A couple of months ago I was laid off. My first thought was: do I want to go to Southeast Asia or South America. Those areas of the world had been calling to me for years: foreign culture, friendly people, good food, pretty women, and beautiful places. I eventually settled on SE Asia, because it seemed more foreign and the length of travel precludes it from being someplace I can visit on a two week vacation. My most current itinerary begins in Bangkok for a week before I head through Northern Thailand, then on through Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia and then back through southern Thailand. After that I could go South through Malaysia and Indonesia, then see friends in Sydney and my brother in Canberra, with a final stop in New Zealand OR I could go to Rajasthan in northeast India, Turkey to visit a friend, then Barcelona to see Ashley and Thom.
36 Hours Later, I’m sitting on the sunny porch of my hostel. The flight was more bearable than I had hoped. Three months of Chicago winter has turned this weather into a drug; I’m on a vitamin D high and my insomnia worries have melted away. If I’m robbed, capital one will rush me a new credit card, the embassy will help me get a new passport, and I can afford a few shorts and some sandals. I’ve been saving for years and I know how to budget. If I’m miserable I can buy a ticket home; It’s obviously in my budget. As for packing, maybe I did pack too much but I can afford to mail a package home or buy something I forgot. I’ll share the contents of my bag and critique my choices in a few weeks.
Meeting new people, making friends, seeing new places, experiencing new cultures, and expanding my perspective is fulfilling. My trips have been welcome breaks from the rush of everyday life. They afford me the chance to examine myself as I wander through raucous foreign cities, poor villages, and beautiful locations. I love travel, much as a mid-twenties man would love his long distance belle. A commitment of many years full of lovely moments for a few weeks every year. Is this a youthful fling or will Travel integral to the fabric of my life. I will definitely be hot and sweaty most days, I’ll probably get sick, my things may get stolen, and I might get hurt in an endless number of unexpected situations. This long meandering trip is something I’ve been dreaming of doing for years. It is a choice that I would have regretted not making.
3 Comments
hi Shawn, cool blog. you plan to put more photos here? where are you now?
Pete
Well I guess you did cut your hair.
Ha ha, it’s Christie from Milk and Honey, finally got a chance to slow down myself and live vicariously through your first blog post. Granted a couple weeks have passed since the first adventures started for you, but I really enjoyed reading your tentative fears and laughed a little out loud at your slow, progressive conclusion that yes, indeed all of the above could and may actually happen-thievery, illness, lost…No worries though, it’s all in the journey.
Peace,
Christie