Travel/The great wide world...

Following on from my comments in the AIM debacle thread I'd be interested to know how travel has or hasn't influenced people's opinions on the world.

I feel there's many small minded and ignorant opinions expressed here by people who can't see outside of their little bubbles and would like to know if they have been anywhere where their usual standards and prejudices have been challenged by other cultures...

 

I love travel.
When you ask somebody what they would buy if they won the lottery, most people would say a big home, I'd retire, put my kids through school. I used to say that I'd give it most away. Now I say that I'd spent 10 years travelling, and then see where that's left me. I've been to a few places on the planet, and I find that whenever I'm abroad, I'm learning at such an accerlerated rate; I'm taking so much more in, not only aabout the world around me, but also about myself.

This thread doesn't really apply to me though, I just read the threads, I never "debate".

 

Personally I feel it's something everyone should try at least once in their lives. If it weren't for seeing different cultures I would not be the person I am.

Coming from a standard British liberal background I had a fairly 'free' start in life, I was allowed to make my own mistakes from a young age but without having gone abroad alone or with friends every year since I was 15/16 I would not have the opinions I do.

I've smoked chillum with the sadhus in Manali and meditated in Dharamsala. Eaten mushrooms and danced to trance on the beaches of thailand, drunk mint tea with the Berbers in Morocco, smoked grass in the coffeeshops of Amsterdam, slept rough on the streets of Warsaw, been to yuppie bars in Manhattan, eaten bratwurst next to the Reichstag, taken beatdowns from french cops, played guitar on the rooftops of Barcelona, met some beuatiful amazing wonderful people of all nationalities, experiences and financial situations along the way, been robbed, seen REAL poverty, laughed, cried and screamed through all of it.

These memories and experiences are the most precious things I own and would never swap any of it for any amount of money. I still don't know it all but I feel this has helped me understand so much about the world after having seen how other people have to live and having to make compromises myself.

IMO there's nothing more educating or mind expanding than travel and I believe it's something everyone should try (but leave the credit card at home. do it properly)...

Not trying to brag or anything here just interested in what people's experiences are outside of their bubbles and whether they feel they are lacking something or have more to learn or even if they have no desire to learn about the outside world. I'd like to hear why...




Probably get forgotten about soon anyway when someone posts a "lol me adn ym buddy smoked a bowl and was sooo highh oh man im sooo stoned!!11oneoneeleven" thread which gets pages and pages of replies.

 

Yea...I went to Japan for 2 weeks, and pretty much changed my whole view on the world . Kinda dislike usa a little bit more tho.

 

Awesome! You're lucky! I'd love to see Japan but is unfortunately very expensive... Maybe one day though...

 

Your travels are inspiring .. I turned 19 last month, and am currently travelling on my own. We moved alot when I was a kid... born in Winnipeg, then moved across canada to southern alberta, and then to north Carolina, driving all the way. I've been across Canada (everywhere from Victoria to Toronto), as well as the States, but not so extensively. Visited Mexico (Mexico City and Cuernavaca, not resort-style), and have been to the Uk twice for a month or so. Two summers ago I went to Japan, and I am currently in Laos, having spent a few months in Thailand, Malaysia, and a couple days in Singapore. Next is Cambodia, and then Vietnam Hopefull by your age I'll have as many stories and experiences

 

Hey... I'm not really that old... I'm the sprightly side of 30 ... never properly saw Laos but Cambodia and Vietnam are great... Was working with prostitutes in Cambodia a few years ago and bummed around in Vietnam with a mate for while which was good fun... Be safe!

 

i love traveling usually broke so dont leave the country much but we bought a bus to travel the continent in & plan on being mostly nomadic for a good long time
but i agree theres a huge world to see & if those tiny minded folks who think jerking off then posting about it is entertainment then they seriously need to get out & about & meet people from all over the world

 

traveling all over the country is my number 1 goal in life.
i have never been out of the united states yet, but would love to start planning on traveling across the world. i have a job now and i'm trying to save up a lot of money so next spring or summer i can go to barecelona or madrid.

i am so interested on seeing how other cultures live and stuff like that.
i think it would be a really great experience

 

I've been to various other places in the States, parts of Europe and Canada (Montreal). I'm glad I did, because contrary to what I had previously thought, I learned that people are pretty much the same everywhere (at least in the Occident).

