Tuesday, January 11, 2011

When Traveling Gets Old


There comes a time in every long trip when shit just gets boring and repetitive.  It seems strange to think about, because we’re always in new places, seeing new things and meeting new people. But really, doing new things actually gets old after a while.  Traveling is different than vacation. On vacation you check into one hotel, hang out, get used to a place and explore and then relax and get drunk. Traveling is like one long extended vacation with some sickness, paranoia and instability mixed in. Does this place have bed bugs? Will this piece of lettuce make me sick? Is that guy going to rob us? Did I forget my sunglasses AGAIN? Where are we? Ugh.

The truth is I LOVE traveling. Why else would I work my ass off for months or even years, and then sell everything I own just to go somewhere I’ve never been? I just think there is always a breaking point. After about ten weeks on the move everywhere looks the same. I don’t want to go to anymore tourist sights. I don’t want to see anymore museums or town plazas. I remember the last day in Mexico, after traveling for three months; I almost completely lost it in the airport. Everything was such a cluster fuck (no queues) it took us three hours to get to the check-in desk. When we got there, the woman told us to RUN for the plane or we would miss it. I ran like my ass was on fire. When we got to the gate, wadda know, THERE WAS NO PLANE. It had been delayed 11/2 hours. WTF??  When I finally got back to Oregon it was the best feeling ever.  Thinking back, I have tons of hilarious stories and many came from times like these, when I was fed up with traveling and just ready to go “home.”

Dan and I have 6 more days in Lima, Peru. Then I will head to Portland, Oregon and he will go to Pennsylvania for a week, collect our things, and come join me. I don’t know if we will be visiting any more museums or if we will just be watching the paragliders take off from the beach and then drinking some beer.  At least I’m wearing flip flops while most of my friends are wearing snow boots. :)

2 comments:

  1. I can totally understand. I was only away for a month, but when Fiji started to feel a bit old I got fed up really quickly.

    Good luck with your final few days abroad and for whatever comes next in Portland. I love that city!

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