I hope you enjoyed these stories and reflections from years of adventuring which are now in the distant past. Wishing you a happy journey today, wherever you may be.

Watched a show the other day and a quote from a guy rang so true after full time travel for a few years. "Happiness has little to do with geography." If you are not happy living in your own mind before travel, it will not go away, but get worse because you need to rely on yourself more than anywhere else.

"Influencers" are the modern version of advertisements. The sooner you realize that, the happier you'll be. Be happy where you're from, make it a better place instead of running away from your fears and problems.

I started travelling just to realize that I already have everything what I was searching.

If I add it all up I've spent a little over two years living in my various vehicles. I was younger then. I'm older now. Now I'm sitting in a well lit room, next to a cozy woodstove, watching someone on KZfaq suffer instead of me. This is the best time to be alive.

I'm old now, so every day I wake up is a blessing. Cherish every day.

The whole travel industry is selling a dream, an experience a promise of fulfilment. But wherever you go whatever you experience, or goal you attain. If you don't get right spiritually mentally and emotionally you will be left empty. Because as the saying goes "wherever you go....there you are" I had to take the journey within. I have traveled the world 🌍 for 45 years as a seaman. When the inside is right, the outside reflects it. Places are just things, and people are basically the same, needing food clothing shelter and love. And for the first three and arguably the last. you have to get the money right. Happiness is an inside job. And you have to really love yourself. What travel did for me, is that it has given me these realizations. (Lessons) And given me so many experiences and story's to tell. I don't regret it.

I used to think in terms of “working - then going on vacation.” Then one day I realized that my life is the vacation. Make every moment count whether away or at home. 😊

This is why most of us travel with a friend or a spouse. And frankly, a lot of travel is expensive and not worth it.

Something to consider. Back yard traveling. Become a gardener. Much cheaper than the well beaten tourist trail.

It reminds me of the “single serving friend” quote from Fight Club. Some people come into our lives and serve a purpose for that moment or time being. It can be sad when it comes time to go your separate ways, but having an impact and creating a memory with a random person is a pretty special thing that doesn’t happen very often.

If i could go back in time I would implore my young self to NOT travel.. breaking all relationships and real local connections for fleeting moments in a ocean of loneliness. While others moved on and had families building a life foundation I lost 10yrs of life, no different to being an addict. It didn't make me a more interesting person, no one really cares where you've been. I will never forget one young fellow female traveler correctly stating "Its selfishness disguised as personal freedom".

A friend of mine who's father was old and soon to pass, spent a Summer together driving to visit and photograph each and every town in their state. They had a blast and the photos and memories he shared with his friends were phenomenal. Every town has a story behind it, something strange and something beautiful. Adventure is everywhere if you're willing to stop and take a hard look. The most important ones are the ones we share, face to face and heart to heart.

“Happiness only real when shared.” - Christopher McCandless

Establishing community is so underrated. And the older you get, The harder it becomes to do so. I've chosen community and third spaces over money and traveling. Sure sometimes I feel like I'm in a bubble, but it's cozy and healthy. (Although very privileged to have in-laws in a beautiful area of the country) Friends are so important. And sometimes they take a while to really connect. To be in a space where friendships can be nurtured over time is priceless. Traveling is enriching and great for the soul, but to live that lifestyle without a solid home base would freak me out.

an old roommate gave me the best bit of advice. "wherever you go, there you are" - thing is, I'm lonely when surrounded by people or not, I wish I were more outgoing. my husband is best friends with everyone he meets, or at least tries to be. He's the golden retriever, I'm the cat. so I couldn't make friends as well if I traveled the world.

I decided to sell my home and possessions and prepare myself to live in a tiny home after I traveled throughout 2023 and loved it. I had a lot going on, and traveling and meeting new people and places really helped me move on from things while simultaneously stimulating my mind with new experiences both good and bad that would make for interesting stories. I've worked throughout my entire 20 years and just done with it. I have no kids, no gf, no debt aside from the mortgage and just gonna enjoy life. I realized life is more than just money, and I don't want to be defined by what I own, but what I know. I know it's not going to be a glamourous lifestyle, but living in my truck as I traveled was pretty nice (My tiny home will be a 6x12 cargo trailer conversion, so much more comfy!)

