Back home... At last

---

Well, it was with mixed feelings that i have left my surrogate home in wellington. Funds almost exhausted, course complete, and lots of friends leaving, spurned me to make a final decision to take the road show somewhere new. Looks like i will be back here for a few weeks maybe a few months, but saving for the next journey.
It has been a great trip. Singapore to australia, australia to New Zealand. Wrought with ups and downs and new friends (and in some cases enemies lol). But as the saying goes, the fun has to stop sometime.
So after an early morning 13 hour bus ride to auckland, a shuttle to the airport, a flight to singapore, then a sleep in the airport, then a flight to South korea, then another flight to canada, i arrived back home only to be confronted with yet another 8 hour bus ride from Vancouver to kamloops... Needless to say i was tired. Sorry if i have not contacted people or told them i have arrived home safe. Still getting over a bit of jet lag.

Well... this is Richard signing off. The first of a lifetime of installments in travel journals. Keep safe everyone


Sincerely

Lost Cargo


------------------------------------------------------
ADDITIONAL:
Rules Aquired during travel:
-----------------------------------------------------
1) Busses attract drunks, usually drinking while on the bus or getting loaded just before. For some reason it makes the rocking trip more enjoyable. Try to find out who they are and get a seat as far away as possible. THis way they dont puke on the floor next to you and you have to ride next to them (if they dont get kicked off) the entire trip. Also the smell of them tends to be a bit of a put off.

2)Be nice to people. it gets you much further when you smile and use charm rather than threats and anger. People will help you much further. So when you need a windo seat with foot space near an exit, always talk to the operator scheduling your flight with some appreciation for what they are doing.

3) Busses attract drunks.... see rule 1

4) When touring with large groups of people, expect people to 'hook up' its invevitable. But try to have some discression. Because when people finally part ways, and go home to their invariably different countries (and sometimes boyfriends or girlfriends... or in some cases wives) there will be a bit of seperation sadness. Not all good things are built to last. And casual flirtations sex is prolly one of them. Infact you might get lucky and not bring home that extra gift that keeps on giving

5) Have some courtesy, dont have sex in a 12 person dorm and not expect everyone to wake up only to roll over and cover their heads with their pillows... Use the shower people. Its annoying everyone else. lol

6) Bus drivers will sleep with the hottest chick on the bus. Its a given. Seriously, do you think they drive the bus for a company that does not pay them any more than minimum wage, and sleep in hostels, and eat crappy fast food for fun?

7) When you get stuck somewhere, smile. You are still in a foriegn country. You are a vegabond. Sleeping in the hallyway or on the floor is a badge of honor.

8) Garunteed, if the hostel you are sleeping in , is wrought with cleaning staff who have been trading accomodation for work, they will NOT change the sheets, vacume the floor, clean the shower, toilets or kitchen harder than they have to. Avoid these hostels, unless they are a communial cult and everyone is working together because they are trying to resurect communism. Sometimes capitalism fails, and it fails when someone wants to get more than they pay for. This is the same for workers in hostels, they want to get accomodation, but dont really care about cleaning the toilet, because they are only spending a few nights.

9) The cute girl, yes the one in the corner... prolly hasnt shaved her legs in a month. Yes... thats why she is wearing jeans.

10) Occasionally you will make good friends, regularly there will be 'single serving friends'. Try to give out your email addresses to the right people. Most of the people you drink until 6am with, will be passing on, and you will never see them again ,regardless of how much fun you have had. But some people will be friends for life. Especially when you can remember their name after 4 months of travel.

11) Money is not the problem for traveling. You can get a job in most places in the world, and, you can hitchhike, or walk. There is no excuse. You have the ability to travel, the only thing that is stopping you is fear and no idea how to prepare for the trip. Once you prepare, you will find that none of your preparations were what you needed. And once you adapt to the new situation it will change. Travel is dynamic, it changes, you just need to keep an open mind, smile and enjoy it.

12) Busses are drunk magnets.... sometimes the drunks are cute, but most of the times they puke on the carpet... Busses rock alot. Dont be a drunk.

13) And going home. You will get lots of feelings of 'i wish i was home' and 'i miss my friends' but remember, you need to see everything first. When those feelings go away it means you have cut the cord. THen and only then can you go home without the guilt of missing something when you travel.

which leads us to rule # 14

14) Travel is good for the soul. Remember that. Regardless about how much it costs, sucks, pains you, or confuses you. You *WILL* be a better person for doing it. Every step you take outside of the artificial bubble that you and your friends try so hard to build, is a step in the right direction...anywhere but here. You can always go home, but remember you spent your entire life there. It will outlive you. Keep walking.

---