like to be locked down in your house nevermind your country, people want to get out there now. Plus as your kids get older people tend to travel to do things together as a family before kids go away to college.

With all that being said, DC has been in private school from the start and due to the wealth you’re surrounded by that comes with attending private, yeah post every school break the topic of where everyone traveled/summered was discussed and could feel like a pissing match.

It's only a pissing match if you're insecure.

[Anonymous]

People value different things. You do you. And step out of your bubble.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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.

It's the same status-signaling babble over and over. You fly somewhere, you eat and booze, repeat. Everyone tripping over themselves to brag about the recent and next trips, how they are so worldly they know all of these authentic hidden gems, everyone chimes in with one-upmanship feigning as sharp insights. It devolves into a cordial but nauseating and cliche-filled pissing context.

I very much agree with this sentiment. I do think it depends upon the tone of the conversation though. The thing is, if you are leaving the conversation with an “ick” factor, then it’s probably a status driven one. I just think most humans are lost, don’t tether themselves to any greater good or God, so wealth becomes their golden calf. It’s the center of their existence and having people impressed or jealous about their over the top vacations validates their identity and the way they try to derive meaning out of the way they live their life. All the while, ignoring that internal gaping hole of emptiness they feel in their hearts that they don’t talk about at cocktail parties.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a family, we’ve always traveled. It’s our thing. I’d rather spend money on trips than tons of gifts at birthdays/holidays on crap that’ll end up being donated/broken/discarded. DC has been traveling internationally since Kindergarten and has always loved it which is great.

Post-pandemic I think people want to travel even if they didn’t before. Now that the world has experienced what it’s like to be locked down in your house nevermind your country, people want to get out there now. Plus as your kids get older people tend to travel to do things together as a family before kids go away to college.

With all that being said, DC has been in private school from the start and due to the wealth you’re surrounded by that comes with attending private, yeah post every school break the topic of where everyone traveled/summered was discussed and could feel like a pissing match.

It's only a pissing match if you're insecure.

Disagree. Even if you aren’t insecure, some people know how to discuss it tactfully and without sounding like a douche, and some people don’t.

[Anonymous]

I am not American and have lived in multiple countries. I’ve also traveled on vacation to others. I am happy to hear about whatever people want to talk about. As PP said, there is an art to conversation and if the story told has an interesting point, it doesn’t really matter what the subject is. But in my experience people have an easier time making a point with international cultural experiences than by saying something interesting about staying at home, doing daily tasks.

[Anonymous]

I love my trips with my immediate family, but I don’t like talking about them with other people nor hearing about other people’s trips. You kinda had to be there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Everybody went to Japan in the last 12 months.

That’s because Japan was one of the last countries to open up post pandemic (and I knew a few different families who were planned to go when COVID hit).

I love Japan, been 6 times (mostly for work but 2 of those were vacation with DC). Unlike Europe/UK it actually feels like you’re traveling to a foreign country. So many places feel overly Americanized, it’s a bummer.

No. It’s because a trip to Japan was so dirt cheap with the currency exchange rate.

[Anonymous]

It’s because nobody is actually working. Everyone has fake work from home jobs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a family, we’ve always traveled. It’s our thing. I’d rather spend money on trips than tons of gifts at birthdays/holidays on crap that’ll end up being donated/broken/discarded. DC has been traveling internationally since Kindergarten and has always loved it which is great.

Post-pandemic I think people want to travel even if they didn’t before. Now that the world has experienced what it’s like to be locked down in your house nevermind your country, people want to get out there now. Plus as your kids get older people tend to travel to do things together as a family before kids go away to college.

With all that being said, DC has been in private school from the start and due to the wealth you’re surrounded by that comes with attending private, yeah post every school break the topic of where everyone traveled/summered was discussed and could feel like a pissing match.

It's only a pissing match if you're insecure.

Yeah, the phrase "pissing match" really gives away OP's jealousy and insecurity. It doesn't really apply in a reasonable way to people talking about their travel.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a family, we’ve always traveled. It’s our thing. I’d rather spend money on trips than tons of gifts at birthdays/holidays on crap that’ll end up being donated/broken/discarded. DC has been traveling internationally since Kindergarten and has always loved it which is great.

Post-pandemic I think people want to travel even if they didn’t before. Now that the world has experienced what it’s like to be locked down in your house nevermind your country, people want to get out there now. Plus as your kids get older people tend to travel to do things together as a family before kids go away to college.

With all that being said, DC has been in private school from the start and due to the wealth you’re surrounded by that comes with attending private, yeah post every school break the topic of where everyone traveled/summered was discussed and could feel like a pissing match.

It's only a pissing match if you're insecure.

Disagree. Even if you aren’t insecure, some people know how to discuss it tactfully and without sounding like a douche, and some people don’t.

This is a misogynistic term that isn't even on point at all and is crude enough to undermine your point even if it were. Do better.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"Keeping up with the Joneses" used to mean a new Lexus SUV and a country club membership, now it means seeing the Joneses on instagram hiking in Peru, using Epic Passes to ski all season in Vail, and sun bathing in Mykonos.

I mean ... it is the 21st century. People prefer to spend money on experiences over things. Not sure why you are so vexed by this. I would enjoy Mykonos. I have zero interest in driving a Lexus and I don't play golf. So.

It’s literally a scam. People are being duped into flushing large sums of money down the drain.

A scam? You sure? I can see people thinking they are big upping themsleves by talking about visitigseemingly obscure places, but wanting to see the sun rise over the Serengeti or hear the souds of a temperate rain forest in Costa Rice is hardly a scam. It's a delicious taste of pristine nature not remotely conceivable or possible for 99% of the poulation until the recent past.

And remember- what is commonplace for you is someone else's obscure.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s because nobody is actually working. Everyone has fake work from home jobs.

Grandpa?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a family, we’ve always traveled. It’s our thing. I’d rather spend money on trips than tons of gifts at birthdays/holidays on crap that’ll end up being donated/broken/discarded. DC has been traveling internationally since Kindergarten and has always loved it which is great.

Post-pandemic I think people want to travel even if they didn’t before. Now that the world has experienced what it’s like to be locked down in your house nevermind your country, people want to get out there now. Plus as your kids get older people tend to travel to do things together as a family before kids go away to college.

With all that being said, DC has been in private school from the start and due to the wealth you’re surrounded by that comes with attending private, yeah post every school break the topic of where everyone traveled/summered was discussed and could feel like a pissing match.

It's only a pissing match if you're insecure.

Disagree. Even if you aren’t insecure, some people know how to discuss it tactfully and without sounding like a douche, and some people don’t.

This is a misogynistic term that isn't even on point at all and is crude enough to undermine your point even if it were. Do better.

Douche has entered the chat

[Anonymous]

I think it's a personality thing too. We make a good living and enjoy travel, but we don't feel the need to brag. I remember years ago being in an expensive Mommy and Me group and they had travel pissing contests every holiday. They also had the mommy olympics when it came to enrichment for their tots, milestones, etc. It was funny when they got into "pissing" contests on who's kid was peeing and pooping in the toilet and the queen b mom didn't believe that the tot she thought was a dud was ahead of her prince. None of that competitive behavior is for me beyond having a good laugh.

That all said, I am happy to hear about a loved one's vacation. It's family or acquaintances that adopt that uppity tone of voice and get the competitive look in their eyes that I avoid.

[Anonymous]

My favorite thing to do is act ignorant about the location that the bragging person wants me to be impressed by. “Galapagos? Where is that?” and then adopt the bored blank stare as they try to brag while I don’t take the bait. “Oh that’s nice” in a flat tone.