I travel & camp to get away from people, not to join them. I never feel more lonely than when I’m surrounded by people. I prefer the solitude. It’s a break from “regular” life for me. Most people fly to destination areas for their vacations; I pack up my camping equipment & my dog & off we go to find remote places to camp so we can recharge in nature. I could never travel full time & not have a home base to land. As much as I love traveling & camping, I love coming home as well. I’m already “lost” enough, I’m not looking to add to it by having no home base, by having to search day & night for places I’m welcome to stay. That’s just me though.

Some of us suffer terribly with nostalgia. I’m glad to experience the emotion, but it honestly blows my mind and is detrimental on the daily.

It beats a 9-5 day after day locked up in a box.

Hey David, what you're proving (and showing bravely) is that peace and happiness are always only ever found within our own minds. I've travelled, I've settled, I've had money and I've lived Essentialism and in all that, the most content, the happiest I've even been have been those moments of inner peace, a oneness with the whole universe which just makes you smile inside and out

What l learnt. It's all normal. One life is no better than the other. It is all inside of you. ❤

The niggling feeling I had travelling in the 90s was that I was always chasing the horizon. After a while I concluded that it wasn't that I was seeking something, but that I was actively moving on from where I was at that moment. This somewhat profound realisation made me go home. Home to where my roots are, where 'my people' are, to find contentment in what I had available on my doorstep. Its only now, almost 30 years on and with the kids grown up, that I've got the itch again. The deep urge to sell off all this material I've accumulated, sling some stuff in a backpack, go up airport, and just get a ticket to anywhere. Would I be chasing the horizon this time, or running from where I'm at? Would it be the same now I'm financially secure and able to live on the Amex and not my wits? Maybe it is that at 48 years old I'm suddenly quite aware of my own horizon coming up surprisingly fast. Maybe its a dim sense that society has failed, broken the planet, we're drifting toward WW3, and that anywhere is better than here. Or maybe, just maybe, I look at film of a sun torched Irishman, then out the window at the steel grey English sky, and I think to myself 'a stint in Portgual would be quite agreeable right now'. 😂

I'm planning on hiking across a few countries south of Europe in a few days. My feelings are mixed between guilt of going away from work, balance, loved ones, responsabilities, away spending hard earned money, not actually building something, with the feeling of excitement and the constant need to explore. I feel stuck, yet I'm travelling often. I work between two countries, but cannot find a final place to rest. I don't have a home, but have many place I can live at. Somehow your video touched something in me. I long for a home, internally and externally, a place of mine I can trust and rest. But I must travel.

I see travelling as how I see treats, they're perfect to enjoy from time to time and in small amounts. If you eat your treats all the time and in unlimited amounts, it will lose its "treat" factor and just be another mundane thing, which will cause you to find a higher treat to please yourself with. Same with travelling, it's fun to do from time to time, but doing it as if you're expecting and mandating it to happen will just lead to unhappiness. In my opinion, getting your basics and your mundane life in order first will make you happier and make you feel the need to escape reality and travel more, and make travels more enjoyable as you're pursuing them for joy, not to drown out something.

I was lucky to invest a period of my life as digital nomad, but equally was faced with the bitter sweet nature of the travel life. Having a lifetime of depression cycles, for me at least, travel played equal parts in exposing me to my worst moments, but also my best. I remember one specific moment, where I'd planned a stay in Kuala Lumpur, and found myself in a flat in the south of the city, working long days, not really going outside, and struggling to meet my basic needs of eating and socialising. Anyway, after 2-3 weeks I'd found myself in a pretty dark place, facing some problems cascading over from my previous life, and feeling very alone in a suddenly very big and remote place. 2 days before I was due to move to my next travel destination, I mustered up enough energy and went to the centre, met a group of really nice people, made new bonds, had my faith in myself restored, and went on to enjoy whatever the next period of my travel had to offer. Travel is a harsh life teacher, but regardless of how hard it was, I'd recommend it to anyone who has the opportunity.

