Hacker News Reader

Comment by DiscourseFan | Hacker News Reader

I've backpacked all over the world by myself, but last time I flew out I just kind of got idk, bored of it? There's only so much to do if you're by yourself in a place where you don't know anyone or speak the language very well (if at all). You take walks, you go to museums, you eat the local foods and go out clubbing at night, see if you can't get laid, maybe go to the beach if there is one. And then you can do some hiking if you're in the wilderness.

View on HN

Seems obvious to me but it needs to be said: perhaps you're not looking deep enough. Read the article again, the key message of "connecting with people and their cultures" is hard to miss.

Shallow self gratification of sun, surf, sex and art, these are not going to inspire you, challenge you, or help you grow.

But I feel like you already knew that, so why did you post this.

There are diminishing returns to everything, travel included. If you go deep enough, you’ll typically just uncover the mundane, everyday realities, that people are often not willing to share with a foreign, relatively wealthy tourist.

i started reading some of paul therouxs books and its given me a refreshed idea of what travel can be and how much some people are ok with opening up about. travel is so hard and expensive to do, were basically all beginners at it. even if you think your well traveled. visit 20 countries sounds like a lot and you start to feel like you know what your doing, but if you did 20 drawings your still clearly learning the basics.

People are not really that different either, even cultures. Get familiar with enough of them and there are few surprises left.

You can get bored of anything if you do it enough.

Very impressive! but I guess at that point it's time to make some friends for the long term isn't it?

Reply on news.ycombinator.com