
My visa photo, taken exactly three years ago today, for my first journey to Russia. Now the visa is getting ready to expire, and after so many adventures in this country, it's time to explore new places...where visas aren't required. The world is a big place, filled with diversity, intrigue and beauty on so many levels. Don't be afraid to explore or push your comfort zone...in your own country and in distant lands. I've spent over half my life in some type of school or university, yet I continue to believe travel is the best education in the world, a pathway for enlightenment and self-discovery in ways you can never imagine. Such things can't be taught in a classroom, or recreated by a professor and a chalkboard. If I had it to do all over again, I would have never invested so much money in my doctorate degree. It taught me absolutely nothing about life, or myself. But we must accept the bad choices we make in life, learn from them, and move on.
With travel, your entire perspective changes, and first world problems about which we all complain seem meaningless and absurd. On your deathbed, don't you want some exciting stories and legacies to pass along to your children, grandchildren, friends and relatives? Something besides..."I sat at my desk every day, and now I'm ready to die..." Think about it. There's a stereotype that Americans think of nothing but work, but I don't see this with any of my friends. A new generation is born, where there is a prime value placed on work/life balance. A lot of Americans are no longer content to waste their lives away in the office, and because most of our work is now done at computers, many people have the luxury of doing their job from anywhere on the globe. This includes me.
Enjoy the moment, always, and don't say "in the future I'll do this, or when I'm older", because we don't know if these days will come...
Comments
Always strikes me as weird when people who travel try to point out that travelling makes them (somehow!) better persons than they would be if they didn't travel.
I agree that living in a 3rd world, especially socialist country gives you some perspective on how some seemingly good ideas always tend to produce bad results. But, actually, you don't have to travel and waste tons of money to get a clue, all you have to do is study, research for significant facts on that and think a for more than just one iteration of thought process. Besides, visiting 3rd world countries isn't of course equal to living there.
In the end it boils down to what people enjoy. I can tell that not all people enjoy traveling: I for example don't. I hate it and why would I put myself into lots of trouble of getting proper documents, wasting money for transportation and hotels, living in subpar conditions in unknown environments, accepting most likely higher risks for me not to manage to arrive to the final point when I can tell that "I did that and now I'm dying" to someone?
After all, I can watch everything I need on youtube or something. And if I don't do that then probably I'm not interested in getting this information even for free, why would I spend on travelling.
Btw ... When crossing the Russian state border at Vladivostok Free Port, an 8-day visa can be issued immediately at the border. Foreigners will be allowed to enter the Free Port zone and the area adjacent to it including 14 municipalities: Vladivostok, Artem, Ussuriisk ...
Edited at 2016-01-22 03:18 pm (UTC)
After travelling to America, England, Germany, Italy, Greece, China, India, Bali, etc. I think I've seen all the possible varieties.
I now want to travel only if I will get some new knowledge there, not just walking around and taking photos.
Honestly, I think the typical American reaction on onther countries is quite shalow.
Something like "How can you live in this way or in those surroundings" or "What strange stereotypes you have".
I think people live almost the same life everywhere.
They sleep, eat, drink, pee, etc.
They have certain emotions inside or no emotions :)
Look at these girls.
www. adme. ru/tvorchestvo-fotografy/fotograf-pokaza
They are just dressed differently but they are the same. The girls.
To understand this you need to look deeper, beyond concepts and values which normally occupy our minds.
PS. And I do not want to be on a deathbed :)
I want ro realize my nature.
But today when I'm close to 60, I don't feel any imperative to take a seat and write down some memoirs about my life neither to inform about it to my young relatives. Btw I don't see they are interested in my past also.
I thought only men suffer from this.
Edited at 2016-01-22 03:36 pm (UTC)
What do you mean "invested so much money in my doctorate degree"? Did you have to pay for some courses or what?
Your degree allows you to obtain more money than without PhD, is not it? And spent those money for journey. I see such connection))
"On your deathbed, don't you want some exciting stories and legacies to pass along to your children, grandchildren, friends and relatives? Something besides..."I sat at my desk every day, and now I'm ready to die..."
How can you judge? If people don't travel, that doesn't mean they are living a boring wasteful life. You can be productive in your hometown, in your family, participate in sports, you can make a difference even if you are never leaving your town - duh, online!
I sit at my desk every day and I love it. You know why? Because I love my job. I have so many challenges in my day to day work, that make my brain boil.
Another thing.. you will never have exactly the same experience as a tourist that people who actually live there. If you are there for a week talking to the natives, they might not even tell you the real struggles they might go through in they day to day life. You are shown only a sneak peak, but sometimes reading a memoir written by a native might give you more insight than just going buying souvenirs and eating local food.
Also, a lot of people travel overseas, while don't know the history of their own city or state.
Just my 2 cents.
It doesn't feel the same for me to read about a country rather than to go there and have adventures(get lost a couple of times and find a completely secluded wonderful place, away from the common tourist trails).
I love to travel.....and plan my trips myself(not even sure what I like more :))