I rather be traveling and be lonely, while dealing with the heartbreak of meeting people for a short period of time and parting ways. At least you have those few moments of joy within your life. It's much better than being stationary and lonely without those short encounters and moments of joy. I think that's the driver for why some people travel, or wish to do so. It's a lifestyle that picks you. If you're somebody who is surrounded by a healthy social life then you'll probably not be psychologically prepared to travel. It's definitely a lonely road. There's a reason why pop culture has so many songs and movies based on the lone wanderer archetype. People coming in and out of my life within short periods of time, while being stationary, is the only reality I have ever known. That's why traveling brings me so much joy. At least I'm not stationary. Beyond that nothing is different. If anything, I have more of those short term experiences with others than when I'm stationary. But you're right about those feelings you felt for 20 years happening within a two week period of time while traveling. I just prefer to look at it in a more positive light. If you didn't travel you would have never had those moments with the ones you met. For people who can have a balance between the both, stationary and traveling, then they're truly blessed. And yes, if you can't travel you can always find ways of getting out of one's comfort zone and explore. Here is something that will blow some people's minds, a lot of people live and die within a fifty mile radius of where they were born. Some are okay with that notion, while others aren't. Look into your lineage/family tree and go back ten generations. Look at where they came from. You may be surprised that we weren't always as stationary as we are today. Your ancestors moving around are the ones who made your families lives better. I believe that it's within our nature to be moving around. As for myself, I never want to live out the rest of my life, and die, in the place I was born. Some people literally need to leave the nest they were born in, that fifty mile radius, in order to find meaning and their place in this world. If anyone reads this, and you feel that this is you, your instincts are 100% correct. That's your genetic memory talking to you. 🙂

Wow that conclusion was great. Btw once I was talking to my friend and mentioned that I was going to vacation soon. Her first question was - where are you traveling? And I did not want to go anywhere, for me vacation was never equal traveling. I was just excited about being able to spend more time on my "normal" life than when I work. And for my friend that seemed boring. At first I really started thinking something was wrong with me. But later I realized just the opposite. My "normal" life is filled with amazing things everyday and I am happy when I can have more of it, for example during my vacation. Don't get me wrong, traveling is cool and I have nothing against it, but I want to travel when I want to and not only because it is vacation time on my schedule. I am grateful for living a life that I don't want to escape from. Thanks for your videos!

“Are you amazed to find that even with such extensive travel, to so many varied locales, you have not managed to shake off gloom and heaviness from your mind? As if that were a new experience! You must change the mind, not the venue.” (XXVIII.1) from Seneca to Lucilius letters

I remember going to a festival in Miami and spending three days with awesome people. I told my friend “wow… I won’t see them again” and I was depressed. I don’t run away to traveling as often anymore

The worst thing I find about travelling is coming home. I will always remember sitting in Shin-Hakkodate station up in Hokkaido Japan, three cancelled shinkansen (Bullet trains) back down South. I still felt lucky to be alive and in such a beautiful place and spent the three hour delay walking around the local town and visiting an Udon shop. 😄

Great Video. I realized that I originally started travelling to escape from real life, from my thoughts, from me and myself. The negative and destructive thoughts and emotions were travelling with me. Regardless how nice the place seems to be on the outside. Now we are travelling to find a good homebase that will support my life and the life of my family in the best way. Without mixing These things together, now i can work on myself to get rid of my negative thoughts and Mindset and at the Same time I can find a nice environment

This is such a fantastic video. Thank you for sharing all the "raw" of traveling. I feel this way despite my means of travel is much different than yours. I have met some fantastic folks along the way.....for a day or two.....and then you lose them. I had never identified my sadness until watching this video. I totally agree with you. I just happened to be on a weekend adventure recently, and met this wonderful lady in an antique store. She was so kind, 78 years young. I loved meeting her and she has been in my mind like for the past 2 weeks. I guess I have always cherished these moments, these people, and have never acknowledged the loss (despite the fact it was there). Lovely video.

Same goes for every happy ever after situation. Education, money, marriage, kids, etc.. Trying to be content and grateful for what you have now is hard work, but worth it.

I traveled pathologically for three years to try to forget my husband’s death. It didn’t work and now I am grieving him all over again four years after his death. “Wherever you go, there you are.” Now, I am in one place and trying to work through my grief without the distraction of constant travel. It wasn’t worth it for me. The challenge is to be happy with where we are first and foremost. That’s the hard part.

I think you can be proud of yourself because it looks like you are well connected to your emotions. And thats a big treasure!

travelling by bike or on foot ("non-touristic") is a hardcore confrontation with yourself. its not fun. but i am a sucker for pain. so my months of travel have given me growth and memories for the rest of my life. for me it was all worth it. travel as long as you are young

I was obliged by circumstances to "travel" when I was a young teen-ager. I'm nearly sixty now and I treasure my stable, boring house living life. I really don't take it for granted.

