Dortch’s WAHAT #13: Where Have You Been? Where Are You Going?

A dynamic, colorful illustration of the many values of travel, created by Gemini AI.

Do you travel enough? Or at all? 

Worry not, and no eye rolling, please. Nothing here about the number of landmarks, cities, states, or countries you've visited or not visited.  The focus here is on why travel matters to those who travel, and to life and the world at large.

An American Travel Snapshot

Figures gathered by Google’s Gemini AI paint an interesting, varied picture of travel by Americans: Our travel-related behaviors seem to be both evolving and pretty acutely affected by income and education.

• Domestic travel has been on the rise. Americans reportedly took some 720.2 million domestic trips in 2025. According to a 2024 report, the average American took three trips that year, 90% planned at least one trip, and 85% of those trips would be out of the travelers’ home states. However, more than 10% of the population is estimated to have never left their home state.

• Some 170 million Americans hold valid passports – 40% to 45% of the country’s population. In 1989, passport holders accounted for only 7.3 million people, or roughly 3% of the contemporary population.

• A 2023 study found that a bit more than three-quarters (76%) of Americans had made at least one international trip. And slightly more than a quarter (26%) of these were “globe-trotters” who had visited five or more countries. By the way, those 65 and older are more than twice as likely to be said trotters of the globe as those under 30.

• Only 10% of Americans earning $80,000 or more have never traveled abroad, compared with almost half (48%) of those earning less than $30,000. Only 7% of college graduates have never traveled abroad. Some 37% of those with some college education or less have never traveled abroad. And some 75% of white Americans and 73% of Hispanic Americans have been abroad, compared with only 49% of Black Americans.

It will be interesting to see how these trends play out as economic, political, and social forces continue to…evolve. And of course, your mileage may vary significantly from the data points and trends summarized above. However, everyone can and should achieve and enjoy at least some of the benefits of travel. Below, some suggestions intended to help.

Dortch's Recommendations for Maximizing the Benefits of Travel

• Start by exploring local options. You don’t need a plane, train, or automobile to have satisfying travel experiences. Start in your own very neighborhood. Check your local media and the websites of local libraries, schools, and social centers for nearby things you’ve never done. (I grew up in New York City, and had to become an adult and move away before visiting the Empire State Building and the Statue of Liberty for the first time. And each was a short subway ride away from my home when I lived in the city. Sigh.)

• Get a passport and keep it current. Even if you have no international travel plans, an up-to-date passport is a robust and widely accepted form of personal identification. It’s a great backup to whatever primary ID you’re carrying now – and you never know when or where you might need something more than your driver’s license. (If you are planning any international travel, make sure your passport is at least six months away from expiring before your trip. Also, stash notarized, dated copies of your passport in your luggage, in case your original is lost or stolen.)

• Get reservations for every possible attraction before you get to it. These days, they almost all have websites. Many of these offer language options, and your browser software may be able to translate those that don’t. If you aren’t sure if an attraction that interests you offers reservations, check one or more popular travel websites for clues and reviews from previous travelers. Never wait in line more than you absolutely have to.

• Be more traveler than tourist. In my experience, which includes many conversations with those who live where I’ve traveled, tourists tend to prefer places that are familiar and comfortable. They will often choose a local purveyor of local versions of the foods they consume at home over trying local favorites. Travelers hope for the new, different, and unexpected whenever they hit the road. Which is or should be a large part of the reason you travel in the first place. If you want where you go to offer the same things you love about being at home, with few or no surprises, you might want to consider staying home.

• Don’t sleep on useful, fun tourist-focused things. Make all the fun you want of the “clueless yahoos” crowding those open-air, double-decker buses you see at almost every major landmark in almost every city that has paved roads and lots of visitors from elsewhere. Then get on the bus.  Especially if you’re visiting someplace for the first time, a one- or two-day pass that includes unlimited hop-on, hop-off privileges can introduce you to the attractions and areas you want to explore more fully, and get you to and from them with no driving or language barriers. (Many of these buses include prerecorded trip narration in multiple languages.) Just make sure you don’t miss the last run of the evening for the route you’re on. Otherwise, you may have to spend extra money on a long taxi ride back to your starting point, or get help navigating local public transit.

Don’t Just Sit There

The late, great, amazingly peripatetic author, chef, and storyteller Anthony Bourdain famously said, "I wish more Americans had passports so that they could see how other people live." Seeing how others live can broaden your perspective, on those others and on your own life. It can also introduce you to people, places, foods, and experiences you hadn’t even considered and didn’t know you’d love. Even when your travels take you no more than a short distance from where you live.

Now What? Your Serve...

I am naively optimistic enough to believe there is value in trying to look at what I do, how I do it, and why I do it. Writing about things like those in this piece is part of that process. So to echo my ABCs of human motivation, the achievement of writing and sharing these posts delivers the benefit of helping me crystallize some thoughts and feelings, and tighten up some of the internal connections linking my body, mind, and spirit.

But this is not just about me. Sharing these thoughts and feelings also offers the promise of connection with others. That's where you come in. 

Your reactions eagerly sought and warmly welcomed. Feel free to leave your thoughts wherever you’re reading this if comments are supported, or to email me directly at medortch@dortchonit.com. I hope this begins some interesting conversational threads, excerpts and summaries of which I will gladly and gratefully share (anonymously or with attribution as you prefer) in future outings, several of which are already in various stages of construction.

Thanks for reading. Thanks again in advance if you share your reactions with me, share this post with others, or both. And please stay connected so we can continue and extend this emerging, evolving conversation.

Dortch’s WAHAT (“We All Hunger and Thirst”) is a series of pieces I’m writing and publishing to share things I’ve learned and foster connections and conversations about various elements of life and the world. Send your suggestions and reactions to me directly at medortch@dortchonit.com. and feel free to share what you’ve read with others. 

By the way, I belatedly learned that “wahat” has multiple meanings that have nothing to do with me or my opinions. So I’ve added my last name to what I’m calling this series of outings. Just to be clear about who is to blame. Thanks!