so I thought of this topic again. It is a bit sad to revisit a former favorite destination, only to find you have "outgrown" it and don't really enjoy it anymore....
I just don't have this at all. I go back to places I have been before and see them through a new lens in a new way. I guess I just have a different perspective on this.
I was traveling and missed the OP back in March. I'm glad it was bumped up, as over the past couple of years I've had many of the same thoughts (although with a somewhat different frame) and have enjoyed reading the responses (as I lie in bed with the flu!) For me, "the thrill is gone" from many of my former favorite destinations in the United States. Its not because I've outgrown them, and I doubt that extensive travel has anything to do with it. Rather, I see them clearly "through a new lens in a new way", and conclude that many of those places have changed in ways that I don't like! Therefore, I no longer wish to devote that scarcest of resources--time--to revisiting them.
I'm fortunate to have visited many natural areas in the US before they were discovered by the tourist industry, and the upscale developers in the 90's and 2000's. "They paved paradise and put up a parking lot", and with a few exceptions, the newly developed upscale communities, strip malls, and tourist infrastructure have few endearing qualities over what was there before. It's painful; and at this point the pain produces no new realizations or motivations to work for changes. I rarely go back to those places.
Some favorite domestic cities have also changed for the worst, with San Francisco as exhibit A. I first traveled cross country to SF on my thumb in the early 70s, and have returned every year since, for work and to visit friends. Until a decade or so ago, the city retained certain egalitarian and creative impulses and a very diverse set of residents that complemented its physical beauty--despite frequent change and gentrification. That has changed in the last decade, with the hyper gentrification and the tech invasion. I still enjoy visiting, but the vibe is different and the thrill is gone.
Until a few years ago I traveled weekly for work--nearly all domestic. Assignment was to do a series of interviews and experiences that would provide a deep understanding of the disadvantaged areas in a city. Even though I've been out of that work for nearly a decade, I can still go into most major US cities and within a few days have a very clear updated understanding.
I've only done frequent international travel for the last 10 years, and most of that has been for pleasure. Although its been very enjoyable and highly rewarding, earlier this year I came to the troubling realization that the thrill was fading, if not gone. Upon reflection it hit me that the two trips that stood out the most were those where I had been able to go deep via extensive contact with locals outside of the tourist infrastructure. One was in NZ, where I had enough time (9 weeks) to run into and share experiences with local trekkers. The other was last fall in Japan, where we spent time with a good friend who does relief work with Tsunami/Fukushima survivors. In a week we were able to talk to and observe several of her colleagues in a way that provided enormous insight into the political economy and culture.
Its hard to go deep without either time to spend, or introductions from trusted sources (or both!) Its something I knew from my domestic work and travels, but didn't connect to the international trips. For next year, I'm planning fewer trips with longer duration, and am spending much more front end work determining what I want to dive into, and then having the conversations that will result in introductions from trusted sources to the locals who have expertise in that area. So far, most of those conversations have been great, and I'm jazzed by approach.
As I look back, I think that an interesting precursor of this desire to go deeper on international travels was a realization that came a couple of years ago from applying our travel research skills to where we live. We decided that instead of taking weekend trips domestically, we would stay home and choose some facet of the city or surrounding area we wanted to learn about, and then dive in. At first we approached it as tourists, using travel guidebooks and online resources. It was enjoyable and illuminating. But then we'd talk to friends and colleagues and discover that they knew something or someone of relevance. Introductions would be made and sometimes amazing experiences would result. Over the last couple of years its resulted in much deeper connections to the city than we've ever had. At this point, I get much more pleasure from exposing my young grandson (and his parents) to unique local experiences than I do jetting off to the beach for the weekend.
Thanks to you guys for being part of it.
