6 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Feel Pressured To Go Travelling

These days, going travelling is almost a rite of passage. More and more young people are choosing to abandon their everyday routine for the lures of Southeast Asia or further. A life on the road is clearly calling them. But what if you don’t hear the call?

Most of us have one: the wise friend, fresh out of travelling, telling us that we need to follow in their footsteps or risk regret further down the line. But while this may leave some Millennials chasing a noble quest to visit all the beaches in Australia, to others backpacking just doesn’t appeal.

If you don’t think that marching off into the big wide world with nothing but a bag of your belongings is your destiny in life, then don’t feel pressured to do it! Here are some reasons why that voice of doubt might be the right advice to follow.

Not everyone can afford it 

You’ve probably already been told that backpacking can be done on a budget. But it still costs money, and most people will need to save up before they can go.

Some students will certainly see backpacking as a potential strain on their finances. It’s no secret that uni life has the tendency to drain your bank account dry, and you don’t want to put yourself in a position where you can’t afford to pay rent.

If uni is too demanding and you haven’t managed to find some part time work, don’t panic. There’s always the option of delaying travelling until you’ve had the time to work and save. Plus, you’ll probably enjoy it more if you’re not constantly worrying about how much you’ve spent.

You may have bigger priorities

It’s also totally okay if you have savings but want to set them aside for a different purpose. Whether it’s a business venture or extra qualifications, you should use your savings to fund what you’re really passionate about, not what other people think you should be.

You might also feel that taking up backpacking would threaten some of your future goals. If you’re career-focused then you shouldn’t be ashamed if you want to dive straight into your chosen profession post-uni rather than taking time out to backpack.

Likewise, if you’re an undergraduate who wants to spend your summers undertaking internships rather than on the move, then that’s a completely logical and intelligent decision to make.

High maintenance?

Unless you’re made of money, backpacking is likely to involve some well-known vices – smelly public transport and noisy hostels, to name a few. If you can’t survive 24 hours without a hot shower and the thought of carrying your dirty underwear from point A to B gives you heart palpitations, then the idea of backpacking probably makes your skin crawl.

If this is the case then it’s completely acceptable to decide that backpacking isn’t for you. In fact, it’s probably a complete waste of money.

You spend long periods alone 

In recent times, backpacking alone has become increasingly popular. In many ways it makes the experience a lot less stressful, because the only travel objectives that you need to take into account are your own.

Travelling alone can seem scary. On the other hand, if you travel with other people then you run the risk of getting sick of their company. If both of these options make you feel uncomfortable then it’s fine to opt out.

Shorter holidays still count

You don’t have to go backpacking to be able to claim that you’ve travelled. Travelling can take lots of different forms. if you don’t think backpacking is up your street, then try visiting a few different places every year, or go on holiday to one country and visit two or three different cities whilst you’re there. Do what appeals to you.

What makes you happy?

Life is about doing things that make you happy. If you don’t think that backpacking is one of those things then it’s simple: don’t bother with it!

Inspiring Interns is a recruitment agency specialising in all the internships and graduate jobs London has to offer.