So, in a way it is a humblebrag, in that the "difficulties" are really "benefits", though I don't think the reader is meant to believe that the author is really having a very hard time with the "difficulties." You get the feeling that the author is very pleased with himself about his choice to travel, based on the whole theme of the article being "it's so good you can't stop and nothing else will ever be good enough."
If we are really supposed to empathize with the author about his troubles and the article is meant to be serious, than it's a very bizarre post and I basically share your sentiments. Under that light, it comes across as humble bragging and seeking sympathy for a choice he repeatedly chose to make and that he espouses transformed him and opened his mind, which is an important part of life. I have a hard time believing someone could write a post that is such a strange mix of complaining, bragging, recommending to people to not open their minds until their 40s, and an incredible hyperbolic tone of "travel is as strong as cocaine and it ruined my life." By Occam's razor I can only assume that it's not meant to be serious.
It may be a form of satire as you suggest. Such things exists. In 2008 there was a Onion headline "Junior Senator Returns From Backpacking In Scandinavia With Obnoxiously Broad Perspective On Infrastructure Reform", but I can't find a working link to it.
But satire works when there's at least a seed of truth. Consider http://totallysamsworld.com/backpacker-stereotypes/ , which lists "Backpacker Stereotypes". The last is "The ones who want to ‘find themselves’":
> These confused and emotional people have gone travelling to find themselves. They don’t know what they want to do for the rest of their lives, and all their friends are settled down, popping out babies and in great long term careers. Whereas they want to avoid commitment and responsibility for as long as possible. These backpackers can go from one extreme to the other… Living by YOLO, trying crazy new things with open minds, to getting all drunk and emoshe, crying on strangers and treating them like therapists. These guys are great when they’re on form, but if they are having a ‘moment’ it’s best to avoid them like the plague.
Here's a blog post from someone who has post-travel depression after a "year of mind-blowing adventures" - http://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/coming-home-blues/ :
> You find your friends don’t understand the new you, don’t want to hear about your time sailing the Pacific while they sat in rush hour, or don’t get why you feel so uncomfortable being back. “What? You don’t like it here anymore?”
I think the comments help enrich the understanding of those with post-travel blues. Some choice quotes, that are not indicative of the whole, are:
> Can someone please help me cure the travel bug!! It’s ruining my life, relationships, careers and friendships!! ahhhh
> How can we not change after having experienced everything that long term travel offers? It’s hard to explain this to family and friends without sounding self righteous.
> If you don’t want to get married and start popping out babies it’s like the end of the world for some people. [I picked this one because it's almost exactly the stereotype quote from earlier.]
> What I find astounding is that many people don’t really care that I did. What to ME is an amazing thing, they don’t think much of it.
> Paul Theroux has a great quote: “You go away for a long time, and you return a different person. You never come all the way back.”
> Yep, there’s just absolutely no way that people who haven’t travelled long-term can understand what we go through.
I quoted these as examples to show that, yes, this is a real problem, that many people have to deal with. One of the ways to deal with a problem is to infer that it makes one special, perhaps like the agony of Marine Corp training makes one special, or of hazing. I believe the author's coping mechanism is to embrace the emotion pain, and the advice to others to avoid the pain is in fact a boast that the author can take the pain when others can't. "Thank you sir, may I have another!"
You believe that the original author recommends "people to not open their minds until their 40s". I don't believe the author is doing that at all. I believe the author thinks that anyone in the 40s is more set in their ways, so their minds are more closed (on average) than someone in the 20s.
The thing is, it's true - a hectomillionaire can have emotional difficulties. Are their "friends" there for the friendship or for the money? When do you say no to a relative who continues to ask for a few thousand dollars? To friends who have a "great business idea and just need some seed capital"?
Similarly, being a parent, or a newlywed, or switching careers, or any of those other things can and often do come with their own emotional joy and struggles.
> "All of these quotes are so absurd that they are meant to spur on the adventurous rebel."
My complaint about the essay is that it places the personal transformation that (sometimes) come from travel as somehow different and above the transformations associated with everyone else's coming of age stories. As such, it encourages a snobbish attitude, which will worsen connection to friends and family who are sick of hearing how you met the Dalai Lama in India, or about how thing are so much better on the other side of the fence, I mean, ocean.
Instead of humblebrag, it could have given real methods for understanding the effects of culture shock, and how to cope with it "back home", without ruining one's relationship with others back home, and thus prepare the rebel instead of putting the rebel on a pedestal. (Which, admittedly, seems like what the target audience wants done to them.)
My views on the benefits of travel are much more mixed. A lot of people travel overseas, even as a 20-something, with little overall change. Friends of mine spent 6 months working for an NGO in South Africa, came back, and have no more desire for travel. I personally didn't start my travels until I was in my 30s, self-employed, and a homeowner. And all those choices are great, including the choice to not travel.
The idea that since I waited until I was 31 to really travel overseas, on my own, means I was too old to "change" is ludicrous, and meaningless. Everyone changes.
BTW, I find your use of "adventurous rebel" interesting - based one what you've written, it sounds like the world traveler who starts at 32 is more of an adventurous rebel than one who starts at 22.