If there’s one thing travel bloggers hate, it’s being asked how they afford their travels.
…Okay, that’s probably a blanket statement, but it’s mostly true. I’ve seen plenty of blog posts and articles with an underlying tone of “how I afford my travels is none of your business.” And I totally get that.
In everyday life, no one goes around asking random strangers on the internet how they afford their house, or their car, their education, or their personal belongings. Asking personal money questions is deemed to be rude, and the rules of society tend to steer us away from those types of intrusive questions.
However, there’s one fundamental difference between affording travel and affording all of that other stuff: Travelers are the exception, not the rule. Affording a house, car, clothes, etc.? Totally expected of everyone. Affording to visit 10+ countries over the course of a year? Not so much.
Very few people around the world will ever make the necessary sacrifices to travel extensively (in part, for some people, because they don’t realize that they can) and so when they see people that are traveling extensively–and blogging about how easy it is–it begs the question in their minds: HOW?!
The “American Dream” (and probably the “Australian Dream” and the “Mexican Dream” and the “Wherever Dream”) includes having a home, a method of transportation, an education, and plenty of nice stuff, so no one thinks twice when someone goes out and achieves those things.
But what about when someone turns away from that American Dream, and instead of pursuing a house and a car, they pursue travel and worldly experiences?
In some extreme cases, onlookers may even see a person with no house, no car, no stuff, possibly no job, and yet somehow, “magically”, the means to jet-set around the world.
I can honestly see how that lifestyle could look pretty strange. Of course, we on the other side know that plenty of sacrifices were made to afford that lifestyle.
If someone is planning a round-the-world trip, they are going to have to make MAJOR lifestyle changes to make that happen. But they also may not discuss those lifestyle changes with the world in a totally transparent way.
The world usually only gets to see that person taking off on a plane, and having amazing adventures in Asia and Europe and South America. And if that person happens to be a travel blogger, the world gets to see that person optimistically preaching “Travel is easy! Travel is affordable! Travel is the best and anyone can do it!”
And the world is left scratching their heads and wondering what they missed. So, I think it’s totally natural for readers of those blogs to ask the question: How do you afford to travel?
In some cases, they may even include that one little phrase that drives travelers and bloggers absolutely nuts: “You’re SO lucky!”
This seemingly innocent phrase can send even the nicest travel bloggers into an uncontrollable rage. After all, those bloggers didn’t get to where they are by sitting around, eating bonbons and waiting for someone to foot the bill for their travels. They worked.
How could ANYONE think that they got where they are through luck alone?!
If you want to read one particularly entertaining post on this subject, check out this one from Young Adventuress, aptly named “The Lucky Rant”. In this post, Liz tackles the subject by noting the years of hard work that she has put into her travel blog and her business, and it’s easy to see why she would be peeved by random strangers telling her how lucky she is when she knows about the hours, days, months, and years of work that happened behind the scenes to get her where she is today.
There’s also this post, “Stop Asking Me How I Afford to Travel“, which takes a direct (and humorous) approach to the issue.
Both articles make very valid points, and I adore both bloggers so this isn’t a dig at either of them (or anyone else for that matter).
But the truth is, I do still believe that there is a HUGE amount of luck involved in having the ability to travel, and that 99% of travelers and travel bloggers (if not ALL of them) should be counting their lucky stars, because if things had been different for them in life, they very well may not be where they are today.
If you’re a traveler or blogger and you feel yourself getting heated, hang tight. I’m going to use MY personal experience specifically to highlight just how lucky I’ve been in life (ie. exactly which privileges I’ve been “blessed” with), and how it’s affected my ability to travel:
American Privilege
Or, more accurately, “First World Privilege”. I have a HUGE advantage here, versus someone who was born in, say, Nigeria, Egypt, or North Korea.
Obviously.
Yes, of course, there are people from all over the world who can make travel happen, but I truly believe that it is MUCH easier as someone who comes from a first world, highly developed nation.
The travel industry was practically built to accommodate and appeal to first world travelers, even budget travelers.
As an American, there are very few places that I can’t go due to passport or visa restrictions, and my government has no interest in blocking me from leaving the country.
Being an American has also hugely impacted my financial situation. We do have issues with poverty and wealth inequality here in the States, but I do think that there’s an increased chance of escaping that poverty here, versus elsewhere in the world.
