View Full Version : What's the #1 thing stopping you
naturlred
12-01-2015, 10:12
What is the #1 thing stopping you from going to that place you would go if you could anywhere?
Is is money, physical health, family, children, lack of knowledge, work, etc.?
I read some of the destinations on the question posted,"where would you go if you could anywhere," and I am surprised that some destinations are in the US and not all that expensive to travel to. So I just wonder, what is stopping you?
Just curious...
Family obligations and a need to balance my recreational activities with business activities. Hiking is the cheapest form of recreation that I know of and the one I most enjoy so money is a non-issue.
colorado_rob
12-01-2015, 10:27
Nothing whatsoever, so basically there is no #1 thing.
garlic08
12-01-2015, 10:42
Money comes closest, but it's more a question of value per dollar. I could afford that trip, but would it really be worth it when there's a much cheaper trip (like hiking/biking) that I would enjoy almost as much, maybe more?
I make similar decisions when I pass a restaurant that would be fun, but expensive. I always keep quality food stocked at home and I enjoy cooking, so I usually save some money and eat at home, invite friends or neighbors over and have a really excellent time. Even though I have the money for the restaurant. I could afford to buy a car, too, but I prefer my bicycle and sharing a car with my wife. The car would not give me enough value for the money.
Another issue is I'm a little uncomfortable traveling places where the locals are completely unable to visit me. My last trip to Peru, a new friend in a mountain town wondered why I could come visit his town, and there's no possible way he could ever come visit mine. I had no good answer to that and it upset me a little.
Water Rat
12-01-2015, 11:06
My answer – Nothing is stopping me. Work, family, money obligations sometimes keep me from doing the activity/going on a trip for a little bit, but I eventually do get to complete my goal.
When I go “away,” I am not a person who needs to go on the cruises and see all the trendy, touristy places. I tend to visit interesting places where I can spend time with the locals and actually experience the place I am visiting. I like hiking and learning the history and the culture. I like visiting the off-the-beaten path places. This tends to allow for a much less expensive, much more interesting (to me) trip.
How do I keep moving forward with all that I want to see and do when life is busy and full of commitments? My list is made up of everything from new (to me) local hikes that look interesting, to the bigger trips and places to see. I plug the smaller trips/events in as time/money/health/family obligations/work allows. I don’t go out to movies, but do prefer to spend my time researching new places and things to do. If you can dream it, you can do it. It is just a matter of balancing your priorities and making a point to work toward your goal. This might mean passing up on buying the latest gadget (not an issue for me), or making the decision to eat at home (also not an issue for me). It all depends on what you deem important in your life.
My list of things to do and places to see is not a checklist and it is always growing. Everything on my list is something I want to actually immerse myself in and experience. This is different from a lot of people out there… I am not in a race to get through my list. When I find myself with time, I see what trip/event/activity will best fit in as time and money allow. I am not one who needs the instant gratification of getting the trip over and checked off my list.
mattj23464
12-01-2015, 11:10
Money, so im planning on selling my house so I can go on a thru hike starting in march
rgarling
12-01-2015, 11:12
There is no place to go worth the effort of getting there; however, if I'm there (wherever) I usually enjoy it.
It is money. If money was unlimited, I wouldn't need to work and I could afford to take my family with me.
PackHorse
12-01-2015, 11:40
Time... Right now it's the large block of time I would need. So, until then I do things that I can fit in, multi-day, week long, or a few weeks. Just hoping that the health holds out until retirement happens. I'm not willing to sell out and go now because I want to be able to choose a nice retirement home when I'm old. : ')
Money. Language. Disease and/or political strife at the destination. All sorts of things.
My wife and I both did plenty of adventurous traveling when we were younger... but these days we're more risk-averse, you might say.
dudeijuststarted
12-01-2015, 12:08
Money for food, shelter, clothing, and health insurance. Society and government have formed a nice little trap with the capitalist class-system and the "affordable" health care act. On the same token, it can be used to one's advantage. I no longer have delusions about "career satisfaction," and happily show up to work saving for future adventures and a small little property to live on in between them. I beat the system once, I'll do it again, and will go to my grave having lived life on my terms.
Time off from work!
RUNT ''13''
Spirit Walker
12-01-2015, 12:44
Husband and dog. Neither can do much hiking any more, so neither do I.
MuddyWaters
12-01-2015, 12:48
Children. Doing their stuff is more important use of time and money.
Berserker
12-01-2015, 13:05
In order of priority it's kids, time and then money. I have some money to do some cool stuff, but not a lot of time (work full time and only get vacation and holidays). Then of course #1 is the kids right now although they are starting to get older, and likely will push time and money to the forefront pretty soon.
