What I’ve learned on this trip
Well no car was sold today, perhaps tomorrow.
Met a lot of interesting people in the car park though waiting all day. I went ahead and bought a world map and began planning my next trip. I wanted it to be around the world but there are so many places I have to hit, I don’t think I could do it in a year. However, looks like the next trip may be South America, if not Japan. We’ll see.
Of course the next most immediate trip is in July to Wales for Christie’s wedding. I might take a jaunt up to Scotland and Ireland whilst I’m there though.
Oh, btw, if I mispell something or type something funky, it’s because I’m using a very odd keyboard. That’s my disclaimer anyway.
So what have I learned? I’ve learned that backpacking, although highly social and having the purpose to experience other cultures and peoples, is largely an individual venture and should be taken alone to get the most out of it. Unless you’re with someone who is mostly like you, it’s far more meaningful to experience other cultures and peoples on your own instead of trying to make sure the other person is having a good time. If you do embark on a trip together, be sure that you each are independent and may part ways at any time if need be. However, taking a trip together which requires decision making, roughing it, and lots of compromise can be a good test of a relationship. I would recommend if you’re really getting serious with a significant other, go on a trip of at least a month together in another country. Problems are bound to arise, but that’s not so important as much as how you deal with them.
I’ve also confirmed something that I already suspected about myself. I need a variety of experiences in life. So I can’t just do one thing. As much as I’d love to live up to the expectations of everyone around me when I was growing up and become a great actor or genius scientist or make lots of money, I feel that I wouldn’t be truly happy unless I tried a variety of different lives and occupations. Unfortunately, that means that it will be difficult for me to settle down and I’ll have to move from place to place quite often. I’d much rather be content with finding a nice girl, settling down in one place and raising a family. And while I know one day that will be my priority, right now I can’t say that it is. Although the search for the girl still remains, and I will traverse the globe to find her, no exceptions.
What will I take back with me? Apart from the souvenirs, gifts, new vocabulary, and an appreciation for other cultures around the globe, I will take back with me a greater desire to learn about all walks of life in the world and compare each to what I believe to be right.
But even more interesting is how what I believe changes based on my experiences and how much of one people we could become if we’d only let ourselves. I’ll also take back a greater desire to write. I’ve been working on a book for quite sometime and will consider taking a month off to write it finally. I would also like to look into writing for travel magazines and books. Not quite sure how to go about that, but it would be cool.
Right now, the plan at hand is to work in the States a year, then become a dive master and be a diving instructor for a year, then to work in the states, then to teach English in Japan for a year, then back to the states, then to become a skydiving instructor for a year, then back to the states. After that perhaps I’ll go back to school and get my masters in teaching and teach college. Somewhere round in there, the girl will be found, we’ll see. But that’s all depending on how the next year goes.
For the moment, I’ve got to find someone to pick me up from the airport on Wed morning. 