We've chatted about this before, and here I am bringing it up again. There's no removing the flight unless you, you know, remove the flight and plan the lion's share of your travel close to home. We need to fly less. No one likes this but until the flight no longer tips the scales, that bike rental isn't going to do it. We can kick the can back to aviation all day long but we're still buying carbon rich flights and lots of them, even though we know they're bad, and then we're like "But I spent an afternoon helping a local farmer wash salad greens!"
Also, slow is great! I applaud slow, cultural deep dives, local interactions, etc. etc. amen. But the notion that it's not also luxury is, I think, false. It means you have time or flexibility, something not available to your average working stiff. Luxury isn't always about how fat your wallet is, it's also about what your life can accommodate. Time is available only to a subset of workers -- Euros with loads of vacation time and online slobs like me -- and is, I think the ultimate luxury.
Sorry for delayed reply--was helping a farmer wash their salads 🤣 Yeah, I largely agree. On flights, I’ve cut back--by about 50%, but from a ridiculous level previously, and next year I will cut more.
I do think though there’s scope for making those flights one does do “count for more.” So instead of sitting on an island smoking weed, I’m out and about ferreting out more sustainable option, interviewing, writing stories etcetera, which (I like to think) will help others make smarter decisions.
There was a piece recently that described this approach as trying to lengthen/broaden your “climate shadow”--what else can I cast shade on? Could I do this without travelling to a lesser extent, yes and no--as you know, often you do need to see stuff for yourself, to press the flesh and build the relationships you can use in your shadow making.
As for slow travel=lux, don’t really agree--I’m sure as hell not a lux traveller, but I do manage to slow down, and again, it’s a lesser evil, as you say. Is it a product of privilege? Hell yes, but so is anything that involves having a passport--it doesn’t mean it can’t be turned for the better.
The thing is, even just having this conversation puts us in a minuscule minority. On my recent trip spoke to a bunch of people about their thoughts--for almost all it wasn’t even on their horizon--despite what Booking routinely declares.
Just to clarify, I don't think time = high thread count overwater bungalows yada yadda, just that it's a kind of luxury to have time to engage in slow travel. Of course it can be turned for bettering, of course. It's wonky thinking, to be sure, pass the weed. 😁
I think the whole flight-in-isolation thing is faulty, in fact, I'm starting to the think the travel-in-isolation thing is faulty. If I'm driving alone to work every day, no amount of shade grown accommodation is going to make up for that.
I have, I think, climate anxiety. I blame losing the very best part of our year to wildfire smoke every year over the past... ten years or so? I recently read that climate scientists are losing their damn minds because we are so slow to change, see above, it's not on most people's radar. They just want a week in an overwater high thread count bungalow and an "authentic" experience, whatever the fuck that is. To be fair, I want that too. But I also really like breathable air and being able to... go outside.
I know we need big systemic change and as a mostly former travel media person, it's also important that I model personal change. I have zero smart conclusions and I'm just thinking out loud coz I know you'll indulge me. Like I said, pass the weed.
I was having a very similar convo somewhere else, LinkedIn maybe, can’t remember, and the other person suggested for many it is a big ask and it’s confusing and hard and, well I’m working a 45 hour week get two weeks off a year and screw it, I’m taking my goddam holiday--it’s that or I lose my mind/family/dog/whatever and hell, near everyone else is doing it anyway, I’m not a martyr etcetera. I get all that, I do.
But then, I’m at my beach shack at the moment and five metres of the property no longer exists, and wet season is on the way, and I sit on my deck typing every day looking at the high tide mark, and wondering about the farmers on each side of me and what they’ll do when their fields are too salty to grow rice on anymore, and then the headache I’ve got seems pretty freakin minor.
Long story short, I should have got a shack in the mountains ... and more weed.
Funny thing to be notified of this article today as I was sitting on a red plastic stool in District 4 digging into some bánh xèo & bánh khọt on day 7 of VN travel. I’m here 4 weeks and only have two destinations on my itinerary, here and Đà Nẵng. Thanks again for quality, thought provoking writing.
Hey Stuart - thanks for this. As I mention to DD below, we'll soon be in Saigon ourselves. November 1, to be exact. I love this piece, not just for the timeliness for our trip but because I love the concept of slow travel, which is what we have tried to do over the years. Cheers!
