Why I'm not into traveling

It's not that I **dis**-like travelling, per se -- it's just that I don't gain as much inherent enjoyment from it as other people do.

To illustrate: Let's say I have the opportunity to visit [name of exotic country] for a week. For free. And this opportunity coincides with my vacation time. And, yes, there are thousands of potentially interesting and engaging places in this world I have yet to see.


But, I also know that I have a finite number of hours remaining on this planet, with which to do things.


Thus, given the finite number of hours at my disposal, I could spend those hours to:

-Make something useful out of wood

-Spend time with my wife and child

-Read a book I've been meaning to read (I have a looong llist)

-Rent and watch a movie on DVD (another looong list)

-Attend a martial arts class

-Putter around in the yard

-Get better at playing a musicial instrument

-Spend time with friends

-Write and/or record another song

-Shoot and/or edit some video footage, for a film short of music video

-Tidy/re-arrange the home office, garage, workshop, shed

...and so forth.


In other words, for my tastes and sensibilities, traveling is a less efficient use of my time than staying at home (or within a few kilometers of home) to do things that have a higher ''enjoyment-to-tiime-spent'' payoff ratio.

The exception is when I fly back to Seattle, to visit friends and family. But I don't count that as ''traveling'' as a tourist/visitor: this is pragmatic, goal-oriented, ''getting somewhere to hang out with people I like'' transportation.


But then, that's me. If your values are different (e.g. you value going to somewhere new and different more than reading a book or practicing the trumpet), then yeah, go travel. :)


(Footnote: The Lady, however, **does** enjoy traveling. So sometimes we go on trips, because I like being with The Lady, and I like making The Lady happy. But in general, I'm a hobbit: I stay at home in my warren.)


--GG