The urge to travel used to grip me, fiercely and all the time. I thought about traveling constantly, and loved every part of the experience, from the early planning stages to completion (some parts more than others, to be honest). Recently though my desire to go somewhere has been somewhat missing in action and I’ve been wondering where it’s gone and why
Have I seen everything and done everything I wanted to do? Definitely not! While I’ve never wanted to see everything, I can still think of places I’d like to see, or locations I’d like to see. However, none of them creates a burning desire to travel or makes me feel impatient to get going.
Did recent bad travel experiences affect how I feel about traveling more than I realized? Our trips from Hawaii to the mainland, then down to Mexico last year were flat out awful, and those memories seem to pop right into my head any time I started to think about traveling again. Any desire to pack a suitcase, lug it around, sit on an airplane, or take a long drive anywhere just leaves me cold. For now, any travel will be with a carry-on only.
I sometimes wonder if our two “pandemic years” in Hawaii had an affect. That time now feels like a wonderful, long adventure, a long travel experience between rampant COVID, travel restrictions, and travel availability now. We always knew the whole time we were there we weren’t going to stay even though we thought about it quite a bit, and I sometimes think our time there drained some the travel bug right out of me.
Am I feeling my age more than I’d like to admit? I’d like to say I don’t feel old, but if I’m honest I don’t have the energy I once did, even a couple of years ago. Most days I want nothing more than to enjoy my surroundings, the possessions we have now, and being near family. Although we have no intention of staying permanently in Tennessee, life is peaceful right now, there are no looming changes coming up for another couple of years, and I am enjoying the calm we currently experience.
Brett and I know where we will be going when our time in Nashville is over. Most importantly, we know why we have chosen that location, and we are slowly making plans to eventually make our move. We’re looking forward to it but for now we want to enjoy where we are and learn more about the area where we’re living. We want take advantage of the time we have with family. Traveling is always going to be a part of our lives, and I know there are still places we want to see, but for now the urge to go, go, go seems to have moved to the back burner.
Life is apparently asking me to slow down for a bit, and I’m happy to oblige.
The Occasional Nomads 
I was just saying this the other day! I was talking with a friend and they asked about my next trip. It’s in July, just a long weekend. No bigger plans right now. And I’m fine with that. I miss my bestie, and just last night some interest perked up for a little trip in May, but I think my four months on the road fulfilled me for a while. I’m busy settling in, exploring my new area, and spending time with friends and family. Honestly, it’s a little like my roadtrip except I don’t have to pack up again! I’m content for the moment.
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Content is where we are at right now too. After three moves in the past nine years, selling off almost all of our stuff TWICE (!), it feels nice to just sit still for a while. We’ll be heading up to Vermont and Maine this summer, but that’s all I can deal with now it seems.
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I say you are at peace where you are right now; nearer to family!!
Enjoy the break and when it’s time to travel again you’ll know!
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We are feeling contentment and peace here for now, but also excited about and motivated to get ready for when it’s time to go again. We have a trip coming up the summer (the wedding) and that will hopefully be enough for the year.
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I know what you are feeling. I have never been able to travel like you both have but have done a lot around the US and am a solo traveler (widow). Between my age, 69 and Covid I’ve lost my mojo and now have more anxiety. I have a bad knee and some some vertigo and that plays into it. I’m so sad that my healthier travel time the past three years was cut. I was just looking through a booklet, Amtrak from 2015 and don’t know how 8 years passed but I lost three of them. (Yes I know others were affected way worse! My daughter was a Covid unit RN). I purchased a 30 day Amtrak pass that I have to book, use by June but….. planning now but have apprehension. Last train pass was 4 years ago. I used to go everywhere, every major city, even enjoying hostels (my kids thought I was a little worrisome ha!) but something’s changed (I guess my age and health 😦 and I don’t have a great fix for that). I’m in a funk because in March I was going to Ireland with my daughter, SIL and new baby to help as he was in a wedding there but the couple broke up. That’s part why I booked the pass plus Feb in Mn make you stir crazy. But I also had way too many obligations this month at home with kids/grandkids or I’d have been gone by this time.
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Covid certainly did a number on all of us, didn’t it? I am so not ready right now to ramp things up again, or even think of schedules, etc. although that will change in another 18 months or so. No more full-time travel for us though – short trips with a carry on will be enough for the future.
I’m so sorry about your trip to Ireland, and hope you get to use that Amtrak pass before June!