Travelling is over rated, we can enjoy so of the most incredible places just an hour or 2 drive away from our homes. Back within few days to the comfort of our bed and pets. I ve done my fair parts of the places i wanted to go, alone or with people and took amazing pictures and videos, tasted the food etc.. . Today the thought of going places, hotel, bnb, and be in middle of crowds or hours to wait doesn t inspire me. People are in liberty mode when holidaying and i can t afford to witness human behaviour( stress, alcohol, drugs, fighting, spending, arguing..) I prefer jumping on my bicycle and get lost within 50 kms of my own place, rain, wind or not. My pets always welcome me is like the best feeling in the world, even if that was for fews hours or few days.

You made a lot of really, really interesting comments here. For me, I like to find joy in the ordinary. I don't need to travel to find that. But I also love travelling whether it's abroad or where I live, in Ireland. I like to be in the moment. I don't see travelling as an escape, I'm just enjoy the holiday while I'm there and it's great .I know I'll be back at work in a few weeks time and I like that. The only time I had difficulty coming back from a holiday is when I came back to Australia and it was just jetlag for two to three days and coming back from a tropical climate to a cold climate was hard for those few days.

I'm 37, I have travelled a lot and honestly, I think I slowly grew tired of it. I got to a point when I started to prefer the beauty of the known rather than the excitement of the unknown. I already feel like I've been everywhere and seen everything (even though I've only visited maybe approx. 25 countries). Travelling is expensive (and I always travelled on a small budget) plus when I imagine all the trouble I would have to go through to be able to enjoy one nice beach or one nice view or one nice jungle or one whale or elephant or one nice lake or eat one nice meal or whatever.. it is just not worthy to me anymore. When travelling, you see some beautiful places, experience things which are nice and pleasant, but the pleasant part of travelling is maybe 10%, and the remaining 90% of the time you are suffering for whatever reason (you cannot find any food that you would enjoy, cannot find toilets when you need them, you rent a car with a tank that is almost empty, you get a flat tire or you cannot start the car one morning, you rent a scooter because it is the only way how to get where you want and then you have an accident because you've never driven one, beds or pillows are super uncomfortable, the weather can be pretty extreme, locals shouting and smoking in a bus right next to you, somebody robbing you, you have diarrhoea or other health problems, cocroaches, no electricity, mosquitoes, extreme humidity and sweating, no pavements, no forests, not possible to walk wherever, locals do not understand your problems and sometimes you feel like you landed on a different planet, you name it .....). You cannot just relax and enjoy your day in peace because you are not in control of anything. Not like when you are home. There is a constant overcoming of obstacles and constant stress, rushing, organising, moving, worrying, clutural shocks, expectations not met, dealing with all kinds of people, getting scammed, sometimes being scared of the locals or annoyed by them, constant problem solving, transport issues, food poisoning... it is so exhausting. My colleagues who have not travelled as much as I have complained to me some time ago that they hadn't been abroad for 2 years and I thought.. well, me neither but I just don't care about that anymore. Last 2 summers I spent 2 weeks with my parents chilling in their garden, reading a book, going on bike rides either alone or with them, going on walks in the forest or swimming in a lake and I felt so incredibly relaxed and rested and joyful. Best holidays ever. I have never been so rested after any of my travels. Simple things bring so much joy when you are in an enviroment that you know, with people you know, doing things you like and everything is predictable to some extent. It is so much more relaxing than jumping into the unknown where every day is full of the unpredictable and you need to be constantly alert and constantly lower your standards and suffer in conditions that you are not used to only to enjoy a nice beach here a nice mountain there, exotic fruit and food that will eventually give you diarrhoea 🤣 Also, I have to say that in the past couple of years I have gradually become more content with myself, with my life, and overall more happy. I have started to love myself and have gained some self confidence. So I do not feel the need to go to some exotic place to feel happy. I can just walk for 8min from my house to the nearest forest and hike for an hour and I am as happy as I can get 😄 travelling can definitely enrich your life a lot. Travel if you can, but don't chase happiness and fulfillment on your travels. You won't find it there if you don't already have it in you. There is no need to spend every holiday travelling the world. After having travelled to Asia and the US, I have realised that things which I considered normal and was used to were not normal everywhere else in the world. I could write about that for hours. But to finally end this essay: I appreciate what I have and where I live so much more after having experienced life in other countries. There are nice places, things and people everywhere, but I cannot be as relaxed anywhere else as I am when I am in my home country just doing things I love with people I love.

As a child, I flew all over the world... But to this day, I would rather DIE than set foot on a plane again.

