Am I travelling wrong ?

I often read posts saying travel is life-changing, helps you discover yourself, exposes you to new cultures and people... blah blah

From my limited experience, I've never talked to locals or other travelers, never learned anything groundbreaking. Just visited touristy spots, took pictures, ate popular food & bailed off.

Are people lying/exaggerating about travel .. is this a big conspiracy?

Any of you got stories about doing something spontaneous while traveling or making new friends? Any crazy stories ?

Also for those who do solo trips .. how do you enjoy with just yourself?