I've been to 36 countries on four continents and I just wanted to reflect on some things I've learned.
The Fulfillment Wears Off - When I first started traveling it was very fulfilling. Every time I posted an amazing Instagram pic and made my friends back at home jealous of the life I was living, I felt like I was doing something special. I would go to these incredible places, meet cool people, get wasted, hook up with someone, then do it all again the next day. It felt like my life was a movie. I thought traveling would always feel like this. But as the years went on and my country list grew into the double digits, the novelty of it all began to wear off. All the partying, hooking up, and posting Insta pics kind of just left me feeling empty. Traveling just for the sake of traveling started to seem a little too self indulgent. Yeah, I had worked hard and been smart with my money to be able to afford to do these things, but I was still very privileged. Even though I had grown up in the lower middle class in America, I still had far more opportunities than most of the locals I met throughout my travels. It kind of seemed like a waste to be spending my time lounging around and seeing all the sites.
I still love to travel, but now I look for some kind of purpose other than just going just to go. By things with purpose I mean things like work-stays, charities, mission trips, climbing a mountain, humanitarian work, getting a yoga certification, or learning a new language. Basically, anything that gives me the opportunity to grow as a person. When you first start traveling, just experiencing a new culture will help you grow. The more you travel however, the more you need to look for ways to challenge yourself. The satisfaction gained from traveling to a new place will be incrementally decreased each time unless you find a greater sense of purpose.
Your Location Doesn't Really Matter - You can have the time of your life just about anywhere. If you're stuck in your town and you hate being there, going somewhere else probably isn't going to help much in the long run. If you can't have a good time wherever you're at, the problem is probably you. However, the people you surround yourself with definitely do make a difference. If you're surrounded by people that are bringing you down, you need to change that. But also realize that if you're surrounded by shitty people, it might be because you're a shitty person yourself. There are exceptions to every rule but in general, you attract what you deserve.
5% of People Are Assholes- The good thing about this is that the other 95% of people out there are good people. I feel like this distribution is pretty much the same no matter where I go. Whether it's the Middle East, Europe, South America, or right here in Ellensburg, WA I think for the most part, people are good. Another way to look at it is that everyone is trying to be a good person but on average, they are an asshole 5% of the time. Either way, I think most people who others consider bad people are actually looking for a way to redeem themselves. A lot of people get unlucky or fall into bad habits and the world ends up kicking them around quite a bit. These people most likely regret the things they've done or think they had no other choice. One thing I've learned is that if you give these "assholes" the benefit of the doubt and treat them with respect, they will most likely treat you with respect in return. If you take some responsibility of your own actions and the way you treat people, then you'll most likely be treated well wherever you go. There is no best country in the world, or one group of people that really suck, there's just that 5% out there giving the other 95% a bad reputation.
Personally I don;t really like travelling much,I like to have a "home base". Traveling can be stressful. I do like living in the tropics though, right now I'm stuck in frigid Canada. I used to live in Costa Rica for 5 years, I got transferred there for work. But the company I worked for closed, and I had to move back home. Hope to get back to Costa Rica sooner than later, I hate winter! lol
Sounds like you've done your fair share of traveling though. The older I get the more I like having a home base. Costa Rica would be nice right now. I'm in Eastern Washington and it's raining ice.
I never really traveled all that much, I lived in San Jose, the capital city there, and it's in the middle of the country a few hours from the nice beaches and the cloud forest etc.., so it wasn't really like traveling I had to be at work on Mondays so I couldn't really do any long excursions or enjoy the tourist stuff like the beaches and rainforest too much lol A lot of my artist friends travel a lot to vend at different festivals and other events. I don;t think I could live that way, being on the road all the time. I'd prefer to build my own gallery with bed and breakfast type thing and do workshops etc.., and eventually, hopefully have people from all over the world come take classes with me and see my art. I already have my own showroom, and plan to do some classes/workshops in 2018, so I'm slowly manifesting that vision. :)
OMG just noticed the sign you're holding! LOL Nice lol
Refreshing perspective! I think the "wanderlust" generation should consider these points. I've definitely had to challenge my own thinking about travel in a similar way.
I have been to all continents besides Australia and Antartica, but most of my trips have been work related. I enjoyed them, but they also made me tired. Also, doesn't help that unlike you I'm an introvert. I'm fine with leaving home for 3 or 4 times a year, but more than that is too tiresome for me.
I actually am an introvert too. Traveling can be exhausting, especially when I'm doing it with other people.
Hello from Tacoma, WA!
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Please don't post links to your writings on other people's posts. This will get you flagged.