 

i love traveling. i travel with my dad alot, because he likes to do it too. iv sailed through most of the caribean, including the bahamas, dominican republic, turks & caicos, and st. lucia. iv been to mexico, costa rica, hawaii, and nicuragua to surf. and just to travel to iv been to england, canada, and all through the states. my dad is building a sailboat to travel the world in, should be launched later this month or next month, im super stoked. i fuckin love traveling

 

take me with you!
that sounds fucking awesome haha

 

hahah if that jerking off is directed at me, sorry bud you have no fucking idea.

I've been to europe and travelled alot of Canada, but i've yet to come across another place i love or feel the same about then Vancouver

I really have no ambition to travel throughout the states, there is nothing I would like to see, nor cultures which I would like to be involved with, with that said though i've been to California, Idaho, Montana, Florida, New York, Washington state, Oregon, and in all of them, i never felt at ease like I do in Canada

to me, i figure whats the point in travelling somewhere when you are broke/poor? you cant enjoy yourself to the fullest and cant experiance aspects of the culture you would want to otherwise

and sorry but bumming around in a 1500$ Van, hoping it doesnt break down in between rest stops isnt exactly an "eye opening experiance" I have pictures of the Palace of Versailles and concentration camps i went to of which most people cannot even dream of seeing, let alone feel the presence and aura of being at these places

In under 5 years I plan to travel all of Europe, i've looked over plans before and will most likely have a 15-20,000$ budget to go for 8 months

or..on the other hand..i could bring that 15,000$ to vietnam and live like a king for 3 years

 

I'm not travelling broke, but I'm pretty damn poor. I try to sleep in dorms wherever I go, I eat only at crappy little restaurants, and I buy the cheapest, crappiest, oldest bus that can get me to where I'm going in the longest amount of time possible. This is what travelling is.

Travelling isn't staying in the nicest hotels and hiring locals to trim your toe-nails. It isn't staying where there MUST be electricity so that you can charge your 12 hundred dollar camera so that you can take pictures of the same thing 15 million tourists take pictures of every year.

You have to live like the people do. Of course in Europe you have to spend alot more than many other places, (and OK, of course there will always be electricity there, that was just a crappy example). But travelling poor is in no way a crappy thing. Having your 500 dollar VW piece of shit break down, only to be picked up by some locals who bring you to their place to sleep because it's late, and offer you homemade banana bread and some stunningly delicious reefer, where can you go wrong?:H

Tom

 

I so agree with you!...
I love traveling but hate tourists and hotels, there isn't better way to learn about foreign culture than living with people in their country and do whatever they do...
I have a strong desire to travel around Europe with some of my friends by backpacking, but my parents wouldn't let me because I'm too young or too girly or too unexperienced, so now I still have to travel with travel agency we choose....
Now, back on topic, I've been to Croatia, Montenegro, Hungary, Greece and Switzerland and all of these travels changed my views....
Traveling and meeting people from all around the world are in the top5 things which get me going...

 

lol@the end.
Youve made me so jealous. I want nothing more in life than to go to India..which will happen soon, Inshallah.

All I want to do is travel. Here, I dont feel at home. Id like to go ona journey across the world to find my home.

edit...ive traveled many places in the united states..and none are greater than navajo country!

 

No, i feel ya, and i'm not stayin in upper class places all the time, i'm just puting myself in the situation where i dont have to ever work to enjoy my time there, i have the money and spend it freely, but I also wouldnt turn down going to spend a night with ppl i've met etc.

 

STFU

 

most of my traveling is in 3rd world countries south of the border. dont think that would be a good idea, "hey theres that gringo, he looks like he has clothes and money" that would be wonderful

 

I've been thinking about applying to the Peace Corp. I'm against the US imperializing the global south, but it seems pretty innocuous. I am graduating soon and see it as a good way to experience a foreign culture for somebody who isn't rich.