jorr

My mother warned me about this... Don't be suprised if some of your friends have no interest in hearing about your vacation. My parents used to travel after they retired. They found that some friends had no interest in hearing anything about their adventure or seeing their photos.

Sure enough she was right. It has happened to me a few times. One friend told me "All you have to show for that money you spent on your vacation is a bunch of photographs". I couldn't believe he said that. I am not the bragging type and was just showing my vacation photos to him. Other friends through the years have acted this way.

A few years back I passed on this advice to a friend who had spent many months living and working in Scotland. Sort of a work/travel thing. He loved his experience very much and he is a very personable guy who would never put something in your face. A few weeks after he returned home he emailed me and told me that he didn't believe what I had told him about this and that in fact some of his friends didn't want to hear a word about his trip.

Has this happened to any of you?

sunbum1944

Oh yes- it has happened to me. And I used to live in Hawaii and folks back home did not want to hear about that either.

P_M

I am happy to talk travel with people who truly are interested. But I learned a long time ago that some people (particularly non-travelers) often have no interest because it's something they just can't relate to. When someone asks about my vacation, I limit my narrative to 5 minutes, max. If they start asking questions and show interest, I will talk all they want.

As far as pictures go, I usually send a few of my better ones around on the e-mail. If someone asks to see all of them, I will be happy to comply.

Cher

I think that this is one of the reasons the Fodors Travel Talk site is so active ... Discussion amongst those who love to travel, and like to talk about their trips and hear about others' trips. I have often found that since many people I know do not share the same enthusiasm and "wander lust" for travel that I do, they are just not as interested in hearing all the details for a variety of reasons (both personal and financial). So I try to be sensitive about this. It's always fun to get together with other "travelers" and share and compare travel stories ... However, many of my friends, and most of my family and co-workers don't fall into this category.

mclaurie

Even though I love to travel and experience places first hand, I don't always enjoy listening to every cough of belch of someone else's trip (sorry ) Interestingly, reading about it here in trip reports is more interesting to me than hearing someone talk about it and show photos for some reason. I never show any pics unless people ask and I do keep descriptions brief.

LordBalfor

Yes, some folks have no interest in going ANYWHERE (how sad).

Ken

PS - Tell them you don't JUST have the photos, you have the MEMORIES. The photos are just there to REFRESH the memories.

ahhnold

Anyone who is childish enough to react like that after a vacation is not a friend. Unless they are tired of the bragging and showboating after a vacation.

bonniebroad

Jorr, when I first started traveling more, my feelings were hurt a couple of times by someone's lack of interest in my trip details and photos. Then I began to realize that that attitude was the norm ... now I bring a few little souvenirs back for those close to me, tell them we had a wonderful time (few details,) and if they ask to see pictures, I show them but that's about it.

However, I LOVE hearing people's trip details ... what they ate, were the cabbies friendly, where were the best Mai Tais......? That would be why I spend WAY TOO MUCH TIME at Fodor's!

amwosu

I'm not interested in talking about football or golf or real estate like some people so I "get" that others don't care a hoot about my travels.

JJ5

Yes, that is true to some extent, jorr. But overall my experience has been that some WONDERFUL friends just hate travel or travel talk. And ahhnold, they are true friends in every sense of the word. They would listen politely but I know the interest just isn't there. Although I don't think shun is the word in my case at all. It is a kind of avoidance right afterwards maybe, but it's not me as much as they don't hold any value or enthusiasm for the experience.

My parents, on the other hand, have traveled very little but love to hear my stories.

Actually, I am a very good listener, so when friends do take some time away themselves, I pry every detail out of them. This has "changed" one person, especially. Now she is very apt to want to hear the details of my trips, as well. AND she and her husband are getting much more adventurous.

But for the most part, I just don't relate much about travel to anyone other than the few who may be interested. And I do not take any photographs or videos or anything at all any more. They are all in my head to remember in the brightest "lights".

And I do not buy any souvenirs or bring home souvenirs for anyone. We have enough junk and I would rather spend the money on value somewhere else or on times together (like my upcoming Wicked experience with my 5 girls).

ahhnold

Sorry jj5, a TRUE friend would not act like that. If they listen politely, they are not SHUNNING. Big difference

HowardR

My reaction is: So what!
So some people don't want to hear about your trip. Get over it!
Echoing what a previous posted wrote, there are subjects that I don't care to hear about as well.

JJ5

Yes, but even if a friend did shun me or the talk for awhile- I still wouldn't take humbrage and think it reflected upon the entire friendship. I just wouldn't.

We are all too different to understand what is in anothers's skin.

They might be shunning because they would LOVE to do the same, but can't for many other reasons- more instance.

I just don't take those kinds of choices or responses personally.

wliwl

I agree with Cher that this is the beauty of this site. You can post a trip report and people can read it or skip it.

I would never assume even my best best friends would be particularly interested in my trips.

Also, I have friends who have traveled the entire world (literally) bird watching. Even I get tired of hearing about their trips!

Scarlett

LOL, poor jorr, after reading some of these responses, some people don't want to hear about how noone wants to hear about your vacation!
I agree with Cher .. there are some people ( I know a few myself) who are really not interested in traveling so they really can't summon up the interest to listen to someone elses travel stories. That is fine, I won't listen to sports stories.
Find the friends who are like minded and enjoy them, like those in Fodorland.

ahhnold

Very good, JJ5. You must make a good friend.

I guess my response to this thread and my "friends" who would shun me would be the utmost polite...whatever.No sarcasm,no motives,no jealousy.

Whatever.

TheWeasel

I think this thread title is misleading - to say your friends shunned you after a vacation implies that they cut off all contact with you, not just that they didn't want to hear about your vacation. If they truly shunned you, they're not friends. But if they just weren't interested in hearing about your vacation, that's a totally different thing and completely acceptable. I don't expect my friends to want to see my pictures and hear my stories, unless they ask.

As P_M said, if someone asks about my vacation, I'll tell them a little bit and gauge their level of interest before going into more details.

suzanne

I never had this happen either! But my friends are all well-traveled. Also I don't go on and on about it - just give them a few highlights and direct them to my online photos if they wish to see them.

My best friend, however, does get shunned! She said that she's practically berated for traveling overseas when there's "plenty of better ways to spend her money". Sheesh. I wonder if they mean better ways of spending money to "show off", like buying a new car or a designer outfit? Some people want material things, others want experiences!!!

aileen679

It doesn't take much to get TIRED of hearing someone talking about their trip, or their wedding, or their favorite football team or grandkids or whatever. If your friends are interested in hearing a lot about your travels, or wedding, or football game, they will ask you. So, the problem may be that some people just don't know when to shut up.

and NO, I don't particually like to hear someone go on and on about places that I will never be able to go. It's a touch of sour grapes with some of us when it comes to viewing such places. You can only say "beautiful, wonderful, fantasic," so many times before you gag.

travelinwifey

My dad lives in a small depressed town where people don't travel. So when he tries to share a story about a place he's been to his comments are met with little excitement, even jealousy. So now he just shares his stories with me, which end up being 1 hour telephone conversations!

2 of my oldest friends still live in that small town and I don't share my travel experices with them either, it is something they cannot relate to. And I do think my one friend gets a little jealous or hurt when I talk about it because her life is so different than mine. They can afford to travel, but they are happier living day in and day out in their comfortable contained environment.

That's what makes this board so great, we all share the same love of travel. I love to hear about everyone's experiences!