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Same here, our last really large trip was a cruise around South America around six or seven years ago. Normally one of my favorite parts is getting to know one’s dinner companions, but this time there was no chemistry at all. We only really enjoyed one port and the trip was hugely expensive.
We stopped planning major trips and just enjoyed our yearly trip to Hawaii, and then we realized that had also begun to feel like “been there, done that.” Soooo, we’re just making the effort to enjoy day trips. Our travel mojo may never return as we are getting up there in years and have pets that really need care.
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I think a less than ideal experience, whether it’s one like yours, or a not-so-nice Airbnb, or something else can really color and change everything.
I think our travel mojo will return, but in a different way, with shorter trips. I’m looking forward to our trip up to Vermont and Maine this summer, and it will be enough for the year. I thought I might go with one daughter to England, but after some thought really don’t want to put that much effort into a trip.
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I have never been a big traveler. Not like you. But before we moved out here to Tucson we used to visit here often and thought nothing of hopping on a plane to go here and there. Then along came Covid, plus being a few years older and we seem to have stopped dead in our tracks. And the prices of everything have shot up so much recently that even budgeting for travel has become prohibitive. It is one of the reasons we are moving back home to Mass. Flying is so expensive, and food is so expensive (we don’t even eat out that much at all anymore). I was reading an article recently that we (seniors) are being the most affected by the price increases on everything since we are all on fixed incomes. I for one, cannot wait to take what is certainly to be my last trip on a plane. When we get back to Massachusetts we will do what we used to do. Drive to Maine, drive to the Berkshires, drive to the cape. I am done with flying. PS Have you told us where you will be moving or are you just going to surprise us? LOL
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Dining out is one thing I am having trouble budgeting for when we head to New England this summer. On the road is one thing, and we taking care of meals for the wedding, but when we’re in Maine we’d like to eat lobster and other local treats, but have no idea what prices are like up there. Thankfully our hotel offers free breakfast. We’re usually pretty savvy about finding good, local, affordable places to eat but I haven’t found any good sources yet to figure out Maine.
Living on a fixed income definitely requires a different skill set. We’re managing OK so far but we also staying close to home for the most part, watching every penny, and saving as much as we can for the future.
My plan is to announce our future location about a year out from when we plan to depart Tennessee. Brett said every time we announce early we change our mind and he really wants us to get to the location we’ve chosen. So, for now our lips are sealed.
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I’m the same. I haven’t been anywhere since that very first lockdown and I’m surprisingly okay with that. I’ve been very lucky to have done a lot of travelling in my life; there are still a few places that I would love to visit, but I wouldn’t be that disappointed if that doesn’t happen.
My dad is dying, so I am not going anywhere until he passes. Or even until my mother dies, and I hope I don’t lose her for many more years. My brother’s twins turn two next month and are growing like weeds, so they change so much from week to week. Being close to family and friends has become more important to me than anything else at this point in my life.
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I completely understand your desire to be close to family right now. We are enjoying having family so close by (even though our grandkids give us a run for the money!), and glad we have this time to help out. Our girls are growing closer to starting their families as well, so we’ll see how that affects us as well when it happens.
There are still places I’d love to see, and some I’d like to experience again, but as you say, there’ll be no disappointment if it doesn’t happen. We’ve seen and done some wonderful things, and made memories that will last us forever.
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I hear you.
I just spent the last three months traveling between my mom in AZ and our kids in MD. I am exhausted. Airports have completely changed. Flight attendants are on edge. (“Do you REALLY have to go potty?”) Planes are tighter squeeze. Agggg.
My mom passed. My kids are in the depths of their own kids. I miss them, but I just want to read!
I’ll be in Missouri in April to help sil with discovery of an inherited farm. June I take my grandson to Rome. We bought a travel trailer for summer… but I think I am near the end of seeing new places. The appeal is gone of winging it. I like my own bed.
2024 will be East to kids twice and West to Hawaii once. I stay in the same places…and just enjoy. Otherwise, I’m learning to oil paint.
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You have a LOT going on – I’d be nuts. I am enjoying staying put for a while, and getting things done (like my eye surgery) as well as spending time with our grandkids and daughter in law. We are looking forward to visiting Vermont and Maine this summer, but I can’t think beyond that.
I like my own bed too, although we honestly only had two less than great beds during our travels.
