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Back after a 8 month round-the-world trip/daily life back home



 
 
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  #1  
Old August 16th, 2004, 08:57 AM
Hallvard Tangeraas
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Default Back after a 8 month round-the-world trip/daily life back home

I recently came back after a more than 8 month long trip around the
world and have had an absolutely fantastic time!!!
Getting back home was like pulling the emergency brake on the train.
Quite an abrupt stop in other words. No more excitement, new
places/things/people to see every single day etc.

And nobody really understands the whole concept of travelling like
this or has much interest in hearing about it all. 2 minutes seems
plenty for most people. I guess it's hard to relate to something like
this when most people have only had 2 week vacations now and then.

So how do you other guys handle this sort of thing? How do you get
back to an everyday life, or do you?
I'm pretty free at the moment, not knowing exactly what to do with my
life, so I'm trying to get ideas. I don't feel particularly at home
anywhere, so I guess home could be anywhere.

I'd like to hear what other people having done after something like
this.


Hallvard
  #2  
Old August 16th, 2004, 10:19 AM
Miguel Cruz
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Default

Hallvard Tangeraas wrote:
I recently came back after a more than 8 month long trip around the
world and have had an absolutely fantastic time!!!
Getting back home was like pulling the emergency brake on the train.
Quite an abrupt stop in other words. No more excitement, new
places/things/people to see every single day etc.

And nobody really understands the whole concept of travelling like
this or has much interest in hearing about it all. 2 minutes seems
plenty for most people. I guess it's hard to relate to something like
this when most people have only had 2 week vacations now and then.

So how do you other guys handle this sort of thing? How do you get
back to an everyday life, or do you?
I'm pretty free at the moment, not knowing exactly what to do with my
life, so I'm trying to get ideas. I don't feel particularly at home
anywhere, so I guess home could be anywhere.

I'd like to hear what other people having done after something like
this.


Yeah, people who haven't done it generally have very little interest. Mostly
they just want the soundbite answer to "So what's the place you've been to?"
and if it's noplace they've heard of then they probably don't even want to
hear the answer to that.

You just have to find other travelers to talk with when you're in the mood
to reminisce; there's really no shortage of them out there unless you live
in small-town USA or something. Your fellow travelers are in the same
position as you and will relish the opportunity to compare notes.

And of course there are people who are contemplating a long journey of their
own, for whom you can be a very helpful resource.

Give it a few months and if you still feel restless, maybe it's worth
thinking about some sort of career that keeps you on the move.

miguel
--
Hit The Road! Photos and tales from around the world: http://travel.u.nu
  #3  
Old August 16th, 2004, 10:19 AM
Miguel Cruz
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Default

Hallvard Tangeraas wrote:
I recently came back after a more than 8 month long trip around the
world and have had an absolutely fantastic time!!!
Getting back home was like pulling the emergency brake on the train.
Quite an abrupt stop in other words. No more excitement, new
places/things/people to see every single day etc.

And nobody really understands the whole concept of travelling like
this or has much interest in hearing about it all. 2 minutes seems
plenty for most people. I guess it's hard to relate to something like
this when most people have only had 2 week vacations now and then.

So how do you other guys handle this sort of thing? How do you get
back to an everyday life, or do you?
I'm pretty free at the moment, not knowing exactly what to do with my
life, so I'm trying to get ideas. I don't feel particularly at home
anywhere, so I guess home could be anywhere.

I'd like to hear what other people having done after something like
this.


Yeah, people who haven't done it generally have very little interest. Mostly
they just want the soundbite answer to "So what's the place you've been to?"
and if it's noplace they've heard of then they probably don't even want to
hear the answer to that.

You just have to find other travelers to talk with when you're in the mood
to reminisce; there's really no shortage of them out there unless you live
in small-town USA or something. Your fellow travelers are in the same
position as you and will relish the opportunity to compare notes.

And of course there are people who are contemplating a long journey of their
own, for whom you can be a very helpful resource.

Give it a few months and if you still feel restless, maybe it's worth
thinking about some sort of career that keeps you on the move.

miguel
--
Hit The Road! Photos and tales from around the world: http://travel.u.nu
  #4  
Old August 16th, 2004, 04:50 PM
Pawel Hadam
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Default

I'm pretty free at the moment, not knowing exactly what to do with my
life, so I'm trying to get ideas.


Try the same in the opposite direction

I don't feel particularly at home
anywhere, so I guess home could be anywhere.


Your home is - where you heart is



Regards
Pawel

PS. Do you have any photos?

  #5  
Old August 17th, 2004, 06:26 AM
nh1980
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I know what you mean, brother. I, myself, have traveled a quite bit. I
backpacked through Europe and Asia and a bit of South America. Now that I
have a real job, it is impossible to get the time to do that again.

