These days, more people than ever seem to be postponing major life decisions. It could be getting married, improving their relationships with their families, committing to a purpose, taking responsibility, or building something lasting.
Instead of facing these decisions, they hide behind an activity called travel.
Do not take this the wrong way. Travel is one of the most beautiful parts of life. It opens your mind to new perspectives and cultures. It helps you build connections and meet people you may never have met otherwise.
But there is a difference between travelling to explore life and travelling to postpone it.
Psychology distinguishes meaningful exploration from ruminative exploration. Meaningful exploration eventually helps you make choices and commitments. Ruminative exploration keeps you trapped among endless possibilities, always searching but never deciding.
Travel is celebrated so widely that neither society nor the individual questions it. This allows it to become a respectable form of procrastination.
You keep moving from one place to another because standing still would require you to look within yourself, confront your fears, make difficult choices, and take responsibility for the direction of your life.
I now see many people who feel lonely but use travel as a shield. They say that travelling frequently keeps them happy. It might. But sometimes, constant movement is not a sign that you are moving forward in life.
Sometimes, what looks like freedom from the outside is simply indecision with a passport.