Why Are We Everywhere But Home? The Gen Z Travel Frenzy Explained

Gen Z Is Everywhere But Home Why is Gen Z suddenly everywhere? From solo trips to Lisbon, rooftop dinners in Istanbul, spontaneous flights to Seoul, and dreamy “girlhood in Paris” edits, young people are traveling more than ever. But beneath the pastel cafés, aesthetic airport shots, and cinematic city walks lies a deeper truth: many of us feel more at home abroad than we do where we actually live. This video essay explores the emotional and cultural undercurrent behind Gen Z’s travel obsession. It goes beyond the surface-level wanderlust and asks the harder questions: Is travel becoming a coping mechanism for economic hopelessness? Are we chasing reinvention because our lives feel stuck? Has social media turned escape into an aesthetic we’re all trying to embody? Or is this rooted in something older—the feminine desire for “elsewhere” that has lived inside women for centuries? From Eat Pray Love to the European Summer aesthetic, from Emma Chamberlain’s Paris era to the digital nomad fantasy, this essay traces how modern pop culture romanticizes escape and how young women use travel to reclaim identity, agency, and meaning. It also examines the paradox of aesthetic travel—the invisible labor behind looking effortless—and why documenting our adventures has become just as important as living them. If you've ever booked a flight to feel alive, moved abroad after heartbreak, or fantasized about starting over somewhere far away, this video will speak to you. It's a gentle, cinematic invitation to reflect on why “home” doesn’t always feel like the place where we belong—and what we’re really searching for when we leave. Join the conversation: Where have you felt most like yourself? And have you ever traveled to escape your life—or to find a new version of yourself? About this channel: Laura Jane Atelier creates nostalgic, feminine, cinematic essays exploring modern womanhood, culture, beauty, escapism, and the hidden meanings behind today’s trends.