Every time I travel I learn something new about traveling that I try to take back with me, sort out and then implement on the next trip. For example, back in 2007 I took out my credit card and decided to head to Tanzania and summit Kilimanjaro with a group of teachers from University of Colorado Denver. The trip was awesome, well planned out, but while I was there, grouped in a mass of overly white faces, only a bit tattooed at that time, I stuck out (not as much as now) and I realized, man, the local people don't even notice us, they just see walking dollar signs. White faces, hiking clothes, REI backpacks, polarized sunglasses, kindness, compassion - all those things are unnoticed and just translate into one big walking dollar sign.
I had no face, no name, no identity, I was just some source of easy money. The problem was at the time I had charged the trip and I owed more money to credit than I actually had. Yes, I had food, a house, way more than those eyes staring at me, but I felt assaulted, bitter. At that point I thought, hey, instead of just traveling for brief moments, maybe I should stay somewhere for a while, you know assimilate into the community. Hence, a year later, I picked up my life and decided try the international teaching thing.
I love this international teaching gig. Picking up and moving, getting to know new people, new situations, keeping myself on my toes. Of course I miss my family and friends. I miss Target and buying good smelling stuff, but I like being in the middle of a place I've never been. You ready for the but? Yes, I thought you'd be, so the but is that these new places are now my home. I live here now, so the day to day stuff is essentially the same. Well, I have to call some run down, pile of crap, falling apart taxi to take me to work, but I get up by an alarm, go to work and exercise, same daily stuff you do. It's got me thinking, huh, should I move closer to home and do this stuff and then travel from my home base? Maybe, but not for a couple more years, because I've accepted another job overseas, this time in the Dominican Republic.
For now I'll continue to live in a foreign country and travel from there.
My next thought, was ok, so I don't need to live in every place I visit, but how about staying in those places for a longer period to really get to know that place. That's how my Ecuador trip came to fruition. I had the whole summer vacation to travel and I decided, instead of trying to check off a bunch of countries, I should just stay in one. Five weeks in Quito turned into a routine and after the 4th week I planned a trip to the coast, just to "get out of there". Huh, maybe this isn't a good idea either. Then I had three weeks in the Galapagos and the positive is that I don't ever feel like I need to go back, but those last few days on Isabella were just spent walking around the same 5 streets I'd been wandering for a few days and reading.
Then it came time to figure out what to do for the month break we get around Christmas. Again, I was thinking, don't try to fit too much in, just relax, go to one country and really "see" it. There's the Colombia trip. Spend the whole month in Colombia. Move around within the country and after consulting the Lonely Planet (a book we lovingly refer to as the Lonely Liars) I realized that Colombia might not be the easiest place to get around, so I should look into a tour company to help me organize the trip.
The lesson this time, even though I was only in each new place for a few days, was that I was still a day or so too long in each place. It boils down to the fact that life is pretty much the same in most places. Once you see all the touristy stuff, the other stuff is just routine living. The travel books highlight the unique things in the area and anything on top of that is the same stuff you've seen and done in every other place you've visited. After you've gone to a few churches, shopped in the local market, eaten at a few typical restaurants, experienced the "special" in each place the rest is just the same.
Now I'm thinking I should plan a trip that is action packed, and full of movement. I'm sure I'll learn something from that too.
2 comments:
Wow, That is exactly how I feel after all our travels, and they were nothing compared to yours, but when you boiled it all down it's pretty much the same everywhere. I guess that is why people say we are all the same, we are, after all, brothers & sisters, right?
I do love reading your blog and following your adventures! Thank you
next adventure....Hawaii 2011
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