Travel: The "Snake Oil" for Gen Z?

A short essay about travel and our generation. By: Andrei B (co-founder, HangOverSeas)

Introduction

There are three fundamental problems plaguing 18-30 year olds in the “first world” today.

1. We’re bored. No matter how fun Saturday night may be, we’re sick of the same neighbourhood; sick of the same five bars; and we’re definitely sick of our classrooms or cubicles (those of us lucky enough to have one). We anguish for Friday to come and hoard our ten vacation days like an addict with his last fix. It’s not to say we don’t love it here; home is home, but monotony and routine have us craving something different. For a generation that values happiness more than most, boredom is torture. 2. Life’s too cushy. Of course, we each have our challenges, and there's plenty of life's suffering to go around. But despite all that, most people still have: wifi and 4G everywhere, climate-controlled everything, HD you-name-it, hands-free you-got-it... it’s all too.. comfortable. Even if we don't consciously notice. Sure, work is a pain, family stresses us out and our bank account is barren, but still, we never really go past 1000 RPM. It's probably why more and more of us are addicted to the gym. It’s the only chance to hit maximum, and question whether you’ll survive to see ten-seconds from now. It’s the only genuine, ancestral, struggle-and-earn-it activity we know. Albeit, in a climate-controlled gym with all shiny everything and wifi even stronger than at home. So what’s the catch? Well, the high’s aren’t as high anymore. We’re spoiled, our discipline is mediocre at best, our attention span is…...and we’re so used to our predictable surroundings that nothing excites or scares us; let alone challenges us. How can we trust ourselves to persevere when the time comes? I’m by no means an expert, but I imagine this phenomenon, this lack of colour, is not far removed from the meteoric rise in anxiety and depression.

3. We have no f**** idea what we want. To our credit, we’re the first generation to say sayonara to the traditional, “university-job-marriage-children-retire” playbook (at least en masse), and good riddance. We've opened up avenues for entrepreneurship, exploration and unconventional life-paths. The problem is, we’ve also left ourselves with infinite roads and no idea which to follow. There’s no better parallel than our daily struggle to pick something on Netflix. Where there’s too much choice, there’s paralysis. At least on Netflix, we know what we like. We can check the ratings and look for our favorite actors. In life, we don’t even have that. Sure, some people are die-hard jazz enthusiasts or butterfly collectors, but most of us aren’t lucky enough to have a passion for something specific. Or at least to know what that passion is. So for now, we sit idle, void of direction, hoping things will suddenly start making sense.

These problems, albeit “first-world”, are no doubt stunting the potential of an entire generation.

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***In Walks a Snake Oil Salesman***

“Gather ‘round good people, I have the cure for all of your ailments! For the best price you’ll find, I can stimulate your mind, challenge your restless soul and help you find your way. I can teach you discipline in your pursuits, patience and grit in hard times, and empathy in your interactions. I can melt your insecurities and biases alike, while sparking your passion and creativity. In fact, with my magical product, you can have all of this, while also being thoroughly entertained. Nay, while having the best time of your f****g life.

I know, it sounds too good to be true, but I assure you it is not. I present to you, Travel.”

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Snake Oil or Wonder-Cure?

Travel has obviously exploded, but when things are too good to be true, they often are. Can all of these claims possibly be true? Is Travel really the pound-for-pound most potent mix of education, growth, therapy and entertainment? Or is it just an escape; an excuse to skirt our responsibilities and avoid pursuing our potential?

Anyone who's spent any meaningful time traveling will tell you, it's certainly the former.

But how? Why?

Well, travel provides both a variance and magnitude of experiences that are simply unavailable at home. Incredible highs, matched only by equal lows, and coupled with scaffold-less freedom that brings us equal doses of pure opportunity and constant, daunting uncertainty. All brought about voluntarily by the very act of taking off, and experienced in real-time with strangers who hold no expectations for who we are, or should be. It's freedom and chaos at the same time, experienced by "you", rather than your persona, or ego. It might be the most complete human endeavour one can experience.

