7 ms·

Traveling around the world for 6-?? months is really eye opening and gives you a lot to think about. Solving puzzles about getting money, how to get to places,

by sankyo 10y ago

Traveling around the world for 6-?? months is really eye opening and gives you a lot to think about. Solving puzzles about getting money, how to get to places, crossing language barriers, trying to tap into the underground, cool scene, not being limited to the tourist kitsch, learning how things are done in ways you had never thought of, these all require creativity and are rewarding. There are also many hardships on the road too, and sometimes you wish you could teleport home, if there is such a place. But after a while, the places all start looking the same, and every place gives you the same experiences, more or less. There are buses or subways, hotels, or hostels, interesting people who like meeting foreigners, museums, parks, points of interest, foods, drinks, restaurants, bars. Something starts growing inside you saying "I want to build something, I want to belong to something." That something could be a tech company, a school, a network of friends, a business, a non-profit, a family, or anything else. When you get to that point, your traveling days are limited, and you start making plans for how satiate your new appetite. You will probably travel again someday, but with a new objective, and with more experience guiding where you go and how you spend your time in the places.

kcole16 10y ago
Nailed it. Traveling is amazing, but it certainly loses its luster after a while. I must say we're extremely fortunate to have been able to even make it to this point though.
AVTizzle 10y ago
Sankyo - I'm sitting here almost at a loss for words. You've managed to articulate something deeply relevent in my life right now, in a way I just haven't quite able to put a finger on myself (having just moved back to the US after 3 years living/working abroad). If you're up for it, I'd love to connect some time and talk life. I didn't find contact info in your bio, but my email is in mine. It'd be great to connect.
sockgrant 10y ago
True, but this isn't unique to Traveling. Doing anything in long unbalanced timeframes becomes monotonous.
_kyran 10y ago
I've always wanted to travel longer, but I've found that after a month, I end up with the urge to learn, create or build something and to be with people that I've known for years, not days. As a result, in the past 6 months, I've taken 3 overseas trips (4th in a few weeks), bouncing back and forth between home and overseas.
ZenoArrow 10y ago
Depends. If you travel for the sake of travelling yes, but there are ways to make it more interesting. For example, last time I went travelling I went to South America for 6 months. I travelled slowly (I probably stayed in less than 10 places total) but had activities to focus on along the way, like learning different styles of dance. Travelling doesn't have to be about cramming in famous places, you can live it with just as much purpose as when you build something with permanent roots.
- _kyran 10y ago
  This. I've never understood the appeal in just 'seeing things' at each city that one visits. Whenever I travel, the things I enjoy the most and look back on are the people I met, conversations I had and anything special that happened. I've always found that attending any festivals/events that are on is a great way to enhance the experience.
Cakez0r 10y ago
In your experience, is it not possible to build something whilst on the road? I will be travelling soon and fully intend to hit the ground running with trying to grow some ideas. Perhaps you have some tips?
- sankyo 10y ago
  Good question. It is possible, I think, especially if you can incorporate some craft or skill - like playing an instrument, writing, photography along the way. You have a chance to practice your craft in so many settings, any of which may "push you beyond a local minima", because you are lonely, homesick, inspired by kindness or natural beauty. On the flip side, every day life keeps you so busy - figuring out how and where to do laundry, what time something opens, where can eyeglasses get fixed, is there a better, cheaper place to stay than the current one, etc. If there is a will there is a way.
- hoodwink 10y ago
  I quit my job to travel. Working on projects was one of my main motivations. That and learning. After 11 months on the road, I've found it very difficult to do project work. Too much of your day is devoted to figuring out the basics of living -- lodging, food, and transportation. Then of course you want to experience some of the destination you worked so hard to visit. Then you spend time figuring out where you're going to go next. Not to mention the work itself is often hindered by lack of Internet or electricity. Because of this, I changed my mode of travel to stay in places for at least one month. You won't cross as many destinations off your bucket list or have as many adventures, but I find the depth of experience more than makes up for the breadth. Tips: - use nomadlist for city ideas - book 3 or 4 days short term in the spot to confirm you like it, get adjusted, and figure things out - use this trial period to scout real estate for the month+ One advantage of this approach is it can often be cheaper. Monthly contracts and cooking.
return0 10y ago
That's the true value of traveling. You learn that people are similar, nobody is completely happy with where they live, deep down there is an enormous connection between humans, and location is not what is stopping you from making your dreams come true .
markbao 10y ago
I traveled for 10 months and this is exactly the feeling I got. Thanks for putting it so well. I had a strong desire to move forward on learning and building something, which the constant uncertainty and inherent instability of traveling was unfit for. Like everything else, it's best done in moderation for people like myself who love to experience new things but also love to make new things.
yuvadam 10y ago
I think you just read the title and skipped the article.
- sankyo 10y ago
  Nope. I read it and laughed. I love the New Yorker. It just got me thinking about if my father owned a rubber empire in South America and I did have a trust fund, how long could I really travel, and where would I go. Then it got me thinking about my own travels. One thing from my travels is this: I hardly have any decent stories about fancy places we stayed. All the memorable stories happened in hostels, sketchy hotels, or plain resorts. We met interesting people and workers and they tended to be in interesting neighborhoods. All the fancy stuff is good for R&R, but it is mostly boring and forgettable.
dalyons 10y ago
Absolutely rings true. I spent ~2 years being nomadic in my late 20s. Whilst I had a blast, at some point a deep mental nagging started to grow, just like you said: "I want to build something, I want to create something that impacts people beyond myself". After some point, I guess I got tired of just being a "consumer" of experiences. Also, it starts to get pretty damn lonely. Pitching up in a new place, trying to make some friends, then moving on is a grind that started to wear me down emotionally. For other more self-socialising/individualistic people this may not ever become a problem, but it did for me. For me it helped me realise how privileged I was just by virtue of my birthplace and (non-wealthy) parents. It directly lead to me pursuing a career in education-tech, where I can use whatever skills/upbringing I have to affect some sort of positive impact on the world. Im no philanthropist, but actively choosing positive work has certainly made me happier.
narutouzumaki 10y ago
Nailed it.

by sankyo 10y ago

kcole16 10y ago

Nailed it. Traveling is amazing, but it certainly loses its luster after a while. I must say we're extremely fortunate to have been able to even make it to this point though.

