Don't worry...I just think we are all envious...or wistful...or a healthy dose of each
I really enjoyed my Uni Days....was amazing fun.....but with
Knowldege being King...I wish I knew then what you (or I ) do now.
Still I had a great time doing all sort of 4WD trips and expeditions back then...and many of the places I went to then you cannot get access to now.
Which I guess gets back to the essence of this thread...enjoy what you do...and do what you enjoy.
If that is getting WP status..do it...
If it is more J travel do it...
We all have our own priorities and trade offs to achieve them.
How much something is value is in the eye of the beholder.
For example someone that flies a lot of Business Class for work.....would probably not enjoy a Business Class Holiday as much as someone where it is their once a year big trip.
On accommodation for me for example..location is the most important criterion...and I gladly trade off other accommoadtion criteria to stay somewhere with the best location (and what is best of course depends on a range of factors such as whether it is a city or beach or country destination...whether one has kids with one or not...etc etc).
If we all only ever worried about what is cheapest we would only drink tap water and not wine....and never dine at a restaurant when you can cook at home etc etc...and life would be very ho hum...