Read a blog post about "slow travel" and honestly felt attacked

Last night I was in a hostel in Chiang Mai, scrolling through some travel blog that said staying in one place for only 3 weeks means you're just "vacationing with a laptop", and it got under my skin hard. I've been moving every 2 to 4 weeks for the last 8 months trying to actually see places, not just squat in one cafe forever, but now I'm second-guessing if I'm doing the whole nomad thing wrong or just faster than they like. Has anyone else gotten that weird guilt trip from slower travelers, and how do you actually decide when to settle somewhere for a longer stretch?

1 comments

Log in to join the discussion

Log In

1 Comment

jamesroberts2mo ago

vacationing with a laptop" got me too, like damn, I didn't know there was a minimum time stamp for being a real traveler. Honestly I've been hopping around every 3 weeks for a year and some slow travel guy in Lisbon told me I was "skimming the surface" and I almost threw my phone at him. Moving every 2 to 4 weeks is still way slower than most people who get 2 weeks off a year, so you're already doing more than the average person. Plus some places just don't click with you, why force a month in a city you hate just to hit some imaginary quota? If you're seeing stuff, eating local food, and not just sitting in a coworking space all day, you're doing it right.

1