The words Vacation and travel are often used interchangeably, but vacations are not the kind of travel being referred to in the article above (or on this blog). They can certainly be part of a longer travel experience that does, but taken by themselves, vacations do not make you an awesome person. Happier? Maybe. Tan? I hope so. Well-rested? For sure. But awesome? I don't think so.
While the article does a bad job of differentiating, one easily-overlooked sentence hits the nail on the head: "Unless you sit at a resort drowning your brain in frozen drinks, travel will teach you about the world." That's a big unless. Sadly, plenty of people out there who consider themselves "well-traveled" have experienced little during their time abroad other than an upscale version of their own culture, transplanted into a prettier location.
The thing is, you don't get more adventurous, smarter, less materialistic, or any number of other "awesome" qualities listed in that article by spending a week or two living the high life in some exotic location, surrounded by other Americans. There's nothing necessarily wrong with going away and doing nothing but "tourist stuff," but just because you went up the Eiffel Tower doesn't mean you learned jack about French culture. Know what I mean?
Now, my goal here is not to rip on vacation. My family and I have enjoyed plenty of wonderful vacations that have provided rest from the hustle and bustle of everyday life and given us the opportunity to make some great memories together. I'm also not trying to say you can't be awesome if you don't travel the way I say you should. You can still be awesome; it just won't be due to travel.
I am saying you need more than vacation to really learn about the world. And lest you think this whole post was just a little too serious, I'm going to use Disney/Pixar to help make my point. Not sure whether trips you've taken have made you awesome or not? Here are a few ways you can know you have actually traveled (and not just vacationed):
1. You had to pinch pennies before, during, and after your trip.
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2. Your standard of living was lower while away than it is at home.
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3. Forget "getting out of your comfort zone," you were (at times) downright uncomfortable.
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4. You actually got to know some locals (who weren't wait staff).
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5. You cleaned (or didn't clean) your own living space.
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6. Consistent internet access wasn't a thing.
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7. You went to extreme lengths to communicate on multiple occasions.
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8. Being lost – really lost – was a legitimate possibility, if not a reality.
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9. You packed something other than bathing suits and "resort wear."
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10. Once it was over, you needed a vacation.
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