I am looking forward to crocheting once my eye are finished and healed – that will keep me busy too.
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Same. Same. And same! We’ve been to 50 countries. We’ve ocean and river cruised extensively. We’ve RV’d much of the USA. But now? I really just want to spend time at the ocean each day, read in my comfy home, dine out at our favorite places, and enjoy as much time with our family as possible.
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We haven’t traveled as extensively as you have, but we have enjoyed our long stays in places, and the opportunity to live in Japan not once but twice. We have thought long and hard about RVing around the U.S. for a few years, but think those days are behind us. We are looking forward to settling in a new location following our time in Nashville, but for now staying here is fine.
If we lived where you do we’d never leave! Everything we love is there.
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We’re on our first “real” trip since fall of 2019. It took a lot to get it put together and get out the door! Out of practice. The flights were more pleasant than expected, the weather has been great, and the accommodations good. But we are finding it a little difficult to find the easy rhythm we used to have when traveling.
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Oh, so glad to hear the flights were better than expected. Our initial flights leaving Hawaii were AWFUL, but the flights back to the U.S. were very nice (well, they should have been – we were in first class).
We’ll be traveling with our little dog this summer for the first time, and are anxious to see how that goes. Have him along is definitely going to change where we can stay and where we can go. There’s lots more planning involved, that’s for sure.
I wonder if we’ll ever get our “travel rhythm” back again. I wonder if we even want to.
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We have a big trip to Italy coming up in April so this was intended as a sort of shakedown cruise. Very glad we did it! I hear you on the declining energy levels. And I had to remember how to pack less- although for me this is a vacation trip followed by 5 days of work conference so it required more than one type of clothing.
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I would love to visit Italy again, Florence especially – it remains in the top three of the places we visited. We were there for a month but didn’t see and do everything we wanted. Meiling and KN are planning a big honeymoon trip to Switzerland and Italy – even though I currently don’t want to travel that far, I’m still envious.
Packing less, the eternal quest!
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Very timely post! I think Covid changed travel for us — probably permanently. We have kids living on a boat in New Zealand and neither of us has the stomach to visit them after seeing what they go through to get there and back for the winter holidays here.
Air travel has changed and even in Comfort+ on Delta, the seats are not very comfortable on a transatlantic flight. On top of that, DH put in over 2 million miles on Delta (and their predecessors) in his career and got spoiled by his airline status, so the current state of air travel is even more annoying to him than me. 🤪
My last trip to the UK was fairly painless, but it’s a straight shot and I only do carry on. It just makes life so much easier on both ends.
I’m not saying we won’t travel again, but it will take more effort and right now we’re just enjoying a slower life like many of your previous commenters. Driving within the continental US sounds more appealing if/when we do decide to go.
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Especially now that we have a pet, we won’t fly anywhere that isn’t nonstop, or that we can’t afford first class or at least Comfort+. There are almost no nonstops out of Nashville for any location we would like to visit. I feel so sorry for our son when he flies here from Tokyo – always two to three changes along the way. No thanks. We have enough miles for free RT flights to Mexico and back in extra comfort so may try that next year, but our car trip to New England this summer will be enough for us this year.
The slow life certainly has its charms. I grateful for the time off to get things taken care of (like my eye surgery), save some money, and spend time with the grandkids and our daughter-in-law. Once they go back to Japan there will be long stretches again of not seeing them.
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I can so relate! We have a few journeys this year, including two weeks in France, designed to make up for some canceled trips during Covid. But, to be honest, it has taken quite a bit of convincing to get me to the place where I am excited by the prospects. Even our trip to Disneyland a few months ago wore me out and confirmed my dislike of airline travel.
My energy level is down, as is my tolerance for dealing with people who are oblivious to the hassles and selfishness of their behavior in public settings. Airline travel has become something to dread. After France, we will be very content to set our sights much closer to home for the foreseeable future.
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I have a low tolerance these days for dealing with other rude and obnoxious travelers. Our trip back from Mexico somewhat restored my faith in air travel, but then watching our daughters go through the Southwest turmoil at Christmas undid that faith once again. As I said earlier, nonstop flights only these day, and either in extra comfort seating, or first class if it’s affordable.
It will be interesting how we feel about traveling once we start doing it with our dog. Short trips with him have gone well, but longer ones, or riding on a plane are great unknowns for now. He may turn out to be the game changer.
