alitoiu

M

I agree with the parallel you draw with the hectomillionaire scenario, but to me the focus of the essay was more on the "hectomillionaire" part, and less on the "having difficulties you have being rich". In the essay, the illustrations of the "difficulties being rich" were really this flimsy straw man meant to show that the difficulties are actually huge benefits.

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.

The author could have been clearer about whether the post was meant to be taken seriously or as contrary satire or sarcasm, but my interpretation was that the the chance of the post being serious is nearly nil.

First off, the description of the blog is "The Savvy Backpacker is the ultimate guide for budget backpackers who want honest, in-depth, and independent travel advice for their backpacking trip in Europe." Clearly this blog is meant to be a future destination for travelers.

> "Because travel has a way of messing with you and you’re too impressionable in your twenties."

> "Wait until your thirties or forties or fifties or later because most people are set in their ways by then."

> "First of all, the person who you were before you traveled no longer exists."

> "Your friends and family and peers — they won’t understand. In fact, they don’t really care that you’ve just gone through this transformative journey."

All of these quotes are so absurd that they are meant to spur on the adventurous rebel. This is in the same way that a child would want to do something more when her parents tell her not to do something.

So, I would interpret this piece a bit more lightly. The author seems that he would agree with your views on the benefits of travel.

The point of the article is actually to argue that waiting until your 30s and 40s is too late, because you will be too old to change. Do it in your 20s, because you will still have a chance to change for the better. The following are all very worthwhile questions:

> “Do I want to work 60+ hour weeks and have barely any vacation time?”

> “Is there more to life than work?”

> “How come young people in other countries aren’t crippled with student loan debt?”

> “What is most important in my life?”