Forty-hour busses teach patience, lost passports breed adaptability, resilience and teach the consequences of carelessness. Being stuck between "make new friends" or "spend my time alone in an unknown place" is possibly the only circumstance that pushes one to fully open up and embrace vulnerability. Overcoming challenges, while deprived of the friends and facilities of home, creates lasting belief and self-trust. Not to mention, the myriad of new perspectives we gain from interacting with a global peer-group along the way.

Travel is the literal version of the metaphorical "journey" you always hear about, and thus is perhaps the most direct path to better understanding oneself - and to growth.

The fact that it also happens to be unbelievably fun.. is just a very fortunate coincidence. Or is it?

The Nuance

Why exactly is travel so enjoyable? What makes it impactful?

On one hand, a summer trip to Cancun (loaded with the usual suspects: drinking, dancing, sex, and beautiful beaches) is a sugar-high of dopamine. It leaves your hedonic basket overflowing and even offers some memories that will last a lifetime. Yea, no doubt it's fun!

Suggesting that this trip is "helpful" on the other hand, in terms of travel's other benefits, would be a stretch. It's fun because it's fun, not because it's fulfilling any deeper purpose. And that's absolutely fine. As travellers, we just have to be careful not to trick ourselves into thinking these trips are vegetables when they're really a dessert. Eating too much of these without much else will only make them less sweet, while leaving us equally void of the metaphorical nutrients we need and crave. Many-a-traveller has referred to the "hedonic treadmill", where fun trip and beautiful view after fun trip and beautiful view ultimately loses it's flavour.

On the other hand, we can look at a more complete trip. One that includes a mix of: solitude (solo travel), a need to make friends from scratch, voluntary exposure to struggle (and/or fear), hefty doses of uncertainty, opportunities to learn (a skill or a local culture), and f**k yeah, some good old fashioned fun, too.

This trip will be just as fun - not despite the "low's" but because of them - and that boost will last much longer than the few-week "sugar-high" of option one.

And by the way, this isn't some corny inspirational sentiment. A hedonistic vacation is great sometimes. In fact, if you take travel too seriously you're also missing part of the point. After all, the further you are from home the further you are from your self-expectations. This new, "naked" version of you might do some silly things as it figures it out, and that's cool. Awesome even. It's part of the liberty of being away. Plus, hangovers are better overseas.

In the end, it's the mix of the two elements that makes for the best travel experiences.

With 'complete' travel, we satisfy the deep-rooted needs we're so sorely lacking in the modern world, while also satisfying our 'wants'. We cross the frontier, we embrace the unknown, we subject ourselves to voluntary suffering and we treat ourselves with reinforcing rewards. We learn and we laugh. The pride, esteem and perspective we get from these experiences sticks with us and applies to all future endeavours. It's not fleeting; it becomes part of us, adding to our toolkit. By definition; it's growth. Perhaps that's exactly why real travel is so enjoyable. It's the joy of today's "highs", combined with the knowledge that today's "lows" are actively contributing to our future self. It's paying the price and reaping a reward at the same time. This idea is echoed in a classic backpacker's moniker:

"A good day is a good day. A bad day is a good lesson, or at least a good story."

Verdict & Takeaway

So, is travel snake-oil or a wonder-drug? If the definition of snake-oil is "something that is said to aid in many areas and alleviate many ailments" than yea, for sure. If the definition adds that those claims are "fake or exaggerated", then absolutely not. When done right, travel aligns perfectly with both one's short term and long term wellbeing. It offers both growth and happiness. It's a wonder-drug, and (to repeat) pound-for-pound the most potent mix of education, growth, therapy and entertainment.

The key there, though, is "when done right".

When looking at a trip, the goal should be to make our travel TUF. Not just "tough", although some element of that will certainly help, as discussed, but TUF - Trips of Ultimate Fulfilment. Whatever that means for you. If we aim for variety, uncertainty and challenge while also treating ourselves to pleasure-seeking fun, we maximize the benefits of travel, accelerate our growth, and reinforce it as a habit worth repeating.

A little balance goes a long way, and what traveller doesn't want to go further?

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“If you’re hungry to learn and be better, I urge you to travel – as far and as widely as possible.”

~ Anthony Bourdain