My take on this is people who haven't traveled much too wouldn't understand
somebody like you or me and the things and experiences (exciting and
educational) we gained. Sadly, their world is confined to maybe 100 miles
radius from where they live. Maybe they go to cancun or puerto vallarta or
something very touristic and mainstream on their two-week vacations.

Another misunderstanding that they have is they think you would need lots of
money to travel. That is totally wrong, given the way we traveled,
backpacking styles. In some places, particularly in Asia, you can live like
a king for $20 a day including food and hostel/hotel.

Sometimes as I sit in my cubical at work and look out the window, I
reminisce the great old times. The time when I went snorkeling at Phi Phi
Island in Phuket and that other time when I met some Norweigian girls in
Prague and we hung out all night.

Another time just recently I was in Bangkok. I went to this movie threater
and it wasn't your typical threater like here in the US. I paid about 14$
to get in. The threater had all plush recliner seats with massage control
setting buttons. They gave me a pillow, a blanklet and a pair of socks.
There was also a 'help' button. You push that and a waiter comes and takes
your order. They had free soda drinks. You can recline down to almost in
sleeping position and watch the movie. They also stopped the film haff-way
so you can get up and stretch. Man, it was an awesome experience.


"Hallvard Tangeraas" wrote in message
om...
I recently came back after a more than 8 month long trip around the
world and have had an absolutely fantastic time!!!
Getting back home was like pulling the emergency brake on the train.
Quite an abrupt stop in other words. No more excitement, new
places/things/people to see every single day etc.

And nobody really understands the whole concept of travelling like
this or has much interest in hearing about it all. 2 minutes seems
plenty for most people. I guess it's hard to relate to something like
this when most people have only had 2 week vacations now and then.

So how do you other guys handle this sort of thing? How do you get
back to an everyday life, or do you?
I'm pretty free at the moment, not knowing exactly what to do with my
life, so I'm trying to get ideas. I don't feel particularly at home
anywhere, so I guess home could be anywhere.

I'd like to hear what other people having done after something like
this.


Hallvard



  #6  
Old August 17th, 2004, 07:51 AM
Greg Pankhurst
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Default

Hallvard Tangeraas wrote:

And nobody really understands the whole concept of travelling like
this or has much interest in hearing about it all. 2 minutes seems
plenty for most people. I guess it's hard to relate to something like
this when most people have only had 2 week vacations now and then.


*shrug*

Why are you so worried about what other people think of your trip?

Loads of people have what they believe are wonderful and interesting
experiences every day. For some people it's travel, for others it's
having kids. Or getting married. Or getting high. Or finding
god/allah/buddha, etc. It's fantastic that people have these
experiences, but IMO there's nothing more painful than someone
constantly talking at great length about how great their experience with
travel/marriage/kids/drugs/some random deity was or is, unless you
youself are particularly interested in it.

And to be perfectly blunt, it's hardly like you're the first person to
do and 8 months backpacking/RTW trip.

Sorry if this seems a little caustic: personally I love travelling, and
personally I really enjoy telling people about my travels and also
hearing their stories. But that's just me. Not everyone is into it.

Greg

  #7  
Old August 17th, 2004, 11:11 AM
FujiGirl
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"nh1980" wrote in message

Another time just recently I was in Bangkok. I went to this movie

threater
and it wasn't your typical threater like here in the US. I paid about 14$
to get in. The threater had all plush recliner seats with massage control
setting buttons. They gave me a pillow, a blanklet and a pair of socks.
There was also a 'help' button. You push that and a waiter comes and

takes
your order. They had free soda drinks. You can recline down to almost in
sleeping position and watch the movie. They also stopped the film

haff-way
so you can get up and stretch. Man, it was an awesome experience.


think i know this place....is it on the top floor at Siam Centre? you
should see the toilet too. it's like a throne! there's a woman sitting in
the closet always talking on the cell phone who comes out and cleans as soon
as you leave. the toilet paper is folded at a corner, the taps and such are
brass and the same woman in the closet polishes it so hard you can see your
reflection clearly!


  #8  
Old August 17th, 2004, 06:07 PM
kim isaksen
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Posts: n/a
Default

"Hallvard Tangeraas" wrote in message
om...
I recently came back after a more than 8 month long trip around the
world and have had an absolutely fantastic time!!!
Getting back home was like pulling the emergency brake on the train.
Quite an abrupt stop in other words. No more excitement, new
places/things/people to see every single day etc.