We've chatted about this before, and here I am bringing it up again. There's no removing the flight unless you, you know, remove the flight and plan the lion's share of your travel close to home. We need to fly less. No one likes this but until the flight no longer tips the scales, that bike rental isn't going to do it. We can kick the can back to aviation all day long but we're still buying carbon rich flights and lots of them, even though we know they're bad, and then we're like "But I spent an afternoon helping a local farmer wash salad greens!"
Also, slow is great! I applaud slow, cultural deep dives, local interactions, etc. etc. amen. But the notion that it's not also luxury is, I think, false. It means you have time or flexibility, something not available to your average working stiff. Luxury isn't always about how fat your wallet is, it's also about what your life can accommodate. Time is available only to a subset of workers -- Euros with loads of vacation time and online slobs like me -- and is, I think the ultimate luxury.
Sorry for delayed reply--was helping a farmer wash their salads 🤣 Yeah, I largely agree. On flights, I’ve cut back--by about 50%, but from a ridiculous level previously, and next year I will cut more.
I do think though there’s scope for making those flights one does do “count for more.” So instead of sitting on an island smoking weed, I’m out and about ferreting out more sustainable option, interviewing, writing stories etcetera, which (I like to think) will help others make smarter decisions.
There was a piece recently that described this approach as trying to lengthen/broaden your “climate shadow”--what else can I cast shade on? Could I do this without travelling to a lesser extent, yes and no--as you know, often you do need to see stuff for yourself, to press the flesh and build the relationships you can use in your shadow making.
As for slow travel=lux, don’t really agree--I’m sure as hell not a lux traveller, but I do manage to slow down, and again, it’s a lesser evil, as you say. Is it a product of privilege? Hell yes, but so is anything that involves having a passport--it doesn’t mean it can’t be turned for the better.
The thing is, even just having this conversation puts us in a minuscule minority. On my recent trip spoke to a bunch of people about their thoughts--for almost all it wasn’t even on their horizon--despite what Booking routinely declares.
Just to clarify, I don't think time = high thread count overwater bungalows yada yadda, just that it's a kind of luxury to have time to engage in slow travel. Of course it can be turned for bettering, of course. It's wonky thinking, to be sure, pass the weed. 😁
I think the whole flight-in-isolation thing is faulty, in fact, I'm starting to the think the travel-in-isolation thing is faulty. If I'm driving alone to work every day, no amount of shade grown accommodation is going to make up for that.
I have, I think, climate anxiety. I blame losing the very best part of our year to wildfire smoke every year over the past... ten years or so? I recently read that climate scientists are losing their damn minds because we are so slow to change, see above, it's not on most people's radar. They just want a week in an overwater high thread count bungalow and an "authentic" experience, whatever the fuck that is. To be fair, I want that too. But I also really like breathable air and being able to... go outside.
I know we need big systemic change and as a mostly former travel media person, it's also important that I model personal change. I have zero smart conclusions and I'm just thinking out loud coz I know you'll indulge me. Like I said, pass the weed.
I was having a very similar convo somewhere else, LinkedIn maybe, can’t remember, and the other person suggested for many it is a big ask and it’s confusing and hard and, well I’m working a 45 hour week get two weeks off a year and screw it, I’m taking my goddam holiday--it’s that or I lose my mind/family/dog/whatever and hell, near everyone else is doing it anyway, I’m not a martyr etcetera. I get all that, I do.
But then, I’m at my beach shack at the moment and five metres of the property no longer exists, and wet season is on the way, and I sit on my deck typing every day looking at the high tide mark, and wondering about the farmers on each side of me and what they’ll do when their fields are too salty to grow rice on anymore, and then the headache I’ve got seems pretty freakin minor.
Long story short, I should have got a shack in the mountains ... and more weed.
Funny thing to be notified of this article today as I was sitting on a red plastic stool in District 4 digging into some bánh xèo & bánh khọt on day 7 of VN travel. I’m here 4 weeks and only have two destinations on my itinerary, here and Đà Nẵng. Thanks again for quality, thought provoking writing.
We'll arrive in Saigon on November 1 - I get your point!
Nice article.
Hey Stuart - thanks for this. As I mention to DD below, we'll soon be in Saigon ourselves. November 1, to be exact. I love this piece, not just for the timeliness for our trip but because I love the concept of slow travel, which is what we have tried to do over the years. Cheers!
Welcome! I'll still be in HCMC at that time. Message if you need anything
Thanks DD - We'll keep that in mind!