Holidays and Holiday smugness and I hate the Guardian

[CaledonianGonzo]

It's all about how much important going on holiday/going abroad is to the individual.  It can be an addiction.  I went through a long phase (admittedly, not quite out of it and if I listed the places I've been, I would look like a smug cunt) where going abroad was about the most important thing in my life, and I'd forego meals and other social pleasures, scrimping every red cent together to head abroad.

I travel as much as I can. I can't stand the idea of not seeing a big portion of the globe before I go. Usually when I want to go somewhere I take on extra work so I can afford it. If some debts arise I can always pay those off later.

Completely agree with that.  Going to a few places, for me, just fuels the idea of seeing more.  There's always somewhere else to see, some other culture I need to experience.  Gotta feed the habit.

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

Some teenagers in Taiwan pay for that kind of thing.

[Jemble Fred]

I went through a long phase (admittedly, not quite out of it and if I listed the places I've been, I would look like a smug cunt

See, I honestly can't imagine what there is to be smug about. I'd possibly think you were very rich, or had a very slight job, but I wouldn't have a grain of envy. It would be like somebody saying they've eaten every kind of Walkers crisp. "Er.. lovely. Well done on that!"

I'm not belittling it, by the way, if you do take any pride in your travelling! I just can't see the attraction, meself.

[Cupid Stunt]

The old adage that travel broadens the mind is obvious bullshit.  My great aunts were remarkably well-travelled for women of their generation and social status.  They scrimped and saved and travelled around the world - they were actaully featured in their local paper for being the first women from their town to travel independently to America on a steam liner.  And yet they were a pair of staggeringly narrow-minded, racist old bigots.  Their postcards home from Egypt or India or Singapore just complained about the heat, the flies, and the uppity locals.

It is possible to travel to another country without experiencing much of the 'culture', just as it is possible to explore a lot of foreign cultures in depth from the comfort of your armchair.