And nobody really understands the whole concept of travelling like
this or has much interest in hearing about it all. 2 minutes seems
plenty for most people. I guess it's hard to relate to something like
this when most people have only had 2 week vacations now and then.

So how do you other guys handle this sort of thing? How do you get
back to an everyday life, or do you?
I'm pretty free at the moment, not knowing exactly what to do with my
life, so I'm trying to get ideas. I don't feel particularly at home
anywhere, so I guess home could be anywhere.

I'd like to hear what other people having done after something like
this.


Well the first time i did my half year in sandals i had the same experince
when i came back home. But now i've just realised. People stay at home
because they dont have an interest to se the world the same way I do. They
dont understand my fascination about travel, diving and different cultures.
They dont think it can be fun to sleep with spiders, snakes and spirits in
an indonesian treehut. And i dont get the life improvement in a 42" plasma
screen, or a black BMW. Well thats just normal. Thats why people conquered
the world in the first place. There is people who stay and build, and people
who is restless and want to se what lies behind the line in the horizon. You
might just be a wanderer in stead of a builder. So find some other wanderes
to shares your interests with.

Thats my 1000 rupies.

/iM


  #9  
Old August 17th, 2004, 06:07 PM
kim isaksen
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Posts: n/a
Default

"Hallvard Tangeraas" wrote in message
om...
I recently came back after a more than 8 month long trip around the
world and have had an absolutely fantastic time!!!
Getting back home was like pulling the emergency brake on the train.
Quite an abrupt stop in other words. No more excitement, new
places/things/people to see every single day etc.

And nobody really understands the whole concept of travelling like
this or has much interest in hearing about it all. 2 minutes seems
plenty for most people. I guess it's hard to relate to something like
this when most people have only had 2 week vacations now and then.

So how do you other guys handle this sort of thing? How do you get
back to an everyday life, or do you?
I'm pretty free at the moment, not knowing exactly what to do with my
life, so I'm trying to get ideas. I don't feel particularly at home
anywhere, so I guess home could be anywhere.

I'd like to hear what other people having done after something like
this.


Well the first time i did my half year in sandals i had the same experince
when i came back home. But now i've just realised. People stay at home
because they dont have an interest to se the world the same way I do. They
dont understand my fascination about travel, diving and different cultures.
They dont think it can be fun to sleep with spiders, snakes and spirits in
an indonesian treehut. And i dont get the life improvement in a 42" plasma
screen, or a black BMW. Well thats just normal. Thats why people conquered
the world in the first place. There is people who stay and build, and people
who is restless and want to se what lies behind the line in the horizon. You
might just be a wanderer in stead of a builder. So find some other wanderes
to shares your interests with.

Thats my 1000 rupies.

/iM


  #10  
Old August 19th, 2004, 09:52 AM
Turby
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Default

On 16 Aug 2004 00:57:06 -0700, (Hallvard
Tangeraas) wrote:

I recently came back after a more than 8 month long trip around the
world ...


And nobody really understands the whole concept of travelling like
this


Baloney. Millions of people do it. Lonely Planet & Moon Publications
have made millions off them. You may be the only person in your circle
of acquaintances who's done it, but wherever you go traveling, there
are plenty of other vagabonds. It's almost impossible to find a place
that _hasn't_ been touristed. Let me rephrase that. If you're doing a
RTW trip, it's almost impossible. No matter where you go, you'll find
someone who's done far more intrepid stuff, more radical traveling.
And you'll find those people at home, too, but they don't have tattoos
on their forehead that say, "world traveller." They're working at
normal jobs, being normal people and saving money for their next trip.

So how do you other guys handle this sort of thing? How do you get
back to an everyday life, or do you?


You cope. My longest trip was 4 years. Towards the end, I couldn't
wait to get back, get a job, and be _productive_ again. I was tired of
just observing, meeting new people, and learning about different
cultures. A long trip for me now is 6 weeks. A friend where I work
thinks nothing of flying halfway around the world for 3 days. You
learn to accept whatever travel experience you have in its own
context. No matter where you've been, the sum total of your
experiences is really limited. Sure, you can say, "I've been to India.
I know what it's like." But all you know is what you've seen out of
your peripheral vision on the path you've taken, at the time you were
there. You don't know what's on the next street over, or what the same
path feels like in another season.

The "everyday life" you speak of is everyday only because you fit back
into familiar routines and places. I don't know where you call home,
but I'll bet there are many things you don't know about it. If you
find a new career, friends, locale, etc, you'll find that same "awe of
the new" that travel gives you.
My home is in Southern California. There are communities within 10
miles of me about which I know nothing. Nowadays I find as much joy
traveling around America as around the world. And doing it in 2 week
chunks is easy.

Turby the Turbosurfer
 




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