White Privilege
Yes, it’s still a thing, and it can make a big difference when it comes to world travel.
Adventurous Kate has a great post on this topic from her Viewpoints series, and it really introduced me to some ideas that I had never considered before. In this post, she interviews Maya Bhardwaj, an Indian-American traveler, who discusses her experience with feeling isolated from other (primarily white) travelers, feeling as if she looks (and even identifies with) the locals more than her fellow travelers, and being treated differently by locals who make assumptions about her (such as in France, where she was at times assumed to be a Northern African immigrant).
I’ve certainly never had an issue relating to the other backpackers in my hostels, and I’ve never had locals question whether or not I belonged or should be welcomed. That’s not to say I’ve never stood out when traveling…I have. But fortunately, those situations have mostly been limited to comments about my ultra blonde hair and blue-green eyes.
Not very threatening, to say the least!
To sum it up, my skin color has never hurt me in any way while traveling (aside from attracting some extra unwanted cat-calling in Latin American countries), and unfortunately, not all travelers of other skin colors can say the same.
Sadly, some countries are seriously lagging behind in the times when it comes to how they view certain ethnicities and races, and travelers to these countries are not exempt.
Able-Bodied Privilege
My physical health has never presented me with a challenge to travel, in literally any way. I don’t have any physical conditions or disabilities that make movement difficult for me. I can hike, bike, swim, trek, climb stairs, and spend hours walking through city streets.
I don’t have to lug an oxygen tank around with me everywhere I go, I have 20/20 vision, and my hearing is great. I never have to think twice about whether my hotel or a tourist attraction has an elevator or a wheelchair ramp. I don’t even have food allergies to worry about!
Although I would never suggest that a disability makes travel impossible, I’m sure no one would argue with the idea that it makes it harder. This is something that I personally take for granted all too often.
English-Speaking Privilege
Like it or not, English is the universal language. In most places throughout the world, you can find someone who speaks at least a little bit of English.
That said, I never really considered this a privilege until last year, when this happened:
I had just arrived in Munich alone after an international flight, and was waiting in a seemingly endless customs line around midnight. I was tired, sweaty, cranky, and just wanted to get out of there. There was a girl from somewhere in Eastern Europe in line directly in front of me, and when she arrived at the customs counter, I watched as she struggled to communicate with the German officer.
“Do you speak English?” he asked.
She wavered for a minute, before shaking her head with a nervous laugh. I watched as he grew increasingly frustrated with her, as she was unable to answer his questions about where she was going, who she was meeting, when she was leaving, and why she was in Germany.
She was practically in tears by the time they were done, and I don’t blame her.
If I was alone in a new country and a foreign customs offer was speaking harshly with a raised voice to me, and I couldn’t understand a word that he was saying, I would be totally freaked out.
When my time came to step up to the counter, my ability to speak English made my experience so much less stressful and intimidating than hers, and I was so grateful for that. Again, this isn’t something that prevents travel, but I can see how it could cause some people to shy away from it, for fear of having a negative experience like the one above.
My ability to speak English opens the door for me in other ways, too. As a native English speaker, I can travel on the cheap by teaching English abroad.
That’s just not an option for someone who doesn’t speak fluent English, meaning that they don’t have the option to pursue one the most economical methods of long-term travel. This can apply to other work abroad situations too, including working in a backpacker hostel or a cruise ship, since English is usually required.
Upper Middle Class Privilege
You don’t have to be rich to travel…not at all. But, having parents who can afford all of your expenses growing up certainly makes it easier.
My parents paid for the huge majority of my educational expenses, and although I graduated with student loan debt, it was a MUCH smaller amount than it could have been. My parents paid for my rent throughout college, as well as some groceries, leaving me with only the small expenses such as utility bills and car insurance.
It was enough to instill in me a strong work ethic, and today I’m great at budgeting and saving money. However, I’m certain it would have been a completely different experience had I needed to pay for EVERYTHING during my college years.
Maybe you’re different than me–maybe you did have to pay for everything.
But did you have to pay for some of your parents’ expenses, too? Were they struggling to make ends meet? Were you ever threatened with homelessness? Did you drop out of school in order to make more money to support your family? Did you ever have to choose between spending your money on travel, versus spending it on food for your younger siblings? What about deciding between spending money on your dream vacation and helping your mom with her medical treatment bills, because she couldn’t afford them?
