Are we "bores" with our travel stories? (page 3 of 16)

If this enthusiasm didn’t exist, there’d be no passion for travel—or forums like this one.

It’s not egocentrism or exhibitionism that drives people to travel and keep travel journals, but passion and enthusiasm!

So true, Amigo!

Hasta luego!

A kind of self-aggrandizement like: "Hey friends who have to work sedentary jobs! Yeah, we’ve got the "good life," we’re a couple, or a lone "globetrotter" (oh so cool), or a family of "Travelers"! So come read our "adventures" on routes that have been done a thousand times by others—just to make you a little sick of your boring life!"

Did you see this in Dolasadolasa? (A bit surprised....)

Michel

Did you see that in Dolasadolasa? (A little surprised....)

The answer is from jeddhai... Who probably shared their opinion on the general topic by continuing the discussion and likely didn’t even glance eastward....🙂

Since you brought it up, and I’m not sure what to think myself—is Dolasadolasa a travel story? A blog? A collaborative site about a region and travel?

Good evening,

I took a quick look at Dolasa. This "site" deserves more than a quick read, and I’ll be back. Since I don’t know Istanbul, I might be less enthusiastic than if it were about Morocco...😕 But I’d still be curious and maybe even want to go someday...

To me, it’s not a travel story but a place where people share their impressions. Like a journal or a magazine where everyone contributes their "article." Plus, it’s lively—nicely illustrated, well-paced, and up-to-date.

I’m not a big fan of the term "collaborative site." Too intellectual...

hi,

What I really love is reading the impressions of someone who’s just come back from a trip to America in my neck of the woods, after I gave them a few suggestions. 🙂

Good point! I hadn’t thought of that... When’s the story of a Canadian in the Luberon coming?

A huge part of what’s posted on VF—and on some insipid blogs—is totally unreadable and wouldn’t even pass muster with close family. It’s as boring as those slide-show evenings from the 60s or video nights from the 80s. Too bad for the few gems you can sometimes find, buried under the output of oversized egos.

....oh, so true....

....99% of them are tedious with their two-bit discoveries in usually hyper-touristy countries..........

.....thankfully, every now and then, someone like Patrick-Yangguizi pops up (we miss him..), and boom: a mythical country, a gripping story....

....99% are annoying with their two-bit discoveries of generally hyper-touristy countries..........

So, if I follow your reasoning, as soon as a country becomes "hyper-touristy," it loses all interest... Tough luck, since the vast majority of countries in the world have become very touristy. That’s probably what explains your 99% figure...

and then, boom: a mythical country

What exactly is a mythical country, in absolute terms?

Aren’t you aware that every country, every trip, is perceived subjectively by each person? So, a country that might be "hyper-touristy" for you (and thus unworthy of interest, in your opinion) could turn out to be mythical for someone else. Have you even considered that?

The quality of a blog or website doesn’t depend at all on the destination or the regions visited, but on how the traveler shares (or doesn’t share) their story and passion.

.....oh no, I don’t think a country isn’t interesting just because it’s very touristy...

....I even think it’s possible to write something about France, Morocco, or Thailand, for example...but what I read on blogs or travel journals is often pretty thin...

....and of course, I agree with you about the idea of a "mythical" country—it’s not the same for everyone...our own country (France) can even be that for some people....I was just mentioning Patrick’s story about North Korea....where I’d love to go......

Hi, I think the advantage of a blog is that there’s no obligation to visit it. When I used to print my photos, after coming back, I wanted to show them to everyone. I had to admit that it bored 90% of people. At that point, I created a website. That way, those who want to see them do, and those who aren’t interested don’t. Those who’ve seen the photos and want to talk to me about them take the initiative—nothing is forced by the insufferable, overexcited traveler waving their photos around 😉. I can’t remember who talked about enthusiasm. It’s personal, but I really enjoy posting my photos online, no matter the quality. Pierre 🙂

Hi there,

It’s true that signing every message with:

My website (travel journals, expat diary...) http://www.planete-montagne.fr

leaves a bit of a "look at me" vibe that, whether we like it or not, still feels as cringe-worthy as Mom and Dad’s slide projections on the pearl screen in the 1960s living room 😛🙂...