I read some of the destinations on the question posted,"where would you go if you could anywhere," and I am surprised that some destinations are in the US
This shouldn't be all that surprising; money or no, the US plays host to some of the most spectacular landscapes. I've been one of the fortunate ones here and have traveled extensively (75+ countries at last count), and each time I venture somewhere new within the US, I'm happy to have done so.
Sure, China, Norway, Iceland, Africa, New Zealand and the Middle East (et al) all possess more of the same sort of awe, but visiting them does necessitate more...more money, more time allotted, more courage, more hassle, and so on. Plus, we're fortunate here in the US to have a government who at least thinks about conservation, and for the time being, there's enough to see in this country to last at least a thousand lifetimes. Hell, I've been playing in Southern Utah for three decades now and still find new spots and new inspiration every week. Thoreau said a man could live his entire life within a twenty-mile radius and still not discover every wonder within. We needn't always think big.
Southern Utah has some amazing scenery.
naturlred
12-01-2015, 22:15
Thank you all for answering. I knew there had to be many reasons but I am quite shocked at a few answers.
For me, personally, Southern Utah is the place to be. No amount of money could keep me from visiting here time and time again.
As for all of you with hopes of reaching your dream place.... all in good time. Take care of business first(whatever that may be), it will make it even more wonderful when you finally reach your destination.
bayouboy
12-03-2015, 02:23
Money is the root of my problem because if I had plenty of money I wouldn't have to work which would free up a enormous amount of time. But because of house note and normal living expenses not working is not a option and takes the most of my time
Ben
lack of money and lack of a buddy/partner to go with.
Southern Utah has some amazing scenery.
Understatement of this and the previous century.
As for what's stopping me? Time. That constraint will be removed soon.
Wayne
Sarcasm the elf
12-03-2015, 09:55
For me it's that I recently found a great day-hiking partner :sun
32853
Hiking itself doesn't cost much money compared to most other forms of travel and recreation of similar duration but it does cost money to take time off. I think that's really what people are saying when citing money as an obstacle. That totally makes sense and explains why a very large percentage of thru hikers are either in their 20s or 50s and older. In the younger group, there are many people who have few fixed responsibilities (I've met a number who don't even have fixed addresses during long hikes) and limited immediate income prospects, so they are neither giving up much lost income or having to deal with many off-trail expenses. In the older group, you have a mix of retirees on comfortable incomes and some people who retired early not entirely by choice but have downsized and made hiking a priority. If healthy, there's no reason not to be hiking into your 60s and beyond but how many people in their 50s can do a thru hike compared to people in their 20s, assuming limited conditioning prior to the hike? I am 42 and have the flexibility to go on multi-week to 1-2 month hikes but have difficulty with allocating the 4-5 months for a long trail thru hike and probably will continue to have difficulty for a decade or more. It is time rather than money but the reality is the same... I wish I had done much more hiking in my early 20s. The interest was there , but I also was in too much of a rush to get ahead professionally. In retrospect, taking a half year off for a thru hike wouldn't have changed much if anything.
Time. Money. Family and home obligations. Also a surfeit of past travels, people, and places that make me less than desperate to seek out more just for its own sake.
If I spend two minutes conjuring up travel wants, I can think of fifty entrancing scenarios for places to go and things to do. This is the season that cruise catalogs arrive in the mail--I'm not sure why I'm on the mailing lists of cruise companies, since I've never been on a cruise and don't plan ever to take one. For only $12,000 I could spend a luxurious week sailing to Alaska, or wherever. Even something as ridiculous as that can tempt me momentarily, just because I've never done it. Could the experience possibly be worth $12,000? No. If I felt the need to rid myself of $12,000, I would donate it to charity.
On the other hand, in spite of being able to dream up wants, I am very happy where I am and doing what I do. And I certainly would not divorce myself from husband and family--they give me much more than they take away.
When I pack up to leave on a trip, I feel regret that I won't be here to see the beauty of whatever season unfold. But for 10-12 weeks this year I've gone anyway.
For the past half hour I've been watching the most glorious winter sunrise unfold, with Glacier National Park to the left and the Great Bear Wilderness to the right. The cabin is snug and warm. I'm about to pack lunch made partly with my home-grown salad greens and herbs. I'll probably spend about 7 hours at work today. It's still the shoulder season, so the pace isn't too frantic. Some of my work is dull, but some is quite interesting to me. The ski season will start shortly--I'll meet a number of congenial people who come here to ski. Most of my co-workers are fun to be around.
I realized a long time ago that wherever I go, I never leave myself behind. So I make a habit of enjoying myself wherever I am. I have also traced a long arc of putting myself in places I want to be...like NW Montana on the edge of Glacier National Park.