Do you travel a lot because you don’t have kids?

I have been asked this question more than once & it seems to be a common assumption. At first, it seems a fair question. Traveling with kids is more expensive & has added challenges, therefore parents are less likely to travel often. If THIS is the reason the question is asked, then my response is:

Having kids is no excuse for not traveling. In fact, you should travel as much as possible FOR your children — instill a passion for travel & curiosity about the world at an early age. [I’ll talk more about this in a follow-up post.]

Quite often, however, I hear a subtle undertone behind the question that implies something different. It implies that a childless couple has a void in their life which must be filled, & travel fills that void. THIS question bothers me for several reasons: