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I see a lot of folks on these forums saying the time to travel is when you're young, but I am really puzzled as to why. I'd be interested to hear from especially people in their 50s and 60s in particular - do you find that you are unable to enjoy travels due to your age? Or is this a myth?
If late middle age is not an impediment to being able to enjoy your travels, then what is the big deal about putting it off (in order to get ahead faster in terms of money or career issues)?
From what I can tell, the odds of death or long-term disability before age 55 are not all that high - I just don't get the whole "You could die tomorrow" argument.
I am considering making a very carefully calculated decision to put it off in order to save up to pay cash for my first house. What are the risks, and should I worry?
We've always traveled, but having a child in the mix made some types of travel unrealistic for a number of years. We are now in our 50's and in good health and traveling to places that might not be as easy to travel to in our 70's and were not feasible when we had a child in tow.
52 year old here. In my case, a desk job means my overall fitness level is lower than it was when I was in my 20s and more active - and crucially, my balance simply isn't as good as it used to be, and my joints are less flexible. So trips that involve lots of walking over really uneven surfaces (like very rock-strewn hiking trails) or getting in or out of tippy things like rowboats are harder now. There are some trips I simply can't reasonably do any more (like group hiking trips with outfits like REI, where I have no control over either the route or the pace).
The hard thing is that you can't know in advance how well you're going to age, or whether you're going to develop a disability as you grow older. So putting off travel (especially travel to remote places, or more rugged trips) is a calculated risk. So how badly do you want to travel, and crucially, what type of travel do you really want to do? If you badly want to go to Europe, for example, you can probably safely put it off. But if your heart's desire is to hike the Grand Canyon or travel to remote locations where you're far away from medical help, do it now, while your body will still allow the trip. If you put off that sort of trip, you may not be able to do it once you hit late middle age, no matter how much you want to go.
I very rarely took a taxi, I would walk with my bags for an hour, rather than take a taxi, just as a matter of frugal principle. Also, rarely stayed in a hotel with enough stars to have an elevator. At an older age, that gets harder and harder to do. But you can always opt to travel lighter. I've never traveled with more than about 5 Kg, even when young and sturdy. If I cant walk a mile in my traveling shoes carrying everything I will have with me, I repack.
Plane fares are crazy low nowadays, I plan to do some traveling this year, even blind and 76. currently thinking Kazakhastan or Sri Lanka, backpacking and hosteling. But I know I won't be as active or as adventurous as I used to be, and won't be doing much birdwatching.
52 year old here. In my case, a desk job means my overall fitness level is lower than it was when I was in my 20s and more active - and crucially, my balance simply isn't as good as it used to be, and my joints are less flexible. So trips that involve lots of walking over really uneven surfaces (like very rock-strewn hiking trails) or getting in or out of tippy things like rowboats are harder now. There are some trips I simply can't reasonably do any more (like group hiking trips with outfits like REI, where I have no control over either the route or the pace).
The hard thing is that you can't know in advance how well you're going to age, or whether you're going to develop a disability as you grow older. So putting off travel (especially travel to remote places, or more rugged trips) is a calculated risk. So how badly do you want to travel, and crucially, what type of travel do you really want to do? If you badly want to go to Europe, for example, you can probably safely put it off. But if your heart's desire is to hike the Grand Canyon or travel to remote locations where you're far away from medical help, do it now, while your body will still allow the trip. If you put off that sort of trip, you may not be able to do it once you hit late middle age, no matter how much you want to go.
This is sort of what I suspected. I could always take the more rugged ones now (or within a few years, anyway) and put the rest off, I suppose. Hiking has been fun for me since early childhood, though I haven't had much desire to do anything really extreme.
I see a lot of folks on these forums saying the time to travel is when you're young, but I am really puzzled as to why. I'd be interested to hear from especially people in their 50s and 60s in particular - do you find that you are unable to enjoy travels due to your age? Or is this a myth?
If late middle age is not an impediment to being able to enjoy your travels, then what is the big deal about putting it off (in order to get ahead faster in terms of money or career issues)?
From what I can tell, the odds of death or long-term disability before age 55 are not all that high - I just don't get the whole "You could die tomorrow" argument.
I am considering making a very carefully calculated decision to put it off in order to save up to pay cash for my first house. What are the risks, and should I worry?
Well, 50 is the new 30 right? But the thing is, people are putting off retirement to go along with the extended healthy life expectancy - so the limitation may not be money, but time, even when you are in your 50s and early 60s. Travel when you are young, and when you are old. I guess the only risk is that, that hot exotic chick you see at the local watering hole in which you want to practice your language skills - they don't find you as appealing when you are 55 years old.
I just know that when I travel, I see alot, I mean alot, of older American travelers. And by old I mean in there 70s, some in wheelchairs. I've been on some cruises where it's like "Dawn of the Living Dead".
1. If you die before you travel, who cares. You are dead so it doesn't matter.
2. Lots of people die in their 50s. 1% of the population dies at 59 which is twice as high as age 49.
3. If you are healthy, you can enjoy travel in your 60s and 70s just as much as when you were younger. I have a friend who is 72 with bad knees and he goes to Africa, Nepal, etc. every year.
4. The only thing that's different for me as compared to when I was younger is I don't stay up late when traveling. No more 1 AM nightclubs, etc.
So I vote for buying your house. You have years to enjoy it.
I just know that when I travel, I see alot, I mean alot, of older American travelers. And by old I mean in there 70s, some in wheelchairs. I've been on some cruises where it's like "Dawn of the Living Dead".
That's because they typically have more money than young people who are raising a family and paying for college.
I retired at 61 and travel more now than ever. But no more late night drinking and I never play more than 18 holes of golf in one day. We still rent a car and drive all over almost every country we go to.
1. If you die before you travel, who cares. You are dead so it doesn't matter.
Dying is a process, that most of us will have the bad luck to experience the leisure of reflecting on our lives as we lie dying. You can die wishing you had done things, or you can die contented that you did.
Would you argue that it doesn't matter how painfully you die, since you will be just as dead afterwards? Then, how about the pain of regret, measured against the joy of feeling that you have lived your life fully and well and as you would have wished to?
That doesn't just apply to travel, but all you have done in the years you have had.
Honestly, if travel is a passion of yours, I think you should find a way to travel while still saving for a home. Take domestic trips instead of int'l, and choose locations that are less expensive, but keep traveling. Life is short and precious and you never know when your time will be up or when you'll have life circumstances that prevent you from traveling.
I'm in my late 30's and developed a strong passion for travel in my late 20's. Even after having a child, which has enriched our lives wonderfully but made travel far more difficult the past 2.5 years, my wife and I try to travel as often as possible. If travel is not a priority for you, by all means slow down when you have to save money and/or have kids, etc., but if it's a passion, please keep traveling. I seriously doubt there was anyone on his/her death bed who wished they had travelled less often. Food for thought...
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