I’m coming up on 6 months in Indonesia this week. That’s exactly half-way through my contract.
So, I’ve been reflecting on the past 6 months..but even more than that I’ve been thinking about the next 6 months and the time that will follow…and what the hell I’m going to do next. Now, as far as next year goes, my future options are so open I can’t even begin to make a decision. But the more I think about this year in Indonesia, the more I KNOW that traveling has to continue to be a big part of my future.
And so, as I reflect on the past and wonder about the future, the only thing I am certain of is that traveling is the best thing I’ve ever done with my life. I’m not sure what the ultimate lesson in this trip will be for me, but I know that it will be a positive and life changing one I’ve been looking at some travel quotes online and reading a lot of travel writing lately, and I’ve come to the conclusion that everyone, regardless of where they travel comes out on the other side with similar feelings.
A lot of people think travel is a 24/7/365 glamorous exciting wonderful experience…and a lot of the time it is. when you’re in a foreign country, everyday tasks are unique and exciting. You can be just going to the grocery or on your way to work and you’ll see something that makes you laugh or cry or, more often than not, leaves you completely speechless and confused. And those experiences are wonderful and you’ll remember them forever.
But travel is also uncomfortable, sometimes it’s awful, and it makes you question every experience you’ve ever had in your old life. But those parts are wonderful too. And judging by my own experience and a lot of the travel writing I’ve been reading, those are the stories that are the most fun to tell and the ones that stick the best in your memory.
Whether its your car breaking down in the middle of nowhere, or being stuck on a train for 4 hours when it should’ve taken only 1 hour, or you’re being stared at and pointed at by 50 people on the street…those are the experiences that take you out of your comfort zone and force you to decide what kind of a person you want to be. Maybe you don’t always react the best at the time. I know when I first got here, I didn’t react to the change as well as I would’ve hoped. I was homesick and intimidated by everything around me. And I forgot why I was here. But with time I realized how much I love the experience of having everything around me be so completely foreign. So, ultimately you learn as much or even more about yourself than you do about the people and the culture around you!
In conclusion, it’s an experience I never want to end, and I encourage everyone who reads this to do whatever it takes to get out of your comfort zone and experience something really awful and wonderful and do something different! You WILL NOT regret it, I promise.
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I found some travel quotes from people who are much better at expressing my thoughts than I am…so I’m going to start sharing them…
“Adventure is a path. Real adventure – self-determined, self-motivated, often risky – forces you to have firsthand encounters with the world. The world the way it is, not the way you imagine it. Your body will collide with the earth and you will bear witness. In this way you will be compelled to grapple with the limitless kindness and bottomless cruelty of humankind – and perhaps realize that you yourself are capable of both. This will change you. Nothing will ever again be black-and-white.” – Mark Jenkins
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If you enjoy reading about the few travel experiences I’ve talked about on here..you should check out this book…It’s a really great book and it gives, what I consider to be a much more accurate illustration of travel life. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who is interested in traveling/living abroad.
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have a great day!
..kristin..