AVTizzle 10y ago

Sankyo - I'm sitting here almost at a loss for words. You've managed to articulate something deeply relevent in my life right now, in a way I just haven't quite able to put a finger on myself (having just moved back to the US after 3 years living/working abroad). If you're up for it, I'd love to connect some time and talk life. I didn't find contact info in your bio, but my email is in mine. It'd be great to connect.

sockgrant 10y ago

True, but this isn't unique to Traveling. Doing anything in long unbalanced timeframes becomes monotonous.

_kyran 10y ago

I've always wanted to travel longer, but I've found that after a month, I end up with the urge to learn, create or build something and to be with people that I've known for years, not days. As a result, in the past 6 months, I've taken 3 overseas trips (4th in a few weeks), bouncing back and forth between home and overseas.

ZenoArrow 10y ago

Depends. If you travel for the sake of travelling yes, but there are ways to make it more interesting. For example, last time I went travelling I went to South America for 6 months. I travelled slowly (I probably stayed in less than 10 places total) but had activities to focus on along the way, like learning different styles of dance. Travelling doesn't have to be about cramming in famous places, you can live it with just as much purpose as when you build something with permanent roots.

_kyran 10y ago
This. I've never understood the appeal in just 'seeing things' at each city that one visits. Whenever I travel, the things I enjoy the most and look back on are the people I met, conversations I had and anything special that happened. I've always found that attending any festivals/events that are on is a great way to enhance the experience.

Cakez0r 10y ago

In your experience, is it not possible to build something whilst on the road? I will be travelling soon and fully intend to hit the ground running with trying to grow some ideas. Perhaps you have some tips?

sankyo 10y ago
Good question. It is possible, I think, especially if you can incorporate some craft or skill - like playing an instrument, writing, photography along the way. You have a chance to practice your craft in so many settings, any of which may "push you beyond a local minima", because you are lonely, homesick, inspired by kindness or natural beauty. On the flip side, every day life keeps you so busy - figuring out how and where to do laundry, what time something opens, where can eyeglasses get fixed, is there a better, cheaper place to stay than the current one, etc. If there is a will there is a way.
hoodwink 10y ago
I quit my job to travel. Working on projects was one of my main motivations. That and learning. After 11 months on the road, I've found it very difficult to do project work. Too much of your day is devoted to figuring out the basics of living -- lodging, food, and transportation. Then of course you want to experience some of the destination you worked so hard to visit. Then you spend time figuring out where you're going to go next. Not to mention the work itself is often hindered by lack of Internet or electricity. Because of this, I changed my mode of travel to stay in places for at least one month. You won't cross as many destinations off your bucket list or have as many adventures, but I find the depth of experience more than makes up for the breadth. Tips: - use nomadlist for city ideas - book 3 or 4 days short term in the spot to confirm you like it, get adjusted, and figure things out - use this trial period to scout real estate for the month+ One advantage of this approach is it can often be cheaper. Monthly contracts and cooking.

return0 10y ago

That's the true value of traveling. You learn that people are similar, nobody is completely happy with where they live, deep down there is an enormous connection between humans, and location is not what is stopping you from making your dreams come true .

markbao 10y ago

I traveled for 10 months and this is exactly the feeling I got. Thanks for putting it so well. I had a strong desire to move forward on learning and building something, which the constant uncertainty and inherent instability of traveling was unfit for. Like everything else, it's best done in moderation for people like myself who love to experience new things but also love to make new things.

yuvadam 10y ago

I think you just read the title and skipped the article.

sankyo 10y ago
Nope. I read it and laughed. I love the New Yorker. It just got me thinking about if my father owned a rubber empire in South America and I did have a trust fund, how long could I really travel, and where would I go. Then it got me thinking about my own travels. One thing from my travels is this: I hardly have any decent stories about fancy places we stayed. All the memorable stories happened in hostels, sketchy hotels, or plain resorts. We met interesting people and workers and they tended to be in interesting neighborhoods. All the fancy stuff is good for R&R, but it is mostly boring and forgettable.

dalyons 10y ago

Absolutely rings true. I spent ~2 years being nomadic in my late 20s. Whilst I had a blast, at some point a deep mental nagging started to grow, just like you said: "I want to build something, I want to create something that impacts people beyond myself". After some point, I guess I got tired of just being a "consumer" of experiences. Also, it starts to get pretty damn lonely. Pitching up in a new place, trying to make some friends, then moving on is a grind that started to wear me down emotionally. For other more self-socialising/individualistic people this may not ever become a problem, but it did for me. For me it helped me realise how privileged I was just by virtue of my birthplace and (non-wealthy) parents. It directly lead to me pursuing a career in education-tech, where I can use whatever skills/upbringing I have to affect some sort of positive impact on the world. Im no philanthropist, but actively choosing positive work has certainly made me happier.

narutouzumaki 10y ago

Nailed it.