Attachment and expectation are the root of all suffering. You can fill a life with letting go. Enjoy it, but let it go. Wonderful video man, thank you for sharing

travelled for 30 years, lived in 7 countries. Finally lost my enthusiasm for it during the covid hysteria. it was ugly and hysterical and vile, travellers being trapped abroad, thrown into hotel prisons when returning to the uk, walking round with a rag on ur face. I just cant find the enthusiasm to start again. So much of who we are is habit and maybe to some extent i just lost the habit of travelling during the covid period. There are so many beautiful places in the UK, happy to go to those places for holidays or day trips but not sure I will ever backpack across SE Asia again or interrail around Europe. As for David's video, it was good and insightful. I know well the empty feeling of homelessness when you dont know where u'll be staying that night and ur all alone. I'll never forget barclays cancelling my card when i was in thailand leaving me with not even enough money to phone them to uncancel my card. The kindness of a stranger helped me out then. I never really felt the sadness on parting from travel friends though. I was happy to spend time with them and happy to move on too. Also happy to come home after travelling. There is joy in home as well as the trail.

“Travelling is a fool's paradise. Our first journeys discover to us the indifference of places. At home I dream that at Naples, at Rome, I can be intoxicated with beauty, and lose my sadness. I pack my trunk, embrace my friends, embark on the sea, and at last wake up in Naples, and there beside me is the stern fact, the sad self, unrelenting, identical, that I fled from. I seek the Vatican, and the palaces. I affect to be intoxicated with sights and suggestions, but I am not intoxicated. My giant goes with me wherever I go.” Ralph Waldo Emerson, Self Reliance

KZfaq recommended your video, and I loved it and subscribed. This is so relatable. I have travelled a lot, and what you said about having to say goodby to your fellow travellers indeed really hurts. Amazing how destiny gives you compagnions on your road though. I did keep in touch with 3 fellow-travellers, for 25 years now. When I look back at my journey's, I am so glad that I found that we are, indeed, all connected. Have a wonderful day!

I love your videos and hearing your thoughts. Glad people who think long and hard are still here, on this earth with me.

I use to hitchhike after graduation in my 22yo. In few months I covered about 25000 km. No internet, no google maps, no cell phone, almost no English. Just me my bag pack and paper map. It was extremely hard and I had same feelings but it was awesome unforgivable experience. Today Im 43, partnered and we are traveling only on the planes and staying in comfortable hotels or guest houses. Getting older you need much more comfortable and predictable travel experience.

I found the loneliness quite liberating at times, especially when I was in places where there were no other travellers. But yes loneliness definitely something to consider, you are leaving your entire support network and it test you in ways that you won’t expect.

It was for me always great to leave people, i mean cause in these short friendship everybody is most of the time nice and cheerful, we dont have the time to meet the deep bad person we can be, or we do not like. And even relationship always refer to us as a good person. Maybe we are, maybe we are not. We all pretend to be cooler than we are, thats generally human nature I guess, but we cant hold it forever. And after a life of travel, just a few people stay friends, wherever they are... And Im still on a different path, keep moving and making friends at my age when most of people are settled, have friends, family... Is damn complicated.

I moved to the Big Island with this mindset. Stayed for a year. I learned a great lesson. It’s not where you are, but who you’re with. I was lonely most of the time and missing home.

embracing both and it’s a mindset 🙏 .. I came home in 2020 and have really struggled adjusting back for the longest time. So much of what you shared here applies, in finding this balance and what we need to do to be able to design our lives realistically and financially - finding joy and appreciation in the little things. Thanks for sharing your journey w/ us. I had many of these feeling back in 2019 or so.. it’s crazy how life continues as it does and I wish I documented more, atleast of my feelings. Sometimes I’ve just been too in the moment (not in a bad way) that I haven’t given time to step back and record on my reflections. Great work on this video btw! :)

It's not traveling when you're just using it as an excuse to run away from your problems and real life.

I think a lot of people who are avid travelers feel that people that don't travel are really missing out on something. But speaking for those of us who feel no desire to travel. Perhaps we are just more content than you are And find familiar places and people to be much more appealing than the unknown.

A mad illusion That there is a place to go A place to find Peace of mind There is nothing A heavy heart And a heavy mind Are my chains to drag Along my way I wish that They were nothing Left my life Left my home To try and find Something new But what I find There is nothing Glaring eyes And crooked frowns Is it you? Or is it me? There is something The heavy tides Drag me out to sea The shifting sands There is nowhere to stand The rainbows end Disappears as I approach The glaring sun That burns my skin Flies invade If I let my windows open And bite my arms As they mock me My hourglass Is running low Thought I would find But there is Nothing

Your video has had a profound effect on my philosophy as a would-be traveler. Often in my life, I have found myself wishing to be elsewhere,....feeling that I have been left behind while others are joyfully paragliding over foreign landscapes, living in the moment, and that I am stuck in an entirely predictable and boring life. It never once occurred to me that my romantic version of travel might be only part of the travel experience.....and that travel might not be the endlessly glorious experience I had thought that it is. That thought is a comfort to me!! Further, the idea that I am missing opportunities for adventure in my own small space gives me hope. Lacking the money to travel will not mean I can't find purpose and fun right here right now. Thank you, Mr. Boland.