This is the reality for many people right here in the United States, and much more so in many other parts of the world.
There are definitely varying degrees of financial privilege, and while your parents may not have been multi-millionaires, it’s likely that you did experience some degree of privilege.
You may have had to sell your car to travel, which is a sacrifice, but some people can only dream of owning a car in the first place.
Honestly, I’m sure that there are others I’m forgetting here. Heterosexual privilege? “Skinny” privilege? The only privilege I can think of that I don’t have (other than being an heir to a trillion dollar fortune) is Male Privilege.
If I could visit certain destinations without the fear of being catcalled, harassed, raped, or sexually assaulted, then I’d truly have it all.
The point is, I really do feel privileged in many ways. If you never stop to think about it, it can be easy to say, “I’m not privileged, I got to where I am solely through hard work.”
It’s natural to feel that way. I worked my butt off in college to get my degree, and I hustled to find a job when I graduated. I pinch pennies, say no to concerts and music festivals with friends, and pretty much never buy an article of clothing that’s more than $25, all so I can afford to travel.
I do work hard. I do make sacrifices. But I am privileged, and I’m not scared to admit that.
I don’t believe that admitting privilege detracts from my hard work or authenticity as a traveler. If anything, I think it makes me more real, relatable, and believable.
This post isn’t meant to discourage anyone; I do believe that almost anyone can travel. This post from This American Girl shines the spotlight on some kick-ass travelers who have overcome the odds and made travel a priority, including travelers of different skin-colors, from various countries, and even with disabilities.
I’m also not saying that we shouldn’t take advantage of the privileges granted to us. Of course we should. Travel is an amazing thing, and more travelers means a more connected, educated, understanding, and compassionate world.
If you can travel, DO IT, and don’t feel guilty just because it’s easier for you than it is for someone else. Instead, simply be aware of it, and be sensitive to those who weren’t born into the same circumstances.
Additionally, we need to be careful about pushing our personal views, goals and dreams onto others. As travel bloggers, I believe our mission is to inspire, inform, and entertain; not to make anyone feel bad for choosing a different direction, or “failing” to live a lifestyle like ours.
So, am I “so lucky”? Yes, I guess I am. Does it offend me when people tell me that? Not really, unless it’s coming from another able-bodied, upper middle class, English-speaking, white American person. In that case, I want to shake them and scream “YOU CAN DO THIS TOO! If anyone can do it, it’s YOU.”
The thing about travel and privilege is this: there’s an absolute connection between the two, and I think it’s time that we own up to it and start getting real. By pretending that the relationship doesn’t exist, I believe that we are isolating a huge group of interested readers, as well as making it look like we have our heads in the clouds and are ignorant to real issues.
Oh, and it makes us look ungrateful, which is really just uncool.
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Do you think that travel and privilege are interconnected? What privileges do you think you have? Are there any that you wish you had? Have you ever experienced the effects of privilege (or lack of privilege) while traveling?
This is so wonderfully accurate! It drives me nuts when bloggers act like they’ve never received a helping hand in their whole life. I mean, really? I especially love your point “you may have had to sell your call to travel; but some people can only dream of owning a car in the first place.” So well said!!
Thanks Margot! I completely agree…glad I’m not the only one!
YES. Girl, this is truly perfection. Good on you for keeping it real!
Hehe thanks!!
I think you wrote a very well-written post on a topic within the travel community that can be quite controversial. I think what pisses people off about the phrase “You’re so lucky” is that it undermines the hardwork that you’ve put in, to get to a point where you can afford to travel. But of course, we ARE lucky because a lot of people don’t have the luxury of being able to afford travel, even after hard work. Because, you know.. food, shelter and water are more important. I think it puts terms like ‘luck’ and ‘privilege’ into perspective and that even though we didn’t grow up with billionaire parents paying our way in life, we are still very lucky and privileged to have been able to get to where we are with our own efforts. Great post!
Ella recently posted…Photo Essay: The Great Ocean Road
Exactly, I think there are really two parts to the equation. I definitely got lucky in the sense that I was born into all of the “privileges” above–I didn’t have any choice in the matter and none of those factors are due to my hard work. But what I choose to do with my life after that point IS in my control and due to my personal choices (i.e. saving money to go traveling) so that part isn’t luck. Thanks for your comment!