All said in good spirits 😉

Except there’s no obligation to watch... We’ve all been through those endless slide shows (I’ve experienced them as both a viewer and a "presenter"). At some point, all you’re waiting for is for it to end 😛.

I get your point, Cleastre, but I’m not forcing anything, I’m not expecting anything—I’m just having fun organizing my photos and putting them online. I do this primarily for myself.

As for the signature in my posts, yes, it means "come take a look (if you feel like it)"—I own it 🙂.

Hola PélicanBrun,

It’s not egocentrism or exhibitionism that drives people to travel and keep travel journals—it’s passion and enthusiasm!

See you 😉

A great point (in my opinion) with those two words—"enthusiasm" and "passion"... that’s exactly what motivates bloggers, travel journal writers, and travel authors.

After that, as mentioned in some previous posts, everyone has the choice to read a little or a lot... all these texts online, with the option to skip anything at any time! Nothing more to add—it’s perfect! And no one’s forced to "endure" a boring travel story if they don’t feel like it. Thanks to everyone for your thoughts on this topic...

J

Hi,

While I completely agree with the blog’s take—or any online travel journal—that it’s a non-binding read for those around us (which is obviously a huge advantage), I do think "enthusiasm and passion" feels a bit limiting...

I only started writing about the regions I traveled through after leaving France. French, the French language, became secondary, peripheral, and of limited use, which led to a clear atrophy of my ability to express myself in it: a shrinking vocabulary and a loss of syntactic flexibility. To counter this intimate erosion of a language, reading isn’t enough—writing is essential. That’s why I turned to travel narratives or, let’s say, accounts or reviews of my readings. Since these texts also serve as a light way to keep loved ones updated on my journey—those who’ve become distant due to emigration—it’s perfect.

I’ll add that as a reader, I’ve often picked up useful tidbits from blogs, even if they weren’t well-made or well-written. They were the only virtual spaces where I found leads in an accessible language about little-visited places (related sites are often in the local language and incomprehensible).

Catherine

Good morning Anàssa

French, the French language, has become secondary, peripheral, and of limited use, which leads to a clear atrophy of my ability to express myself in this language: lexical impoverishment and loss of syntactic flexibility. To counter this intimate erosion of a language, reading isn’t enough—writing practice is essential.

The least we can say is that it’s a method that yields excellent results.

It all depends on the travel journals—some are interesting, others boring. That said, and it’s a shame, now you can read trip reports/travel journals in other sections. For example, in North America, you can find several—and too many—travel journals about trips to the American Southwest. The mods should move them to 'Travel Journals'.

Hi there,

Regarding my take on travel blogs/stories, I don’t think egocentrism is the main feeling driving the author. The author just wants to share their travels with us, along with their enthusiasm—they want us to feel what they experienced. So if they don’t add a little spice to their writing, we might find it too flat or dull. That’s why they exaggerate a bit to grab our attention, kind of like in conversation. For example, someone might embellish a story to make it more engaging, especially if the speaker or writer isn’t a natural wordsmith (like me, for instance 🙂).

Some people love writing but aren’t great at it—just like some are passionate about soccer but can’t juggle the ball twice. So the "egocentrism" you’re talking about might just be their awkwardness or lack of writing skills.

Anyway, cheers to everyone! And long live travel!

Hi there,

Is it because of the global advertising Jemaflor and Gnome did for this book that I can’t find anywhere to buy it online right now—it’s sold out everywhere, even second-hand! So if you’ve finished reading it, dear VFers, please put it up for sale second-hand online so others can enjoy it too! 😎

We’re bores to the envious, storytellers to the curious.

Hey lordfichtre,

I really like your definition!

And you know what, it might just be the one that sums up best what the vast majority of people think (no offense to some) on this forum!!! 😉

And you know what, this might just sum up what the vast majority of people think (no offense to some) on this forum!!!

You can also be completely indifferent since you’re not obligated to read these stories, which are often pretty boring... in my opinion. And thank goodness not everyone has the same tastes! Otherwise, I’d be totally fed up and far from envious!!