I truthfully envy your trip to France – it’s a location Brett and I would love to visit again, especially Strasbourg. But for now, we’re content to stay closer to home.
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Betty has strong family ties to Normandy. Her father took part in the D-Day invasion. Plus, there are several castles and ruins that carry her maiden name of Montgomery. Her family has a direct link all the way back to William the Conqueror.
We have hired a guide to take us to see where her dad was, as well as visit her ancestral sites.
We are combining it all with an 8 day river cruise on the Seine. Should be quite a trip.
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Your trip sounds so lovely – I know we would enjoy every minute of it. We absolutely loved our time in Normandy, and so glad we made the effort to include some time there. We visited the beaches, Pont du Hoc, museums, the American cemetery (my breathing stopped when I first saw it; I had no idea of the immensity of it. So many lives given.), and other sites. We could not drive through the area without thinking of soldiers coming down the roads, or hiding in or behind buildings, both Allies and German, fearful of possibly encountering their enemy. The countryside was beautiful as well, and we enjoyed the local food, cider, and cheese, and decided we’d love to go back and spend more time there some day.
You’re going to have a wonderful time!
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What an interesting topic. I’m not sure what category I fall into. We just got back from Australia and I was quite nervous about traveling. I’ve heard so many horror stories. I am so grateful that our flights were easy. The flight to Sydney was delayed by an hour and a half but we were able to make up the time on the 16 hour flight. (I guess there is a plus when taking a flight that long!) We only had a 2-hour layover in Dallas but our flight was the only one going through customs and we got through in about 20 minutes. We even had time to grab some food before boarding again.
We talked about next time meeting my SIL and her family somewhere like Europe. The thought of that is very overwhelming to me when I consider the planning, possible language barrier, and the expense. Flights are so, so expensive now! I’m not sure I’d travel again anytime soon if it wasn’t to see family.
I am excited about planning some day trips and long weekends getaways. So maybe its just the cost and stress associated with flying that’s bogging me down.
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LOL – the cost of travel these days may be what keeps my interest low. There used to be such good deals, but those are gone for good. I’m shocked by what the airlines are charging. The least expensive flight to Tokyo from Kaua’i in coach is currently double what we used to pay for seats in extra comfort.
I can’t even get excited about planning these days. Our drive up to Vermont is pretty straight forward, and our lodging there is taken care of. I’ve also booked our lodging in Maine, but beyond that I’m just not feeling very motivated, when in the past I’d be working on it daily. Staying home feels pretty good right now, but I know eventually we’ll be ready to go again.
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I feel the same way. I’ve only flown once since COVID and that was a quick flight and it was also a business trip, so not something I did by choice. It actually went very well, but I have no desire to travel far and the wanderlust I once had has faded. I just got back from another business trip, although it was only to NYC which is not exactly far for me, but I stayed overnight which made it feel far. I guess that’s because I don’t go too many places anymore. I feel like my world has shrunk, but I’m ok with it, at least for now. Who knows, maybe that will change. And the prices these days are crazy and on top of that, everyone expects a large tip, even when they haven’t done much, or anything at all, to deserve such a tip. I feel like I don’t know what the rules are anymore and I’m just happier staying home and not having to deal with any of it.
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I admit to sort of dreading our drive up and back from New England, three long days in the car, but I’d rather that than flying. Our DIL and grandkids were going to drive with us, but have decided to fly to NYC instead and meet our son there, then they’ll drive back to NYC after the wedding and fly back here. I don’t know which will be the less stressful experience!
We have enough miles for RT flights to Mexico and are sort of thinking about that as our next “big” trip. But it’s enough in the distance that I don’t really think about it too much. Like you, for now I’m happier here and not having to deal with traveling. I’m pretty sure the itch will return though.
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Same here. I did a lot of international travel between 2011 and 2019 so I was kind of burned out anyway when COVID happened and I actually think the unexpected break was a good thing. I didn’t expect I’d lose interest in travel though; I thought I’d miss it and am surprised that I don’t, but I agree that the itch will return at some point!
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The drive down from Massachusetts to Tennessee last fall was when we realized we did not want to own an RV and drive around to different places. We wouldn’t be traveling every day most of the time, but neither of us enjoyed spending that much time inside a vehicle.
I am looking forward to our time up in New England this summer, so the itch is still there. I’m starting to read about places to see, places to eat, etc.
