You’ve probably already heard from the grapevine that social media is bad for mental health. It’s not groundbreaking news, but it doesn’t completely dissolve the feelings that occur from scrolling through your endless Instagram feed.
Picture after picture shows an endless array of beautiful vacation photos. I’m constantly left wondering how my college friends can afford vacations in Hawaii or semesterly trips around Europe. No matter how I try to justify their lifestyles, I used to still be left with a ting of FOMO.
How did I learn to stop giving a fuck and live my own life?
After spending some time traveling myself, I’ve picked up on a few things. While it’s exciting to explore other places, it can be just as exciting to explore your own backyard.
It’s easy to get caught up in travel FOMO. Especially with our smartphones constantly pinging us with perfect Instagram pictures of our friends, family, and/or acquaintances vacationing it up in foreign locals, eating all the incredibly delicious foods, sipping on the trendiest cappuccinos, swimming at the most “secluded” beaches, partying at the craziest dives, and living their best lives. Scrolling past these images can make you feel a little left out.
As a college freshman, I dreamed of nothing more than getting swept up by my spontaneous nature and purchase a one-way ticket to Australia after my college graduation where I would live in a hostel eating peanut butter sandwiches until I found a job that allowed me enough free time to explore the country.
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