Anyone that has ever been on OLD (or currently still using it, no shade from me) knows what I'm talking about. The cold, long holidays broke me and I downloaded an app. It's already deleted, but what stood out to me for the month I was on it, were just how many men talk about these trips.

"One time I booked a flight to Cancun without a plan and stayed for three weeks"

"Moved to [city] on a whim without a job or knowing people."

"I once started driving and didn't stop till I was in San Diego, stayed for a week with friends!" (We are in Texas)

"Went to the airport, boarded the first international flight I saw"

"Decided to quit my job and road trip for two months without any plan."

I personally know someone that quit his director-level, senior staff job to road trip north, hang out with friends for a few months, and then come back to our city. Last I heard, he lives rent free with a family member and works an hourly job with unreliable hours (how I met him, doing that job because I was a STUDENT) because jobs like what he had are very, VERY hard to just jump into.

OR it's a story about getting lost in a country, drunk, with no phone, and relying on strangers to get to a hotel or find friends.

I haven't seen this talked about as much, but it ALWAYS rubs me the wrong way. It's not even necessarily that they did these things, it's that they are BRAGGING about it. I think it's great to travel. Really. But in no way is having zero ties, responsibilities, or forethought an attractive trait.

The short answer as to WHY: OLD attracts the laziest and most clueless of garbage men, and they think unplanned, extended travel is cool. Boom, done. Fine.

But what is it otherwise? I want to give language to the exact red flag it raises because it's eluding me. I'm in a transitional period (done with grad school, figuring out my career and space in the scene, moving jobs around) but I also know that right around the corner is the part of my life where I am dedicated to finding a partner, and I want to have crystal clear, rock hard boundaries.

Edit to add: 1) thank you everyone for your insightful comments. A lot of it boils down to irresponsibility and childish, impulsive behavior. And a lack of understanding or respect for inherent privilege. 2) this post has been crossposted somewhere else, and I've received a couple whiny PMs, and someone reported the post. Guess I did something right! Die mad.