I never get offended when people tell me that I am lucky to live the traveling lifestyle that my husband and I have built for ourselves. We had to sacrifice a lot, but it was all by choice! What bugs me is when, like you said, other privileged people act like they couldn’t do what I do because they couldn’t possibly afford it. I want to shake them and just tell them that it’s obviously not important enough to them because instead of spending all their hard earned money on new phones, cars, homes, clothes, etc., they could just buy what they truly NEED (not want) and spend that same money on seeing the world! I may not have said this very well, but I’m sure you know what I mean 🙂
Francesca @ twobackpacksoneadv.com recently posted…Drink Like A Local In Scotland’s Distilleries
I completely understand that! Like you, I feel like it’s a bit of both–I feel lucky to be able to travel so much, but I also know how much money I’ve saved for travel by pretty much never purchasing anything other than the necessities.
Great read! I never want to discount hard work, but the truth is ‘hard work’ is very different for people, depending on the privileges they have. I like to see this kind of content addressed, so well done!
Thanks Kara! Agree with you 100%.
“So, am I “so lucky”? Yes, I guess I am. Does it offend me when people tell me that? Not really, unless it’s coming from another able-bodied, upper middle class, English-speaking, white American person. In that case, I want to shake them and scream “YOU CAN DO THIS TOO! If anyone can do it, it’s YOU.””
THIS. Exactly how I feel. I completely 10000000% agree with you on privilege. Which is why anyone who HAS the privilege to travel AND the desire, but constantly bemoans not being able to? That’s who I think all of those travel bloggers are speaking to when they write posts about how ‘anyone can travel.’ I think it’s super important to be more inclusive in the travel world, though, and your article is really helping to encourage the discussion!
Thanks for the comment Eva! I totally agree that people who were born into privilege and want to travel should (and can) make it happen, which is why I think it’s so important to keep things transparent and show them exactly how it’s done!
I thoroughly enjoyed this article for being outside of the box. It made me realise how lucky I am to be living a travel lifestyle and there’s no shame in that.
Thanks so much Jess! That’s exactly how I feel, too.
Glad you mentioned Gloria’s article. She’s awesome, and I’m lucky to count her among my friends. Other than that, English-speaking privilege is a big one. We can pretty much go anywhere, and if people don’t speak our language, it’s (mostly) their problem.
Exactly! I’m always so impressed by travelers from non-English speaking countries, who usually have to resort to English to get their point across to locals of many other countries. That would be so tough!
Seriously love this post! I can related to it in so many ways! I always find myself getting a little annoyed when people ask me how I travel and how I afford to. As if someone just handed me a big sum of money and said go have fun! People rarely see the behind the scenes to traveling and how much planning, budgeting and saving it takes! But again, we are privileged and it’s important to remember that too! Like you I’m a white American female from a middle class home, which (aside from being a male in the same situation) pretty much sets me up to be able to do this in some ways! It’s important to remember that no matter how hard we work, we still are lucky in so many ways 😀
Thanks Lauren! Totally agree with everything you said 🙂
I fucking love this. As someone who had to work for my family business from ages 13-18 only to find out in adulthood that it would be able to support many of my life adventures (i.e. grad school so I’d be able to save my money to travel), I recognize how “lucky” I really am. As Americans, we like to forget that sacrifices were made by many to ensure our freedoms- namely, the military and their family. We are able-bodied! We are allowed to choose between the extra $100+/month for cable TV (yeah it’s still that expensive!) and saving up for a trip abroad. We can visit where our families immigrated from with no hesitation.
To me, it to fear/avoid travel is a disgrace to all those who fought for our freedoms. We should actively try to prove to terrorists that we are more concerned with the spreading of ideas than with fear.
Rant over 😉 Thanks for sharing!
Lauren recently posted…A Weekend in Aruba: What We Did Wrong and What We Did Right
Thanks Lauren!! That’s a great point, many of our privileges as Americans are a direct result of the sacrifices other Americans have made for us. And I totally agree about not letting terrorism win by giving in to fear!
As a girl who totally doesn’t have all the privileges you mentioned above, I strongly agree with you. I’m from Indonesia (which is actually the third-world country), I’m not white, I wear hijab which you can guess how high the possibility for me getting all the rude looks from everyone in public, and there are only a few countries that I don’t need VISA to enter their area; but those all don’t stop me from going places, meeting new people and just simply learning about everything along the way. Because I’m just a girl who just love traveling. Nothing else.