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If it were not for wanting to see very far away grandchildren, I would not hop on a plane ever again. I had the passenger next to me do projectile vomiting and the airline refused to move me. That and the outrageous delays and just all around terrible flying conditions make me
never want to get in a plane again. I am not a picky person, but air travel is nothing like it was pre Covid.
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I thought our flights were bad, but you win! I’d never want to get on a plane again either! I have to remind myself though that if I want to get to X then I’m going to have to get on a plane. We try now to always budget for extra comfort or first class if possible. It makes the trip a bit easier and more comfortable (most of the time).
Travel is never ever again going to be like it was pre-Covid. For now, airlines are making up for all the money lost during the pandemic, and finding new ways to squeeze passengers. I have to say Southwest really came through for our daughters botched Christmas travel – they were all reimbursed for their Southwest flights AND for the cost of their tickets on another airline to get back AND receive 25,000 miles from Southwest to use toward a future flight.
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I’m taking my first international trip since 2019 in May, to Eastern Europe (Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary). One long flight plus a short flight both ways and comfort-plus seating. My trip in 2019 was four weeks in Morocco, an amazing trip of a lifetime. At 74, I have less energy for all the logistics and hassles involved with long-distance travel. I’ve only gone on 10 or 12 international trips in 50 years (not counting Canada and Mexico), and that has mostly satisfied me. There are still a few places I’d like to see, like Greenland! I live in a cohousing community with about 35 other people (some couples), and some of them go on two or three international trips each year. I can’t afford that, nor do I want it. I enjoy a lot of little local trips and would like to see more parts of the U.S. During the pandemic, I made several long-weekend trips to the Oregon coast and treated myself to staying in nice places. Being in my 70s (and in good health), I’ve discovered that travel insurance is significantly more expensive for people my age, and some companies don’t provide it for people over 70 at all! I’ve definitely slowed down and don’t mind it — I think our bodies influence how we feel about travel and being on the move.
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Sorry for the late reply – your comment was sent to my spam folder for reasons known only to WordPress.
I am so happy to hear you loved Morocco – it’s been on our bucket list since we planned our Big Adventure back in 2013. We sadly just couldn’t fit it in, both time- and budget-wise. And Greenland! I was thrilled just to fly over it on our trip to London from Portland, via Iceland. It would be an interesting place to see. Otherwise I am happy with all we have seen and done over the years – the navy offered us lots of amazing travel experiences back in the day. But for now I’m content with more local travel and like you, staying in nicer places.
Our bodies now ask us to fly either extra comfort or first class on any flight over three hours. Our last few flights in coach were miserable, but we can still handle short flights. Otherwise it’s something extra to budget for when we make plans. We’re grateful now that we can drive to most places we want to see.
The travel itch will come back; Brett and I are already talking about places we’d like to go, although that’s all we’re doing now – talking. No planning whatsoever other than what we’d like to do in Maine this summer.
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Reminds me of an old song, “For everything there is a season”. Things change and it sounds like you are ready for another chapter. I know how happy we are here, especially seeing what’s happening on the mainland. A former student of mine is a teacher in Florida and it’s awful. I keep telling her Hawaii needs teachers!
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I am glad we are here for a while, to take care of things (eye surgery, colonoscopy, etc.) that would have been put off or impossible otherwise. We’re saving. We have our sweet little puppy, and have the time to plan a future that includes him. And, we can plan our next move and do it well. This is our season for staying put and getting all this other stuff done! We’ll travel again, but when we’re ready to go.
You couldn’t pay me to be in Florida right now. We lived there for two years (‘86-‘88), in Key West, and had a great time, but that was enough Florida for us.
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We just last week completed our first “big” trip since Covid, a three week trip to Kenya. (Although apparently our luggage wasn’t ready to come home yet!) Our time there was great, but the trip back was a 52-hr nightmare, thanks to the big Lufthansa meltdown in Frankfurt. We had been discussing a trip in Europe late fall of this year, but have decided that we’ll be staying in North America. That experience just sucked the wanderlust right out of us!
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All it takes is one miserable travel experience like you had to put the kibosh on dreams of future travel. By the time we got to Mexico ours had disappeared, and we were glad we were heading for a couple of years in Tennessee. We had two good flights back to Boston though from Mexico and that helped somewhat. I know we’ll travel again, but there’s certainly no burning desire right now.
Brett spent some time in Kenya when he was in the navy, and loved every minute of it!
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