In a dream world, you may spend your entire life traveling. You would grab a one-way ticket to someplace in Europe, and spend a month or two there. You'd treat yourself to authentic Italian pasta and explore the museums, then take a flight elsewhere. You would constantly hop from one dreamy destination to the next, and get paid to do so. But unfortunately, reality just called, and you answered. It reminded you that you face the travel struggles millennials deal with on the reg. Let's laugh about them together, though, OK?
First things first: Let's address the other annoyances that happen to anyone going on a trip — not just your generation of travel lovers. There are the long lines at the airport that make you rush to your gate so that you don't miss boarding your flight. There are the times of the year when you choose to visit a beautiful place, and everybody else in the world seems to have the same idea. And there are the trips that you can't plan quite yet, because your passport needs to be renewed. Ugh!
Those struggles are all very worthy of an eye roll and complaining to the bestie who you're traveling with. They're worthy of saying, "The struggle is real," before hopping on another plane with not much leg room. But, they don't quite compare to these five instances that only millennials know, understand, and are able to laugh about. Pinky promise.
The first of these travel struggles that you likely face is having way too many places on your bucket list. (Seriously, the list goes on and on, and you're sort of convinced that some destinations are missing from your notes, too.)
For example, you know that you want to swim in the waterfalls of Iceland and explore the jungles of Bali. But, last month, you saw a picture on social media of the pastel houses stacked along the Amalfi Coast, and you still have to jot the exact locations down.
You need to read over the travel guides from your favorite influencers, and mark the restaurants that are total musts on a map. You also need to cross your fingers that you can get to all of these places, like, ASAP! Where there's a will, there's a way, though, right?
Let's be real: You want so many artsy and adventurous pictures for your Instagram of you walking through the earth tones of Joshua Tree National Park or posing near the Eiffel Tower in Paris. And you really don't want to settle for just a few selfies in your camera roll.
Sure, the sunshine on the West Coast would make for some great lighting. (The colorful walls on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles would give you some great backdrops, too!) But, you want pictures that come from every angle, and inspire your followers to get out and explore all the world has to offer.
You know, the pictures that you can caption with a cute travel quote like, "Wander to where the WiFi is weak." That kind of content is #goals.
Sometimes, you desperately want to travel, but your bank account says, "Um, no." It reminds you that you need funds for rent, groceries, and car insurance, and that there's no room in your budget for a trip halfway across the world. That's typically when the struggle feels the most real.
But, you always try to work your magic, anyway. You pull out your best apps for traveling, try to find plane tickets that are the cheapest, and attempt to apply discount codes, too. You tap into your credit card points to get the rates down, or book a trip well in advance.
Sometimes, it works, and you feel like a true wanderluster. Other times, you laugh with your bestie about channeling your inner Mary Poppins and flying around the world via an umbrella. (That would be affordable AF, huh?)
Time and time again, you may have had to explain to your older family members why you love to travel so much. You've explained why you call the city that you studied abroad in "home," and why you will willingly pay the big bucks for a plane ticket, but not for rent. It's a constant struggle, but one that you secretly love to face.
You secretly love answering questions like, "Don't you want to stay home for a little while?" and simply responding, "No, thanks!" You love using those conversations as an opportunity to talk about the trips you've already been on, and the ones you're planning right now.
Don't worry, I understand. Travel has truly enriched your life and changed you in the most amazing ways. You're not alone in feeling that.
Last but not least, you've likely traveled so much by now that you're starting to look into new and different experiences. You may begin to consider destinations that require taking a really long flight, and excursions that you once thought were out of your comfort zone. You're also thinking about going on a solo trip for the first time.
But, the struggle always sets in a little bit when you realize what traveling alone means. It means navigating an airport by yourself, and not having your bestie by your side to create new memories with. It also means that you get to start some new travel traditions with yourself, which is pretty rad, if you ask me.
I'm confident that you could do it, but I understand your nerves, too. Absolutely keep your best interests in mind, and talk to other millennials who have been there and done that. They know your struggles the best, and will laugh with you about them on the reg.