I hate being called “you’re so lucky” and sometimes I feel bad so I’m afraid to share about it.
But now, I think I know what I have to do about all the stories I got without getting annoyed by that question. Thank you
Thanks for your comment, Nerissa! Love the perspective that you provided, and so happy to hear that you haven’t let anything get in the way of your passion for travel! 🙂
I really loved this post. You make some great points, I especially appreciate the point about being healthy. I have chronic illnesses that make it really hard for me to travel sometimes and I feel like it’s something that hardly anyone talks about.
Thanks for your comment, Ava! I agree that it’s not talked about frequently enough, but I know that it can be a real challenge at times. Safe travels!
Great to find your blog via the #WanderfulWednesday link-up! I think you hit the nail on the head with this piece. We don’t control where we are born or who are parents will be, and so many of us are very fortunate to exist in the world we “lucked into.” Thanks for your honesty, it all makes sense!
Christy Swagerty (whatupswags) recently posted…Prancing About Paris
Ahh thanks, that’s exactly how I feel! So glad to see so many other travelers/bloggers feel the same.
Excellent article. As an older traveler (and after 2 cancers and three orthopedic surgeries),, I appreciate even more the privilege Health has given me.
I’m sure you have a really good perspective on this subject! Safe travels 🙂
This is so spot on! Sure anyone can travel. But for some people it is infinitely easier than others. And it’s important to recognise your privilege. Beautiful writing. I wrote a post on a similar topic if you’re interested https://mywildday.wordpress.com/2016/07/27/perfect-facade-of-venice-5-types-of-privilege/
I love that post, and I’m glad that other travel bloggers are discussing this topic as well!
I’ve had a post like this in my drafts for years. I don’t understand why some travelers are so offended by the “L” word. I wake up every day and feel like the luckiest girl in the world! And that doesn’t take away from my hard work or sacrifices.
That’s funny, it took me around 6 months to hit publish on this post after I wrote it. It just feels like such a controversial topic among so many travelers, which I totally don’t understand either.
This is ridiculous. There is no privilege to travel. This article is too egotistic and biased. People who speak English, middle class, White, etc. are not the only ones traveling this earth. People of color travel too, and many of them are not middle class.
“There is no privilege to travel”? Really? I’m not sure if you actually read this article or just the headings, because I listed specific examples of how each of those factors (English-speaking, upper middle class, able-bodied, etc.) makes it easier to travel, which is what a privilege is. I also said several times that in the end anyone can travel if they’re passionate enough about it, it just might be harder for some people. So, travel bloggers shouldn’t preach that it’s “so easy” to travel because it’s not easy for everyone.
Thank you for writing this article. I am somewhere in the middle of (somewhat) having the means to travel but also feeling like there are more important things for me to be spending a huge chunk of my money on (student loans, retirement savings, health savings, saving for a house, etc.) I believe the cynicism of society is partially to blame for why people are so turned off to travel and are quick to blame those who have seized the opportunity in their own lives. We focus on the essentials in our lives (justifiably) and the perks seem out of reach. The most irritating thing to me is listening to some people who are fortunate to travel act like the only way for you to become a whole person and expand ones horizons is through travel. Travel in itself is a privilege, however a person has the means to do so. Thank you for recognizing this and bringing light to it!
Thanks so much for your comment! I totally agree with everything you’ve said. It also really irritates me when frequent travelers act like they’re more “enlightened” than everyone else because they’re able to travel. I do think travel is a great way to expand your horizons, put things in perspective, and learn about the world, but it’s absolutely not the only way to do so! You could also even argue that being a “whole,” happy person means being content with what you already have, in the place you already are 😉 There’s no one right way to live your life!
I really, really love this. I stumbled upon this post after literally googling ‘travel makes me feel so lucky’ (which it really, really does) and this post perfectly sums up just how lucky people who get to even think of travelling are and it does so thoroughly and thoughtfully so I hope you don’t mind if I link it.
