When I came to NYU Abu Dhabi, I wasn’t expecting travelling on breaks to be a common practice among students on campus. Assuming that the generous semesters abroad and January Term programs that we get were enough to construct our sense of international-mindedness, and at the same time provide us with enough leisure, I found it very surprising that most students around me were designing complex travel plans. Destinations vary: some prefer the calmness of the beaches and the nature in Thailand or Sri Lanka, some prefer the architecture and cultural life of Hungary or India, while some just explore more of the Middle East travelling to Oman, usually by car or bus. Nevertheless, a significant amount of students spend their university-sponsored stipends on travel.

Despite the initial surprise, and like a lot of other fellow students, I love to travel. Therefore, if everyone was travelling, I thought I might as well, too. I remember getting so excited to travel during the fall break.

But then I didn’t.

Coming from a low-income family, my stipend is the only amount of money I can count on. I concluded that the investment necessary for me to travel to Sri Lanka might put me in a financial position I wouldn’t like to be in. Be that as it may, I invested in other things: entertainment, exploring Abu Dhabi further and spending time reflecting on the first half of my semester at NYUAD. During that time, most of my friends were gone, and that got me thinking: how come it is standard practice to travel during breaks? What does it mean for a student body like NYUAD to travel so frequently?

The discussion on low-income students is somewhat under the radar of public discourse at NYUAD. The article “NYUAD Let’s Talk Low Income” revealed that the experiences of a low-income student at NYUAD significantly differs from the experience of those coming from more privileged backgrounds. The culture of travelling on breaks is extremely relevant in this context. I am sure that no one aims to pressure other students to travel abroad during breaks, but the amount of students doing so develops a culture where travelling during breaks seems to be the norm. More than that, even though I did not necessarily feel pressured to travel during breaks, I did feel like I was missing out. The experience of a low-income student is different because there is an unspoken feeling of unequal opportunities when it comes to the mobility that being a part of NYUAD offers. It has a direct impact on how low-income students understand their place on campus. Belonging to a group of friends who are constantly travelling can feel like an uncomfortable burden.

Even when travelling, low-income students experience financial stress that impacts their experience abroad. Making hostel plans, meal plans and deciding what places to visit in a certain country are all determined by how much of your stipend you are willing to spend. This again can cause discomfort when travelling with a group of friends, as we might feel like we are constantly getting in the way of our friend’s wishes and desires because we can’t afford that safari trip, or the entrance for that awesome nightclub, or a night in a more comfortable and private hotel room. Even when solo travelling, a sense of guilt for each dirham spent unwisely unsettles our thoughts and puts us in a constant place of financial self-awareness that is just tiring. Why travel if it is, above all, stressful?

Travelling does change us. What we experience in countries abroad reframes how we think, how we express ourselves and who we become. Most of these transformations and the skills that come with it are invaluable. Most of the memories that guide my values and goals for the future come from my experiences abroad. One thing is for sure: no one can deny the benefits of travelling.

However, this only reiterates the importance of the discussion of travelling during breaks. The argument here is not that all traveling during breaks should instantly stop, but it urges a deeper reflection about the reasons why we feel so inclined to do so and the impacts of our choices. Being students in the UAE gives us the opportunity to travel, and when again in our lives will we have the opportunity to travel to fantastic destinations, such as Lebanon or Jordan, with our friends? The significance of these opportunities, however, demands reflection.