There was a time, not so very long ago, when a common person never traveled far from his or her home. Never. There actually were people who were born on a homestead and died on that home stead and never traveled more than 10 miles from their own front door. And... that 10 miles would be considered a “trip.” Even in my short lifetime I have known people who never got very far away from home. When ever the conversation turned to travel the phrase, “I ain’t never lost nothin’ there,” was used just to set the record straight. That speaker let us know that he didn’t travel, wouldn’t travel and probably did not approve of us who did travel. Having come from a family of wanderers, I found that amazing.
Several years ago, back when I was a real person, I took the band on a trip to some parade in another city somewhat far off. Ohhh, probably over 100 miles. One young high school band member told me after we got back home that was the furthest she had ever been. Up to that point she had never been out of the county where we lived and she was born. By this time in my life I had been completely across the lower United States, had been and worked in Alaska, had been in Canada and Mexico so I found it surprising that a young person had not been more than 12 miles from home.
When I worked in New York city I found there were people who had never been more than a few blocks from their home. Taking a subway trip downtown was considered a journey and was rarely done. Now this was more than 50 years ago so the subways were much safer than they are today. These people had a near fear of what lay beyond their neighborhood and knew, since they didn’t know what was there, that it had to be bad. By me coming all the way from Oklahoma was considered a great accomplishment. I worked with other young people who were not “afraid” to visit other parts of the city but not very often. Most of them had not been to the Statue of Liberty, had not ridden the ferry nor seen many other parts of the city. After a weekend, they often asked me what I had seen that weekend. Then it was sometimes like describing a foreign country to them. I don’t know if I was considered brave of foolish. Probably some of both.
Today, that style of living is not as true as it was even that short time ago. What changed it, I believe, was the “hippy period” we went through. Those people had their own style and they wanted to meet musicians from everywhere, so they traveled. Jack Kerouc’s “On the Road” set the tome and zillions of others followed. Coffee houses across every city became the meeting place for these brave travelers and the homebound locals. Yes, I know there have always been those who traveled far away and were drawn by the vista that was just over the hill. Marco Polo comes to mind. But there was only one Marco Polo and he was considered a liar and insane when he returned home.
At some point in our history we became aware that we could actually get to a place and back safely. Or maybe with only one or two flat tires. The wealthy could travel because they could afford to travel and they had the time. Whenever Unions got a paid vacation, then the travel industry took off. Some may disagree with me but I think the Depression with its “Grapes of Wrath” forced migration helped common people learn they could travel. Not in the style of the rich, of course, but they could travel and see things. Even the Grapes of Wrath travelers tried to return home and many succeeded. They told stories of going over mountains and across deserts and looking out across an ocean. An actual ocean.
During the First World War there was a song, “How You Gonna Keep Then Down On The Farm’” and it was widely sung and believed. By being forced to go across an ocean into some strange, foreign land was enough to wake the curiosity of thousands of young men. Their stories of these strange people aroused the curiosity of many others. Then road side cabins were introduced and then WWII sent many others around the world.
Now, U.S. people are considered restless and curious. Every day I get many emails from companies who want me (part time travel agent) to get them customers. Today, if you went from the North Pole to the South Pole, from Everest to the Sahara, you would find Americans. Yessir, that is a good thing.