The only point to anything is to keep going and don’t give up. Keep things as simple as possible and you’ll not go far wrong 🦄🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿😸👍

Travel is intensified living

No matter how far you travel,if you’re empty on the inside ,travel won’t change that. And to think that what you saw on instagram or facebook is reality,that is super naive ,and yet a lot of young folk think like this,even after “ opening up their minds” with travel ,which tells me that something bigger is at work

No matter what you do, if you do it to escape it wil come back at you. I really like the last part, how to integrate a spontaneous and adventures mindset while living in one place. I`m a big fan of micro travels, get out for a few days.

Thank you for sharing your experiences and feelings. We don't all feel this way though. The 'deaths' you speak of can also be seen as opportunities that we pass through. My mind perceives them as chapters ending, with the excitement of a new one beginning. Most times, the new chapter has been better than the last. It is possible to see the gain rather than loss, at least that's my experience.

travelled for years and your the first truly honest depiction of how i felt many times.

Excellent video with lots of great insight! I’ve lived my whole life moving to a state, finding work, and exploring everything there is to see in that part of the country. I’ve lived in the NE, SW, NW, SE, and Midwest, moving 29 times. I understand exactly what you mean about the loss! I grieve the area and the memories every time I uproot and move on. I’ve spent six months in one spot, and the longest was 10 years. Contentment is found wherever you are. Couldn’t agree more!

the most powerful thing about travelling for me are two things, when solo travelling it's very powerful and transformative being on your own knowing you can interact with new people in hostels and make friends and meet new people from all different cultures and walks of life, it cemented the belief that in general, most people are really good and kind and friendly people, regardless of race or nationality. travelling solo gave me a lot of inner confidence and has lasted and stayed with me now even 10 years later. I have friends and connections all of the world as holiday options now I can consider the city my friend's are living in and from. I travelled solo in total in 2 trips for 2 years and 10 months. there were challenges also, it also taught me that happiness is not 'out there' in some dream destination by a beach, that also does not mean I cannot enjoy that, but there is no perfect happiness waiting for us somewhere externally in a destination, yet at the same time different places and people definitely have different vibes and it's definitely possible to live in a place that will make you happier, the place wold depend on you as a person, likewise some places would make you more unhappy than where you live now. and ultimately you can live in your home town and be happy.

Your perspective is fascinating, and I truly resonate with your sentiments. When I reminisce about my travels in my 20s, I realize that my happiest memories often stemmed from spontaneous adventures and overcoming challenges, much like what you beautifully depicted in your video. Moreover, through those experiences, I’ve gained a deeper understanding of myself and what truly brings me joy. Traveling isn’t a one-size-fits-all experience, as I discovered during my recent two-month journey. There were moments when the constant movement became overwhelming, prompting me to reconsider my approach. In today’s world, shaped by the omnipresence of smartphones, the landscape of travel has transformed drastically. Now, with just a swipe, young adults across the globe can access the entirety of the world, instantly. It’s a profound shift that has fundamentally altered the way we explore and engage with the world around us. The world is becoming a lot similar

relatable and beautiful message, thanks for sharing. Been missing living on the road lately, this video helped

I've lived in China for almost ten years now (I'm an Aussie), and while much of my life has now become routine again, I feel like I don't really need to travel - because this life in this weird place is an endless travel experience. I love it, but it often makes me feel very very "small". Luckily I've met a great partner here (Who I've lived with the the past 5 years or so) and we've built a nice life together. But she's also my rock, in terms of loneliness. Yes I did have some very lonely days before meeting her. People to love (If not a partner, at least real friends), networks to be a part of. These are the most important things in my meaningless personal opinion.

