Does the Glue make my Feet Itchy?

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Hello everyone,

Let us discuss what this day (Christmas Day) is all about. For some, presents, others Church and for one such lunatic I happen to have lived with in the past, he decides to celebrate this day as his birthday! This crazy mo-fo, has single-handedly sent me more words in emails over my travels than all my other social mail combined! And this blog can be considered a big-up shout out to my main man back in the White Lands of Albion.


Many ask and many more are perplexed by the attitude of distant and timely travelling pursuits. One such fellow would be the aforementioned honourable fellow. And this blog will try and answer this question.

In a typical manner of his to regale me with the latest papers(scientific not tabloidal) he once stated...

"Why do you yearn to travel so? For it has been proven (or is commonly believed) that one's health and mental state is much better when one stays in a place with a regular enjoyable routine. It was noted in the study that people who are constantly in need of re-arranging the furniture in their room or other such transitory actions have lower immunity to common disease as well as having a continued sense of frustration leading to a reduced mental health. You are the extension of such people with your itchy feet."
When a Yorkshireman born and bred and science collide in my opinion!
This was put much more simply by a roofer in my local pub...
"Tim, why'd you bother goin' outta here? If it ain't broke don't fix it."

In life we must find a solution in the pursuit of fortune and happiness. This solution can be found by embracing something greatly and loving it so.


To Travel- To leave home for an extended period of time without stable sleeping, eating and working arrangements.
Snakes:
Emptiness - To leave too many times at your own detriment
Emptiness is common amongst travellers who search for things that don't exist causing a sense of not belonging and loss of commitment to anything. As everything comes and goes on its own whim, you start to do the same and fail to commit to the good things. (Subtext: Bum)
Rationale: I want to go here, they want to go there so we should split(love) or the work's good but I don't want to commit my life.
Ladders:
Experiences out of the ordinary, Cultural Exchange, Faith in Humanity and the Kindness of Strangers, A Feeling of Luck and Privilege
Most of these are from meeting foreign people and when you see the vast quantities of people who own so little but give what they can, smile and send you on your way.


To Stay- To stay at a single home for an extended period of time with stable sleeping eating and working arrangements.
Snakes:
Stagnation - To rest too long leading to your own detriment
Stagnation is common amongst stayers and can lead to a feeling that there might be something better out there but never look, causing a what if? style complex. One ends up choosing the easy status quo rather than changing things for the better, even if the risk is higher only to regret it afterwards.
Rationale: I might not meet someone better(love) or find something more enjoyable(work).

Ladders:
Family, House, Personal Advancement through Career, Meeting people you are likely to have geographical compatibility with, Preparation for the Future, Stability for your children.

Of course there is a middle ground of well rounded travellers who still are able to commit and live a life fulfilled as are there stayers who are truly satisfied with their lot and if there was something better out there, there was also something worse.
I personally think that both paths have equal merit and that one's fortune in life can be great from different sources.


But in answer to the question why, my answer is because I am compelled towards it. All records of previous travel makes me want to it see for myself, maps, photos, blogs, etc. make a great want well inside of me to check. This begun a long time ago, I used to have maps of the far corners of the globe pinned to my walls and often I would take one down and trace a route that I would make in the future. The completion of a route instead of reducing the amount I want to see makes me trace another five, but more outlandish and even more compelling. It is my nature, my questioning skepticism about the accounts of others that I must see. And whenever I see a discrepancy it pleases me and means I have made progress on my personal outlook on life. For instance: Kazakhstan, an oil rich country full of corruption and steppe is also a country where nomads play horse games, kind townsfolk invite you to weddings and bizarre modernist architecture or Afghanistan is the centre and birth place of Al Qaeda and the Taliban is also where a man who lost his brother to British soldiers invites another Briton(me) into his home for tea and watermelon.

My nature is the same as that of scientific skeptics such as Darwin and explorers such as Magellan, they had the joy of becoming great at least post humously and I will not, but there was something that told them to leave and not take the easy degree but jump on a ship and sail to the unknown.


When one does leave the borders of one's known world and it becomes eerie and strange one must find outlet for one's thoughts, sadnesses and joys and avoid the emptiness. A good travel companion allows this, an ability to discuss one's deep thoughts with a stranger or a way of looking into oneself and feeling happy perhaps meditation. But in this new technological age we may also keep the communication links open freely and instantaneously through email and facebook and this blog to people who maybe understand you better.

So, if you are still reading I applaud you for your stamina but also I applaud my dear correspondent who has avidly written me funny emails when I have been sad and informative emails when I consider what home is like now, his proof that life at home can be as successful and dramatic as life on the road. He does not know but he probably kept me on the road longer and definitely happier. And that is my point, that great mates are worth more than their weight in gold.
or
that good friends don't necessarily become good neighbours!

Phew, a little deep for an Briton but I hope it was interesting. I have attached some recent photos for you to peruse!
Merry Christmas and Happy Birthday!

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Photos

Where's the best Fish?
A Fishing Trip escapade in Laos

The Crocodile Hunter, Laos
Steve Erwin RIP can eat his heart out at the original crocodile hunter, who sucked up the water from a river to catch a crocodile!

Comments

[Joan]

I thought JC was a reference to my name so I'm very disappointed there =P ignore good ol' Richard though, he's just moaning because he's envious, as he knew deep down he's too much of a straight-jacket Brit ;) Honestly though, I admire your courage!!

[Rich]

"The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes." - MP Of course I'm envious, it'd be great to bum around all year! Go Timmy