It is for me, it seems to be for you, but who are we to assume that everybody else are like us and that they will derive the same things we derive from traveling out of our comfort zone.


There is probably a lot of things you won't experience in your life that might be requirements of a fulfilling or valuable life to others.


To me reading and learning about history and philosophy would be a far more important requirement then traveling out of your comfort zone. Traveling is just one way, among many others, of opening your mind.


The human experience is vast and complex, I don't think our very limited and subjective experience of life warrants us the perspective and the authority to state what should be required in life.

I am about to leave on an adventure and I am not doing it because it is safe if you want safe stay at home if you want safe get a car if you want safe play golf.
I hope to be going to places that some would consider not safe and I have also considered not going to these places because of the dangers but after many hours of contemplation SAFE = BORING

It's kind of how my plan sits. Travel as much as i can while I am young enough and fit enough. When I am old and (more) knackered I'll buy a nice camper van and do Europe.

Only problem is, by the time the kids are grown up, I'll be old and knackered so I have had to reconcile myself to the fact I may never actually manage 'the big trip' I always dreamed of, so rather than the trip of a lifetime, I shall have to try and do a lifetime of trips.

Life is what you make of it, nothing ventured nothing gained!

The only place I have been shot at is New mexico in the USA! The only place I have been bombed is London in the UK. Both absolutely terrifying at the time.

I will go back to both money and time permitting.

I have been lucky enough to travel a bit, mostly east but some west too!

The world is an amazing place and I only have about 1/2 a life left to see as much of it as I can! I have a wife and child too now but that is not going to stop me. when I can I will take them along for the ride to!

Yes we WILL be exposed to risk, but we will all grow and gain from the experience.

The proof of the pudding ..
 

Absolutely correct .. :thumbup1:

I needed to effect some travel insurance recently. With the comments of this thread in mind, I decided to place the cover with SAGA. Not the cheapest deal available, but still priced at a relatively competitive rate of premium nevertheless.

Result: I made my first ever claim last Monday-9th, based on 'Failure of public transport'. In short, the initial connecting flight from my local airport up to London-Gatwick got cancelled due to a 'mechanical fault'. This meant having to get my flight ticket re-issued with the main airline concerned (Emirates) for the following day, plus an unexpected overnight accommodation expense in a Gatwick-based hotel.

Summary: I submitted my claim for £465.50 out-of-pocket expenses last week, on Monday-9th. I receive a courtesy phone call yesterday, Tuesday-17th from SAGA's Claim Underwriters - Cigna Insurance Services (Europe) Limited - confirming that they intended to credit the full amount claimed, by BACS transfer, into my bank account this week.

Just 6 working days to finalise the claim, from start to finish. No quibbling whatsoever. Excellent travel insurance! :yes:
.

Ten years before I can join :( . Ageist whasits :censored: . Still, good to hear of any part of the Uk insurance industry actually works like that.

I want my road insurance to be with William Hill or Ladbrokes (Book makers for those overseas). At least they'd be apologetic if I'd backed a winner and they decided to welch on the bet based on some small print. Can you imagine the riot if they decided the winner of the 3.30 at Kempton wasn't backed because the owner had changed colours!

Andy

It's not for everyone.

Do what makes you happy and what makes you feel comfortable. You could spend two life times travelling in Europe and never see it all.

100 years ago, the only chance most people got to leave their own town was if they were sent someone by the Military to get shot to pieces. We're all very lucky.


But travelling in these "far off dangerous places" is WAY easier and fun than you think. There are very few places left in the world where you can't buy a starbucks coffee and get wifi in your hotel room. Even the bigh bad wildernesses of the world.

Dangers, hostilities and hardships are highly exagerated to sell books and DVD's. The Government doesn't want you to go anywhere because you're contributing to their coffers so they do their best to scare you with bullshit like the FOC website.

Adventure is a state of mind. Not a GPS location.