на русском писать надо дамочка

Hard to tell what travelling gives you on top of saying "I sat at my desk and now I'm dying". Maybe just an additional phrase like "I travelled this number of countries and now I'm dying"?

Always strikes me as weird when people who travel try to point out that travelling makes them (somehow!) better persons than they would be if they didn't travel.

I agree that living in a 3rd world, especially socialist country gives you some perspective on how some seemingly good ideas always tend to produce bad results. But, actually, you don't have to travel and waste tons of money to get a clue, all you have to do is study, research for significant facts on that and think a for more than just one iteration of thought process. Besides, visiting 3rd world countries isn't of course equal to living there.

In the end it boils down to what people enjoy. I can tell that not all people enjoy traveling: I for example don't. I hate it and why would I put myself into lots of trouble of getting proper documents, wasting money for transportation and hotels, living in subpar conditions in unknown environments, accepting most likely higher risks for me not to manage to arrive to the final point when I can tell that "I did that and now I'm dying" to someone?

After all, I can watch everything I need on youtube or something. And if I don't do that then probably I'm not interested in getting this information even for free, why would I spend on travelling.

you kill me with your smile

Btw ... When crossing the Russian state border at Vladivostok Free Port, an 8-day visa can be issued immediately at the border. Foreigners will be allowed to enter the Free Port zone and the area adjacent to it including 14 municipalities: Vladivostok, Artem, Ussuriisk ...

What interesting things have you seen in Russia?

I came to a conclusion that people are more or less the same everywhere.

After travelling to America, England, Germany, Italy, Greece, China, India, Bali, etc. I think I've seen all the possible varieties.
I now want to travel only if I will get some new knowledge there, not just walking around and taking photos.

Honestly, I think the typical American reaction on onther countries is quite shalow.
Something like "How can you live in this way or in those surroundings" or "What strange stereotypes you have".

I think people live almost the same life everywhere.
They sleep, eat, drink, pee, etc.
They have certain emotions inside or no emotions :)

Look at these girls.
www. adme. ru/tvorchestvo-fotografy/fotograf-pokazal-krasotu-zhenschin-so-vsego-mira-856560/

They are just dressed differently but they are the same. The girls.
To understand this you need to look deeper, beyond concepts and values which normally occupy our minds.

PS. And I do not want to be on a deathbed :)
I want ro realize my nature.

Not first time I run into the young or middle aged ZheZhe user who believes she (yes, only she) must obtain some adventures experience in her life to retranslate it in the future to her descendants about. When I was young I thought the same way.
But today when I'm close to 60, I don't feel any imperative to take a seat and write down some memoirs about my life neither to inform about it to my young relatives. Btw I don't see they are interested in my past also.

Shannon. what do you think about Baltic states -Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia?

What was it? It seems like a cry for help. Are you trying to escape from sad reality by traveling? o man.. it is not working out. you realize it's too late to change your live. you're over the hill and now everything will always be down the hill. and you can't change it. yes, it's tough but this is just a midlife crisis. just accept yourself as you are and your new direction to the bottom of hill.

I thought only men suffer from this.

You puzzled me a little. Could you explain please.
What do you mean "invested so much money in my doctorate degree"? Did you have to pay for some courses or what?
Your degree allows you to obtain more money than without PhD, is not it? And spent those money for journey. I see such connection))

I think a lot about things I haven't done. Dive in the Great Barrier Reef; ride the Orient Express; lick tequila from the body of a dead stripteaser

If you had no degree would you be able to pay for your travels?

Doesn't your degree help you to earn money to travel? And the education - you probably know a lot of things: languages (Latin? French? somewhat else?), history, culture and literature. The base to perceive the world on. And your ability to speak with so different kinds of people.

"Some people are content to simply work, sit as a vegetable in retirement, and never leave their hometown."
"On your deathbed, don't you want some exciting stories and legacies to pass along to your children, grandchildren, friends and relatives? Something besides..."I sat at my desk every day, and now I'm ready to die..."

How can you judge? If people don't travel, that doesn't mean they are living a boring wasteful life. You can be productive in your hometown, in your family, participate in sports, you can make a difference even if you are never leaving your town - duh, online!

I sit at my desk every day and I love it. You know why? Because I love my job. I have so many challenges in my day to day work, that make my brain boil.

Another thing.. you will never have exactly the same experience as a tourist that people who actually live there. If you are there for a week talking to the natives, they might not even tell you the real struggles they might go through in they day to day life. You are shown only a sneak peak, but sometimes reading a memoir written by a native might give you more insight than just going buying souvenirs and eating local food.

Also, a lot of people travel overseas, while don't know the history of their own city or state.
Just my 2 cents.

I'm always laughing when my friend and I are going on some local adventure like biking or kayaking and asking her husband to join us. He usually replies:"Oh, but Tour de France(Football/tennis/or whatever) is about to start and I wanted to watch it on TV!"
It doesn't feel the same for me to read about a country rather than to go there and have adventures(get lost a couple of times and find a completely secluded wonderful place, away from the common tourist trails).
I love to travel.....and plan my trips myself(not even sure what I like more :))