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That's spot on.
Just yesterday I was discussing health and fitness with my neighbour.
If you look at people in the US or Europe, they're fit – they sneak in workouts.
In India, fitness is an afterthought. Only after being diagnosed with high BP, cholesterol or sugar do we start cutting sugar and taking evening walks to be 'healthy'.
Move out, support yourself and pay rent and food by 18. Simple. You can't keep relying on your parents and then expect them to grant you freedom.
Many people here behave in a way that earns them only permission, not freedom. Show your parents that you are an independent adult. The rest of the travel part in this post is rambling, lacks financial sense and is a bit detached from reality.
Luckily we don't even need to go abroad. India itself has so many cultures and perspectives.
Only 6% travel outside the EU; the rest can move around the EU without needing a passport or visa.
No one is stopping you from traveling on your own cash. Don't count on your parents to fund your 'travel'.
tiny countries that could fit inside a single Maharashtra.
Most of their major nations are smaller than Rajasthan.
In India you can easily get exposure to different cultures just by stepping out of your own state.
We can't afford to spend a year traveling in Vietnam. Being already low-income and facing fierce competition, wasting a year gaining world perspective makes it hard to find a job when you come back. It's a 24-hour rat race; if you stop, you fall behind.
A European plumber can work until 25, earn good money, then train in MMA in Thailand for two years, return to Europe at 27, enroll in university and become a mechanical engineer by 31 with plenty of job options. Can you picture that happening in India?
Europe is much smaller than India, and they don't need visas to move around European countries. What's wrong with visiting 12 temples? You're still traveling, discovering new places and meeting new people.
I see this post is saying we lack freedom to travel solo here, but the Europe comparison is weak.
Also, the corporate scene in India is highly competitive; a resume gap makes it extremely hard to get a job. There's always another candidate with the same skills but no gap, and companies prefer them.
There's something called passport privilege that we Indians lack.
People from the EU and other developed nations can just walk to the airport with a passport and board an international flight.
Secondly, travel is pricey for us – we earn about 25% of what Westerners earn, yet we have to spend in EUR/USD, which is roughly three-quarters more for us.
Also, career gaps are frowned upon here; who wants to risk their job just to travel?
Then there's the pressure to get married before a certain age.
What's the problem with traveling to 12 temples? In India, each temple can offer a very different and wonderful experience.
This whole post reflects a western-mindset viewpoint.