Tansy

Now that all of us "normal" folk have registered and the cream has risen to the top, I'm curious --- what is everyone's educational background? Seems like most people on this board are at least college grads (now that the high school trolls are gone).
Does more education = more money = more travel?
Does less education mean less imaginative travel, or the opposite?
What are your thoughts on this?

Brutforce

My spouse & I are both college grads but she's a teacher, which = no $$. I am a Mtg. banker. I think it has much more to do w/priorities than education.

jor

Education level and travel have nothing to do with each other. Its has more to do with your willingness to experience new things.

first reply to this post. Hope this works.

Tansy

joebob, you choose to see this question as an insult. I am simply asking what others think about the relationship between education and travel. The trolls who used to post with such frequency acted like 12-year-olds, although many of them could have been highly educated -- we'll never know.

I think a college education can definitely broaden someone's horizons. And many college students spend a semester abroad, which results in a lifelong love affair with travel. But others may become so refined and "educated" that they miss the rougher side of some destinations, choosing to see the landmarks and historic sites rather than the out-of-the-way spots frequented by locals.

I'm just asking for thoughts and impressions. No need to get defensive.

olsen1503

my belief is that more education and more travel are not related...there are soooo mant factors...i work for the govt,my wife for a hotel... and we travel alot,because we have no kids and love to spend on travel rather than on...alcohol,toys,drugs,community time...ya know...it all depends...i do not believe that if you went to Harvard and are very "cultural" ...that you will go to cultural,exotic places any more than the working class delivery driver who saves his money for his trip

Jocko_Jonesy

I went to a good trade school after high school and work as a master plumber in commercial. I live in a nice neighborhood and probably make more than 75% of my white-collar neighbors. Plus, there's never been a time when I couldn't walk down the street and start a new job, if desired.

What does this have to do with travel? Beats me. Just that Tansy's notion of education seems rather parochial. She probably went to a public university.

Queenie

Less $ = More imaginative travel

And the corallary:

Fodors Poster = Glutton for punishment

Based on the failure rate of posting on this new 'system'

orgy7

please! I am collage educated.. yet work at a health food store as a produce clerk.. and I earn squat.. yet I have traveled too several dozon countries.. why.. becouse I have chosen travel as my main vise..

If you actually travel around the world and speek too true travelers most work in crap jobs for a couple of months at a time, quit, and continue traversing the planet over..

maybe I should of stated I have a degree in travel-tourism manegment..

T_Roll

If Fodors wants to ban me for my outburst so be it, but really now, to imply that type and frequency of travel has anything to do with education level is absurd. It's stereotyping at it's worst.

I'm not trying to drag the "new" forum down, but just speaking my mind. Will try to keep the outbursts to a minimum.

Lars

One obvious answer is that, in general, college educated means higher income and thus the ability to travel more. In my case, college education has given me the means to travel more, even though I had the interest to travel before, during and after college. Type of travel depends on one's interests; frequency of travel depends more on one's means (income).

HowardR

My only reaction to the question: Who cares?

Tansy

Interesting how many are assuming that higher education = good and "college of life" = bad.

I do NOT have a college degree. I didn't post that in my initial question because I wanted to hear some thoughts on this before I gave out my background. People make so many assumptions!

My background -- I graduated from high school, but had always planned to join a professional ballet company -- I trained from a young age (Mom ran a dance school). A leg injury ended that dream, so I found myself at loose ends at age 18. I left home and spent a few years waitressing, traveling, reading, taking it all in! Now I teach ballet and jazz full-time and still travel as much as possible. I don't make a lot of money but spend every spare penny on travel.

I do have friends with college or grad-school educations, and I do think they travel differently. They make more $$ than me, that impacts their choices, but they also seem more susceptible to choosing travel destinations based on "keeping up with the Joneses." On my last major trip, I flew standby to London and just plopped myself down in the middle of the city -- I met some locals who directed me to a great (cheap) place to stay. Just showed up at a dance academy and was able to take some classes, that led to meeting a group of dancers and traveling with them to France for three days . . . and so on, and so on. ADVENTURE. I think I'm more open to it than some of my collegiate friends -- it seems like they've always "done the right thing" and can't break out of it.

Blah blah blah. Sorry to ramble. But I think we can discuss this topic without going ballistic, can't we?

leslie

I work for a law firm and I can tell you that lawyers that make $100K and up per year, who do have advanced degrees don't travel a lot on vacation because they have obligations to their demanding clients. Same goes for physicians, CEOs, CFOs etc. of major corporation. They do go on vacation, they may take a lot of vacations, but they are short in duration, and more often 4 day weekends. And, more often, the vacation gets cancelled, postponed, shortened, or the spouse goes alone. And then of course, there is the endless checking in at the office when they are on vacation.

I just don't see the corollary either.

Darvy_Kuntz

Second time posting, because this site is so buggy:

I definitely think there is a link. My friend Becca and I grew up together. I went to a state college, she got her GED at a communicty college. The result? I go on vacation, she goes on OBLIGATORY TRAVELS. I.E. Weddings, funerals, sicknesses, work, etc.

And in the off chance that we do take a trip together, she insists on taking "hotel shuttles" and "public transpo" to cut down on the expenses.

Anyway, there is a link:

College = $ = Travels. And more enjoyable travels at that.

-darvy

Lola

I would hate to be thought of as "normal" folks and the idea that we are "cream that has risen to the top" is so pretentious!

I don't think it is so much the education or the money, it seems that some people travel with more imagination than others.

joan

Lola, I agree 100%! Besides, in my cup, the cream sinks to the bottom!

joan

P.S. What happened to this thread? Tansy responds to joebob, but where's his post (what was it?) and what is T_Roll referring to?

hauntedheadnc

I have an associate's degree in travel and tourism technology (fancy term for a geography and computer degree) from a small college in NC. I travel rarely, if at all, but work at a hotel.

It's been my experience that everyone travels, just about... the poor people just have to save up longer to do it.

hauntedheadnc

...Mind you, I meant poor people as in people who have low education levels, as the two tend to go hand in hand.

olsen1503

2nd post for me to,because i laugh at this ...absurd relation between more education=better travel...seriously.what university did you go to..that taught you that?????could you please write a paper on it,with all your proof...lol....what ajoke...again,no,thats NO education and better tavel are not correlated.imagine if it was....??...here is your degree son,enjoy a forunate life of pure bliss...no worries,and everything will be better than that kid that "just" became a plumber!!...lol,and you pepole who believe that...god,seriously...did you go to university..or are you still trying to seperate yourself from those other people who only scored c's on tests in high school...hey,get a life...hey...i got it,,,take a trip!!