Traveling the World: Should You Go Far When You're Young and Save the Close Destinations for Later?

I have had the privilege of roaming the globe, often strapping myself into planes that hurtle across continents, and sometimes only stopping to refuel in cities I couldn’t even pronounce before the engines roared back to life. In my younger years, I embraced the notion that travel was a marathon—a race across borders, through languages, and into the heart of diverse cultures. The farther, the better. My energy was endless, fueled by a combination of youth and an inexplicable love for airport food.

But then I reached an age when I began to wonder: was it really necessary to fly halfway around the world to catch the sunrise? Wouldn’t it be far more pleasant to saunter over to the local café, sip a latte, and perhaps read a book with the breeze carrying a nearby conversation in a language I could almost understand? Could this truly be the golden age of travel? Or have I merely become jaded by the heavy toll of long-haul flights and 3 a.m. jet lag?

The debate has waged in my mind, and as I embark on yet another flight that will take me far from my bed for another long night, I find myself contemplating whether I should have left the international adventures to my younger self, and whether my older self will truly enjoy them in the same way.

When You're Young: Energy, Curiosity, and That Sweet, Sweet Lack of Wisdom

There’s something undeniably thrilling about hopping on a plane and knowing you’ll land in a completely new world. When we’re young, we’re driven by an insatiable curiosity—travel isn't just about ticking off destinations on a bucket list, it’s about living in the unknown, feeling the rush of discovery in everything from the smell of fresh bread in Parisian bakeries to the oddity of using chopsticks in Tokyo.

It’s the youth's special privilege to endure long hours in cramped airplane seats without a single complaint. When I was younger, I once took a 24-hour flight to New Zealand, only to be greeted by a hotel room where I promptly collapsed face-first into the bed. I woke up hours later, fully rested and ready to dive headfirst into the Maori culture, despite the fact that my body was still attempting to piece together its own confused time zone.

These grand trips—those intercontinental odysseys—are the journeys where you chase not only new horizons but new versions of yourself. Youth has an elasticity, a resilience that older age may not possess. You can sleep anywhere, eat anything, and weather jet lag as though it were an inconvenience rather than a full-blown personal crisis. It is the best time to seek the farthest shores, to cross oceans, to breathe in the essence of places that are both strange and exhilarating.

And let's face it: When you’re young, you don’t question the wisdom of flying across oceans for one weekend to see a friend, or booking that spontaneous trip to Morocco because the tickets were cheap. You're not worried about the effects of deep vein thrombosis, the existential dread of packing a suitcase, or whether you’ll be able to get your WiFi fix halfway across the world. You're living in the now—boundless, carefree, and, frankly, a little reckless.

When You’re Older: The Comfort of Closer, Quieter Travels

Then comes the inevitable reckoning—those golden years where one feels just a tad more sensible, a bit more sedentary, a little more reluctant to spend 13 hours wedged between a crying baby and an oddly fragrant neighbor. Flying becomes less of a charming adventure and more of a test of endurance. Suddenly, the thought of visiting a beach in Bali loses its sheen when you realize you’d rather sip your cocktails in a sunny park near your home, without the baggage claim stress and endless layovers.

While it's true that older age might make you think twice before trekking to the other side of the world, it doesn’t necessarily mean that your wanderlust fades. It just becomes more refined. Instead of choosing a destination that’s as far away as possible, you may prefer places that are less strenuous, perhaps a cozy European village or a quiet spot on the Amalfi Coast. The allure of exotic far-flung lands may give way to the peaceful, the serene, and the effortlessly beautiful.

The truth is, aging can change the way we travel, but it needn’t kill the desire altogether. Aging does not automatically preclude grand adventures. It’s more a matter of choosing them more wisely. Maybe you’ll take a 6-hour flight to Iceland rather than an 18-hour trek to Australia. Maybe you'll swap your mountain trekking boots for a casual stroll through the streets of Prague. Your itinerary shifts, yes, but the joy of discovery—whether in your own backyard or on a distant continent—remains just as potent.

Is Age Just a Number, or Are the Best Adventures Behind Us?

So, should we only take those distant flights while we’re young? Should we save the shorter trips for when our bodies can no longer endure 12-hour time changes? The answer lies somewhere between the two extremes.

As much as we romanticize the young and reckless traveler, the mature traveler brings something equally precious to the table: perspective. There’s something magical about being able to sit back and appreciate the small details, the quiet moments that youth might have missed in its frantic pursuit of novelty. The beauty of a sunset isn’t lost just because your back hurts a little. A trip to Kyoto is no less stunning when you’ve learned to slow down and savor the beauty of the moment.

Aging doesn’t mean saying goodbye to all those grand adventures. It simply means that we might have to rethink how we approach travel. Long-haul flights may become less frequent, but perhaps they’ll be replaced by journeys that are no less profound. The distance doesn’t always have to be measured in miles; sometimes, it’s measured in experience, in understanding, and in our ability to enjoy the present, wherever we are.

And if all else fails, well, there’s always the option of booking the cheapest flight you can find and hoping that the airlines haven’t changed the rule on “one free checked bag.”

Conclusion: We Can't Stop. But Maybe We Can Adjust the Pace

Ultimately, the true beauty of travel lies in its endless ability to evolve with us. No matter our age, the world will always have new experiences to offer. So, whether you’re sprinting to distant lands while you’re young or savoring quiet corners of the world in your later years, the key is to never stop exploring. The world is vast and varied, but the joy of travel is timeless.

And if all else fails, well—buy yourself a travel pillow, bring along some snacks, and let’s see where that next flight takes you. Because, after all, "we can't stop," right?