I heard this way too many times when colleagues see how often I travel. By no means, I am not a pro traveler, I just choose a lifestyle where I have to be on the move. Well, at this point, you might as well call it, running away. And these are just a few experiences I had and how I felt about all of this.

Yes. Among mountainous problems I personally have, traveling/being on the move is a way for me to cope. A healthier version than drowning myself in bottles of vodka or whisky. Besides, those bottles of vodka are a flight somewhere, you know. I would definitely prefer traveling and constantly on the move, as traveling definitely humbles me down and it’s a way for me to also be grateful and constantly learning something new; about the people and myself. To me, the pretty pictures have always been a bonus but the tale that I got from those, worth billions. Here’s the catch, most people only see the pretty pictures but they don’t see behind the scenes - the darker side of traveling that many of us often don’t talk about and even I am guilty of not mentioning some of it. So, here are some of the darker sides of traveling that most people don’t talk about.

You’ll get scammed at least once

Just when you think traveling information is oversaturated, it’s not. I think more people should be more honest when writing out travel guides, blogs, and even reviews. Don’t just paint a pretty picture but tell us, behind the scenes of those.

Scams can happen anywhere at any time, even when you’re someone like me, who reads countless reviews, asking the locals, and potential mishaps before visiting a place. Just when you think you are well-researched and at least know what you’re getting into, at one point, you’d definitely at least experience some scams. It can be in many forms, like the hotel isn’t as what it looks on the internet or you paid transportation more than you should. When in a foreign place, sometimes it feels like people are out there to get you. Even when you think they didn’t, there’ll be one or two that attempted to do so. That’s why I am always on guard, especially traveling in a place where I don’t speak the language.

The airport scene is chaotic and exhausting

Unless you are a millionaire/billionaire flying on a private jet or in first class, the airport is a nightmare. Delayed flights, long layovers, canceled flights, people rushing to places, the airline changed its gate, dirty airport toilets, you name it. There’s nothing great about all that. When people pose at the airport, it’s often before their initial flight and after that, they’d be running around trying to find their boarding gates. Not to mention after you reach your destination, you’d find people offering you cabs and trying to scam you out of it, at least in Indonesia. It’s annoying as hell and apparently, it’s the norm anywhere. After a couple of flights, you eventually get tired of it and wish that you don’t have to fly all over again. At least, not anytime soon.

Loneliness can creep in

Despite being surrounded by potential new friends, the sense of loneliness is still there. People who are lonely often crave human contact, but their state of mind makes it more difficult to form connections with other people. . So just like that, overtime I get tired and want a connection but knowing that I am not staying long makes it harder to achieve that connection. I had way too many instances where I just sat in silence, somewhere nice but I still felt a deep sense of loneliness. So, again it’s not always daisies and rainbows. Sometimes I also question myself, “ what the fuck am I doing here?” and then proceed to just trying new stuff that I find stimulating.

Contributing to environmental damage

Sometimes I think about “how much do I actually contribute to environmental damage?”. I know hollywood artist or maybe other people don’t give a fuck about but I kinda do. In my opinion, the more people visit a place, the more it gets viral, the more it is easily damaged. Will there be anything left to see for the future generations? Will they be able to see the majestic temples I saw or the beautiful lush paddy fields, or maybe the beach that’s not filled with mega beach clubs? I don’t know. But I am definitely guilty as hell and it’s probably the sin that I’d continuously commit.

Stop moving/traveling then?

Maybe one day when I find my actual “home”. As long as I am on the search of where I feel home, surrounded with people who care about me, I won’t stop moving. So, maybe y’all can only hope I find it sooner.