When you are mindlessly scrolling through your Instagram feed seeing the pictures that are brilliantly shot and edited, which are posted by travel ‘influencers’ or YouTube videos, you feel miserable about your life, right? Don’t worry; you aren’t the only one. There are a lot of us wishing that could be us on that exotic vacation, but instead, we are sulking in our 9 to 5 jobs. And that’s completely okay. No, I am not implying to suck-up to a bad job, but not constantly taking Instagram worthy vacations is normal.

There is always a pang of jealousy when we go through the curated feeds of the influencers. But let me tell you, it’s a farce. The exotic pictures you see on Instagram are a half-truth. They are well edited and shot because that’s what the brands demand when there is a collaboration. Those behind the scenes truths of these curated feed are completely on the other end of the exotic spectrum. Of course, traveling is liberating and beautiful and all the good things. But it’s not easy. There is a lot of sacrifice and arduousness going on behind that camera.

I see a lot of people casually pass statements like ‘I want to quit everything and go live in the Himalayas’, exciting? Definitely. But are you ready for the strains that come along with escaping? I don’t think most of us are. It is facile to say ‘I want runaway somewhere’ but we don’t understand the trials and tribulations of it. If you have a financial backup, then you are good to go. Otherwise, managing your expenses without a job is a task. Now you might be wondering if you can opt for a freelancing gig and generate passive income on the go. There are a lot of videos talking about how to make money while you travel, but what they don’t tell you is that it takes time. Period. It takes a lot of time to start generating a stable income. Otherwise, you will just end up exhausting your resources while traveling without a job. With the digital revolution, the companies are shoving brilliantly marketed content in your face. It is overwhelming at times and mostly miserable. Don’t give in.

At the same, it is absolutely important to take breaks and rejuvenate yourself. If you travel with the purpose of escaping, you will never completely enjoy it because you will have to come back to your normal life, and that’s going to make you feel bitter. Travel as far as you can and want to, just don’t do it for the sake of good Instagram pictures. Travel whenever you want with a purpose. A purpose of personal reflection, finding calm in your chaotic life, or to just completely shut off from the outside world and relax—travel to embrace, not to escape.