Christianity gets a bad rap sometimes but is a great resource for inner strength and direction, and churches are ubiquitous the world around and most will greet a stranger with a smile. Orthodox (similar to Catholic but based in the East and not Rome) in particular has a system of monastic prayer and meditation which lends itself very well to the travails of the traveler mindset. Buddhism is a viable path as well, but less personal and harder to find in small, rural towns or even most cities, leaving you often times high and dry as before. A genuine and time-tested spiritual path (as opposed to cobbling together one's own) is well worth considering. As a life long 'cobbler' myself, I am very happy to have found a spiritual home. Happy trails, in any case!

travel is what you make it - i would never say its the worst idea

Lovely video and brave to open up ... I have never travelled for extended periods but I have travelled a lot over many years. For 20 odd years I have also taken annual solo motorcycle trips all over Europe and always alone. But these trips are mostly for 12 to 14 days and when I am planning them then I can't wait but at least 3 or 4 times on those trips I will often have a feeling of dread or overwhelming doubt of the purpose ... its weird and then it passes and I settle in and love it. The worse one was last year, I am 64, comfortable with my own company and I was in a beautiful outdoor Spa in Baden Baden as a treat before I headed back to the UK ... the sun was shining, it was lovely and I couldn't surpress this feeling of pointlessness ... it was crushing ... a couple of hours later and I was fine, called my wife and talked to her about it she said that its normal, that I know it passes so don't fight it ... I don't now and I am off for 2 weeks to Italy in June on my bike and it will happen again no doubt 😂 but its fleeting and so not going to stop just yet.

loved this honest and down to earth review. sounds like you went through a lot to get to that conclusion.

My travel experiences were completely different. I LOVED being isolated while backpacking through new places. I explored, I read, I wrote, I reflected. When I did make single-serving friends along the way, it was never painful saying goodbye; it was joyful.

Such lovely videos and thoughts, David. Thank you 🙏

I am glad i found your channel. I needed to hear this very badly.

Profound insight. You've helped to nail down the ideals drawing me to different paths, thank you. Adventure can be had anywhere. Travelling forces it upon us, but we can choose it from stability if we resist excess comfort and laziness.

he is right deep down. the points he is making are not well put though. I mean hitchhiking in brutal summer temperatures? Wild Camping? just pick two or three nice camping sights and stay there and book a train, bus, taxi. If you want to travel the hard way, than the rewards and torture can both be high. I would recommend to go for comfort.

Its almost like a video game to me. Like when you first play one of those great open world games like skyrim, red dead redemption, etc. You have this vast world with all these points of interest and you just wanna explore every inch of this. I do this in real life. Ive never left the united states but have been to over 7000 places aka points of interest. I hear about a place, see something online, or just spend hours on google maps scanning around finding places. Then i pin it on my map. Ive been to 7k but have nearly double the pins that i havent even been to yet and i add more damn near everyday. I could spend the rest of my life exploring America from hikes to restaurants to cool little towns, etc. It never gets old to me and the thought of sitting in 4 walls when there's a whole world out there is crazy to me. I wanna see everything!

Very interesting, thanks for sharing! Glad to have found you.

Beautifully presented. Thank you for sharing such an honest observation of your experience. I want to share a thought regarding the connections made and lost while traveling... While travelling, one not only lacks a home base, but also the enduring relationships that would form around that home base. Extra value and pressure is placed on forming new connections because there are no others to take their place. Additionally, knowing those new connections are temporary makes it much more difficult to release them when they inevitably end. In a way, a self-feeding loop of frequent connection and disconnection is created with no stable relationships to ease the loss of those connections

One of the reasons I choose to stay in there arctic is that people here take the time to visit with one another. Strangers wave hello and people are generally more open. I'm not saying its not like that in other places but for me the pace of welcoming one another and making time for tea and conversation keeps me grounded and feeling like I am part of a healthy community.

My friend, this was a beautifully made video and I feel your pain. I spent 3 months alone (no one wanted to go with me) in SE Asia which was both extremely exciting/new, but at the same time extremely lonely. I don't regret it one bit, but I learned that travelling was not what social media portrayed! It was also a massive adjustment to come home and I was stuck in a depressive episode for the following 2-4 months. Life is quite crazy with the ups and downs and I really felt what you were trying to share to the world with this video :)

2 years and 11 months ago I threw caution into the wind to travel across my country (The US) to work seasonal gigs in order to fill the desire of getting out of my home state, and to thoroughly hike and explore the western half of my country. This video resonates how I feel inside since starting this journey. I don't regret a thing, and I deeply appreciate the ups and downs I've experienced, but at the same time, spending 3-6 months connecting and getting to know all your coworkers, the locations, bars, locals, etc. Sometimes it just feels so hollow. The gig will never end until it does, and then all those things go away, and I'm in my fully loaded outback driving to the next job. I don't think regular traveling was ever meant to be a normal lifestyle for the average joe, just a short portion of our lives, that is unless you find the right ensemble crew to do this with. I don't know, kinda just rambling at this point. I wouldn't discourage traveling to anyone I think, rather I'd just heed the warning that nothing is permanent on the road, and as rule 1 stated, inconsistency is the only consistency.

