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Having just been to Laos, I can concur with Anthony Bourdain, although there is tourism, of a sensible scale, in Luang Prabang, the lovely Buddhist city in the north.
As to the OP, the risk outlined by the teacher involves jobs, careers, marriage, children. Once you get into that, extensive travel seems beyond reach for many years.
Over the years I've met couples who travelled the world with their children, while they were small. That takes a lot of guts and determination, but can be done.
Luckily I did the Europe backpacking thing after college, in the early 70's. The exigencies of career, parenting, mortgages then limited my travels to island getaways and a couple of European trips funded by work. Later, as an empty-nester, we got down to serious travel fun and just came back from a month in Asia. So nothing is set in stone.
I've traveled far more than many and not nearly as much as some. Most of it after age 30. I have friends who travel by taking cruises, which I've never done and don't know if I every will. After flying to Canada months after 9/11, I decided to limit travel to my own country, which is what I've done.
I'm only 21 but trying to travel as much as humanly possible now. Nothing is guranteed and I'm too preoccupied with whether I'll be able to make it to my next destination within a few months in the future, let alone feeling confident enough that I'll be in a condition to travel past 30 or 40.
The way I see it is, if you travel young you might have more freedom to do it in the wildest most unrestrained ways. I've hitchhiked from here to Montreal with my girlfriend on a night's notice, who lives in Germany but I met her in Nicaragua. We visit each other probably about every four months on average. I work a minimum wage job and I'm a university student. I have no idea how, but it works somehow. I'm not borrowing money or in debt or anything (well, school loans- but that's everyone) either. As soon as I'm done school in May I'm off to India for a few weeks then spending the majority of the summer in Germany.
I guess if you are older you travel because it's work related or you start from scratch and build up some overseas work from teaching English, volunteering, or marrying a foreigner. I would imagine the dynamics of that are different since you have work, rent/mortgage, kids, bills, etc. But then it's part of your lifestyle permanently, which is cool.
I guess you just have to make your pick, if you don't end up falling in both of those camps anyways.
He was right in that most people settle in/down and don't travel. A small minority might travel after 30 but they are the minority. Most people have jobs/family/commitments so aren't exactly on the silk road every year traveling the world. That's not to say you can't stray from the norm. Just takes a different kind of mind set. But for the vast majority he is correct.
He was right in that most people settle in/down and don't travel. A small minority might travel after 30 but they are the minority. Most people have jobs/family/commitments so aren't exactly on the silk road every year traveling the world. That's not to say you can't stray from the norm. Just takes a different kind of mind set. But for the vast majority he is correct.
I agree with your teacher. It's a lot easier to travel when your younger since you normally don't have kids, mortgage, career etc, and you usually don't have that many bills. Usually your friends are the same way so its easy to plan trips to the beach or casino etc. Once you get older and more established its harder to coordinate with friends to go on vacation.
When I was 18 - 23, me and buddies use to go on all types of trips but now that were a little older its harder since some of us have kids, wives etc
I agree with your teacher. It's a lot easier to travel when your younger since you normally don't have kids, mortgage, career etc, and you usually don't have that many bills. Usually your friends are the same way so its easy to plan trips to the beach or casino etc. Once you get older and more established its harder to coordinate with friends to go on vacation.
When I was 18 - 23, me and buddies use to go on all types of trips but now that were a little older its harder since some of us have kids, wives etc
I can see not traveling as much with kids but why wives? I've never understood that argument. Do men who like to travel not marry women who also like to travel.
Nope. I didn't start traveling until I was 40 and haven't stopped since. Since retirement we travel all the time, spending one or more months in each place. We are 62 and 65, both very healthy, very fit and energetic. I've now visited about 10 or 11 countries and lived in 3.
I'm only 21 but trying to travel as much as humanly possible now. Nothing is guranteed and I'm too preoccupied with whether I'll be able to make it to my next destination within a few months in the future, let alone feeling confident enough that I'll be in a condition to travel past 30 or 40.
The way I see it is, if you travel young you might have more freedom to do it in the wildest most unrestrained ways. I've hitchhiked from here to Montreal with my girlfriend on a night's notice, who lives in Germany but I met her in Nicaragua. We visit each other probably about every four months on average. I work a minimum wage job and I'm a university student. I have no idea how, but it works somehow. I'm not borrowing money or in debt or anything (well, school loans- but that's everyone) either. As soon as I'm done school in May I'm off to India for a few weeks then spending the majority of the summer in Germany.
I guess if you are older you travel because it's work related or you start from scratch and build up some overseas work from teaching English, volunteering, or marrying a foreigner. I would imagine the dynamics of that are different since you have work, rent/mortgage, kids, bills, etc. But then it's part of your lifestyle permanently, which is cool.
I guess you just have to make your pick, if you don't end up falling in both of those camps anyways.
Jesse, people who are older often travel for the same reason you travel. In many instances, age has nothing to do with it. May as well omit guesswork when realizing why someone older does anything. I traveled when I was older because I wanted to and had the time and the money to do so. I know a man who is now in his seventies. He lives in a house in Mexico rent free so the owner can live somewhere else and her home in Mexico is occupied. When he was 50ish, he met a woman in Bangkok who was also traveling and for years, they've met here and there and traveled together. I might add that everyone who goes to school does not have student loans. Saying everyone does is another guesswork statement that isn't true. I'm only telling you this for your personal benefit. One other thing: the word anyway is never plural. Ask one of your professors if you don't believe me. lol
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I traveled when I was older because I wanted to and had the time and the money to do so. I know a man who is now in his seventies. He lives in a house in Mexico rent free so the owner can live somewhere else and her home in Mexico is occupied. When he was 50ish, he met a woman in Bangkok who was also traveling and for years, they've met here and there and traveled together. I might add that everyone who goes to school does not have student loans. Saying everyone does is another guesswork statement that isn't true. I'm only telling you this for your personal benefit. 
