Why I Never Traveled Abroad Until 30
I started traveling late in life. At least, compared to the friends and colleagues I was surrounded by in my 20s, I felt very far behind. Growing up, my family just didn't travel. The idea of going abroad was like a wild fantasy, so unattainable. My parents spoke about it like a far-off dream, something people did if they were either very wealthy or retired. We were, in my memory, squarely middle class, but my parents had other priorities for where they spent their money, which did not include "worldly" experiences. (There are a lot of reasons I wish travel had been a bigger part of my childhood—even just a little bit—but I do think it's important to clarify that I'm not upset with my parents that it wasn't. Looking back, I'm grateful for everything my parents did for my brother and I while we were growing up. I know that they truly believed they were setting us to have the best lives possible. One could debate all day about what's most important, but ...