Thank you so much for this!

Loved this ❤ Happiness is always in the middle path not the extremes.

This was so beautiful! 🥹🥹🥹 More more more please! ❤

Greeting from Las Vegas. Thank you for sharing ... and being so authentic.

Not everyone who travels will experience these same fluctuating emotions, but for those who do, myself included, this video is so deeply relatable. There are a couple of places I've traveled to, Bolivia and Chile, where I felt so deeply connected that leaving invoked a feeling bordering on heartbreak. As much as I'd love to return to both places, I'm not sure I can stand to experience that same feeling again when it comes time to leave. I've almost convinced myself that just the memories will be enough. I have always been a deep thinker and in trying to express my thoughts and feelings to others around me, have been met with blank stares. You have expressed so eloquently something that not many will understand (or even care to understand), but that means so much to those who do. Thank you.

Surely you would not have been able to come to your conclusion that adventure is something realised rather than something to be sought after without going out and seeking that adventure through travel in the first place? I think that this discovery is one of the main values of traveling that one might not get from staying in their comfort zone. I also dont think things that are temporary are things that should be feared. Particularly in your youth, life moves in chapters, people enter, people leave. There is time for volatility and there is time for stability. Great video though, very well argued and honest. Personally I think its important to note that travel, exploration and being uncomfortable is often how the curios mind is able to identify how they are supposed to be satisfied within the so called "normal" life.

I've subscried to your channel. The video popped up and it made perfect sense; i think i needed to see it at this time. I've never been a solo female traveller and regretted that.

I share the same insights from travelling 20 years ago. Now I enjoy more having a small cabint and a nice garden in a beautiful countryside near my hometown. If I feel the need to travel, I do a two day bike ride into locations in the range of 200km around my hometown and enjoy visiting unknown places and biking on new routes through nearly abandoned villages. These are travels I really enjoy the most and which nearly don't cost any money.

I travelled alone for four days to Italy. That sounds great right? I was supposed to be gone for more than two weeks! I’ll go again, but not alone! That’s the difference. It’s better to share these things.

The worst part is the disconnect you'll have with your coworkers when you return. A lot of people don't understand the backpacking type of traveling, only the "Let's stay in hotels and do all the touristy stuff" traveling. There's nothing really wrong with that, but it is definitely not the same thing, and the former usually requires more of an adventurous type of person.

Thank you for describing this reality of travel and offering a different perspective than the romanticized one. I share every bit of your experience and currently recovering my nervous system and dopamine levels from living such a unstable life. It's really difficult but slowly I'm getting there. Thanks for making me feel less alone!

Wow! I was trying to figure out this pain and dread that travel brought me. And then why the normal life felt after coming back. Finding the balance is gold. Thanks for confirming my feelings and thoughts. Covid lock-down forced me to travel more around my country & be happy with what every day brings to me. This made finding the balance & adventure in everyday life possible. thanks!

I wouldn't be who I am without my experience navigating other countries, both group trips and solo as a young woman. When I talk to men who have never left the USA, I feel they are close-minded and less educated on the world. I have stories I can't wait to tell my future children. Travel expanded my consciousness. It's easy to have these opinions when you are already well-traveled. You are preaching to a choir of people who likely will never travel the way you or I have. I wouldn't trade my experiences for anything

Thank you once again for your honest perspective.

I've traveled nearly all my life, and have already seen a lot of the pearls from a young age as my dad always loved to travel. And tbh, I was never too happy because I wanted something's to happen during those travels which rarely ever happened. So honestly, most of the time I really didn't care for traveling, I only have a hand full of experiences during our travels that I truly liked, and usually they had next to nothing to do with our destination. My happiest moments were talking to some girls or meeting some new friends, but it's easier to meet new friends in your own country or city than it is to on vacation.

Really resonated with this David!! I've been in the "normal" world for awhile and often dream of life on the road. Best path is living life with a sense of wonder / adventure no matter where you are. Thanks for the vulnerability.

Your videos always touch me so much, is insane.

A beautiful perspective brother