In terms of lessons learnt, it’s clear Eugene has developed a soft spot for the travel world, “the world I’ve spent my whole life avoiding”. The show forces him to confront his fears and temper his expectations, and in turn, has rewarded him with newfound appreciation and value for travel.
Courtesy Apple
“What have I learnt about myself?” he thinks. “Well, one is just get off the couch and do it. Before the show, it was always: ‘No, I don’t travel. I don’t care to travel.’ I’ve got nothing against people who do, but I am not really interested in listening to the stories people come back from trips with. Before, I found I had very, very little interest, or I feigned interest. But I’ve learned that it is a more positive thing, and actually makes you a better person, to actually go through the experience and then decide afterwards. Just do it and then decide whether you like it or whether you don’t like it, but don’t make the decision before you actually travel.”
“The other thing I’ve learnt is that I’m not a social animal by nature,” he adds. “I’m not a chit chatter. But with this show, I’ve learned that I can actually do it—and it’s not such a terrible thing to have conversations with people. Certainly, on the show, this is what I’m getting out of it the most. They’re all incredibly nice, I have the greatest time hanging with them, and I’m learning so much from them.”
Series 3 of The Reluctant Traveler airs exclusively on Apple TV+. A version of this story originally appeared on Condé Nast Traveller UK.