I also think it’s very, very true. Out of all the good I have in life, travel has been the most profound at highlighting just how fortunate I really am (and I’ve still really only done so much) and a number of the forms of privilege you mentioned above are a huge part of that fortune (gainfully employed, mostly able bodied Asian born Australian English speaker whose parents were able to support me through school and uni). I admire real travellers who have clearly sacrificed and worked hard to live the life they do but to have even had the chance to do that in the first place is in itself a great privilege. I’m originally from the Philippines and so many people there would never even be able to imagine going on a trip, let alone a lifestyle built extensively around travel.
There is definitely nothing wrong with being fortunate or lucky and I think it’s completely fair to acknowledge that that’s exactly what people who get to travel are. Cheers for this post and I’m very glad to have stumbled upon your lovely site!
Jel recently posted…Another year late travel post – Pasko at Bagong Taon 2015-2016 sa Pilipinas!
Thanks so much for your sweet comment, you just made my day! 😀 I think being born or living in another country is another great way to highlight just how big of a role privilege plays in travel and other lifestyle choices. I get what people are trying to say when they say things like “I’m not lucky, I worked hard to be able to travel as much as I do” but they’re totally failing to account for the things that are out of their control, like being born in a 1st world country, not having major health problems, or having a full education that allowed them to work and save money. That’s what luck is, afterall!
I love this post. It so perfectly sums up how I feel about travel. Your comment about how the color of your skin has made travel so much easier resonated with me. When I lived in Chile, I constantly felt to extra status automatically given to me because I was blond-haired and pale-skinned. It felt so unfair, especially when I saw my darker-skinned Chilean friends being treated so differently.
I also like how you balance those inherent privileges with the reality that, in order to travel around the world, you’ve had to make hard, real sacrifices. You’ve put your love of travel above a lot of other possible paths, including the security of a long-term address and friends who live down the street.
Our family is balancing the excitement of moving abroad with the reality of living far away from parents, sisters, brothers, cousins, and grandparents, from sharing birthdays and holidays with loved ones. While we believe travel and the unforgettable experiences that come with traveling around the world are worth it, it doesn’t make the trade-offs easier.
Hi!
I really enjoyed this article as I have also been told many times that I am ‘so lucky’ – I am not a professional traveler however I do not have what you would call a normal life. I was born in England, left when I was 11, then spent 12 years in France, moved to South Africa with my fiance to make our dreams of being safari guides come true and now we are tour and safari guides based in Namibia, taking people on trips around Namibia, Botswana and South Africa. Its basically like being paid to be on holiday but with extra responsibilities.
I tell people back in Europe that I am not lucky, I worked hard, gave up everything I knew, and made my dreams happen.
But I also tell the locals here that I realize that I was born with privileges that they do not have, however I do my best to share my advantages with them, mostly through education and the sharing of knowledge. I think it is very important to recognize our privileges and share them as much as we can, because at the end of the day we will still be educated young white women, and using that to someone else’s advantage does not cost us anything
I look forward to reading the rest of your articles
What a cool career path!! Sounds like a really interesting and unique experience. I love what you said about how using our privilege to benefit someone with less privilege costs us nothing – so true and such a good way to think about it! Thanks Stacey!!
Kelly, I love your honesty! It’s really refreshing, a lot of people are almost ashamed of it. To be honest I went through a phase a few years ago of feeling embarrassed about how lucky I am (my upbringing sounds pretty similar to yours) but I’ll never forget a friend saying ‘Lu, don’t be like that! Enjoy it to the max, but don’t forget you can also use it wisely’. So I guess that’s what I’m trying to do now – use it to share experiences with all kinds of people and see amazing places, but also learn and give back.
Thanks again, great stuff 🙂
I wrote about how travelling has helped me figure out what I want / how I want to lead my life if you’re interested: https://lulaaventura.wordpress.com/2017/04/12/home-is-where-i-feel-a-little-strange-2017/
I totally get what you mean – it feels weird to “own” your privilege when so many others lack it, but if you can use it to live your best life and help others along the way, that’s a great way to use it!
Thank you for writing this article! As someone who has studied sociology extensively it frustrates me to see people not understanding the luck that brought them to the position they are in life. Everyone works hard. The burger flipper, the janitor, the gas station attendantor single mom. All have had a different hand of cards dealt to them.
YES you said it perfectly! If two people work equally hard but one started from a much higher position socioeconomically than the other, it’s too easy for them to think that they worked harder to get there, even if that’s not the case.