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Published: April 6th 2010
How do you mark a one year anniversary on the road? Do you take your back pack out for a nice steak dinner? Not really. I guess it's a good time to reflect on the fruits of the last 365 days. Reflect on the highs, the lows, the in between and changes that occur within oneself while on such a journey.
What have I learned in the last 365 days? I have learned stress is a reaction, the best method is to figure out the next step and not dwell on what doesn't need to be dwelled upon. I've learned that no matter how great a place may be, the addition of some good company makes places many times greater. I've also learned that the beautiful girls that are of interest, are leaving in the next 24 hours or are going the opposite direction. You meet more people when you travel with a guitar. I learned that there are about seven stages of clean when you live out of a backpack ranging from freshly cleaned, to only wore once or twice, to I can get one more day out of it, to I really shouldn't but its the least dirty.
I remember the days leading up to my departure. At that point in my life I was broken spirited and directionless. The anticipation of wandering the globe, casually working and doing what I wanted as much as possible, was what got me through my last days of a life I wasn't enjoying. My hair short, my beard well trimmed, my sneakers shiny, my backpack spotless and I was still holding on to my last days of young manhood.
There are many changes take place over the course of the last year. The physical changes like the length of my hair and beard, the Aussie sun has lightened my hair a few shades. There's the newly acquired wrinkles from sleepless nights in hostel rooms full of talented snorers and drunken noise makers. My clothing is all faded, my jeans display holes in the knees and ripped pockets. I know this year has aged me, my photos from the first months of travel I look years younger then my photos of late. But nothing a haircut and shave couldn't fix. My skin a bit darker then my original Canadian winter white. Also newly acquired freckles to join the rest of
my freckle gallery.
My language has changed over the course of the year from my foul mouthed kitchen tongue, that I left home with, to a lower level of profanity. My time in the south pacific has added some new expressions to my repetoire such as using the word as. For example things can be “Cheap as” or “funny as” and so on. Here in Melbourne I spend alot of time with a group of Irish people which aids my use in some of the old Irish expressions I once used after a year in Ireland, plus a few new expressions. I recently met some Canadian travellers who thought I didn't sound like an east coaster any more. So maybe my language has changed, maybe it's just my pronunciation or maybe that just don't know what they were talking about.
As for the financial side of this trip, well my travel and bill account in Canada (what I allotted for this trip) is as good as spent. My work along the way has been funding my adventures. Being a car owner has had an impact on my travels, knowing that I have a bill to pay each month
meant that I should work and spend that money on travel and leave Canadian funds as untouched as possible.
The biggest changes on a trip like this are the changes that happen within. The things you learn about yourself from all the new experiences and situations that you find or put yourself in. I set of goal of not limiting myself on this trip. It is easy to say “I can't do that” to something that is out of your comfort zone, but each time you visit the unknown world outside your comfort zone you return with new found knowledge about yourself and more self confidence. I am a man with many fears and some I wanted to face. Flying a plane or skydiving will make you feel like you've conquered the fear of heights. I am still not good with heights but hey I was brave enough to hurl my self out of a plane and 12,000 feet and put my faith in a stranger and a parachute. The rush amazing, the feelings post skydive are near indescribable. There are fears that I do not wish to confront or deal with such as my fear of snakes or
my fear of syphyllis. Some stones better left unturned.
On the road you meet people on a more personal level. It doesn't matter about your education, or the car you drive, what street you used to live on or any of our social classing. Its about having fun, seeing new things and meeting new people. I have found myself with people sharing with me their dreams, fears and ambitions in life and I have shared myself with them. Making closer connections and sharing amazing moments with people. Most of us travellers have left in search of something, or taken the option to see the world while they still can (both young and old) and others are running from a past in search of something new.
There have been moments that I hope will remained burned in hard drive of my brain for the rest of my life. The campervan days with Raphael, flying a plane with Robyn, hiking in Stewart Island, the Tekapo gang and the “Tekapo Life”, re-seeing Dublin with Naveen, Belfast with Deco and Ricardo, the guitar and harmonica sessions (with Raphael, Anna, Alex, Mike and Phil), Great Ocean Road-Trip, Christmas Eve in the Marlborough Sounds,
the huge snowball fight atop of Franz Josef Glacier. It has been one hell of a year with loads of highs and a few lows. I will never forget being sick in New Zealand and my eccentric, female doctor that made my awkward man problems just plain funny.
By running, or flying away from my old life, I have kept very little contact with anybody outside my parents and sister. The odd email message comes my way, and I always respond but they are few and far between. I've had the feeling that my old life is just where I left it. As if has been put in a box and buried on the beach. I will retrieve it and open it, if or when I feel like it. I recently learned that my way of thinking was wrong. My old life is still continuing on. Not only have I been blessed to be my friends best man at an upcoming wedding, I have just recently been asked to be the godfather to his first born. Other good friends of mine have had children and are getting married. My sister is getting married. My friends have become homeowners. Things
will have changed at home as much as I have changed by not being there.
It has been a year and there are plenty more adventures ahead. I aim to be breathing East Coast Canadian air in the month of September. No plans yet made for my next set of adventures, but I am limited in only my imagination, my faith in myself and of course my finances. There is more to see. more to do and more to learn about me. I've recently just figured out just how lucky I really am to be in my shoes. I live in a nice place, I have some good friends, I am going to pack my bags soon and get more travel accomplished and when I get home there are many people that love me and await my return.
In one year a negative minded, unhappy, directionless young man left home with a head full of demons and very little goals except to see something new and inspiring, and has accomplished alot. The places visited, the hugs and handshakes of new friends but the real story is the personal, inner journey. As my campervan travel partner Raphael said “Life
is beautiful” and I believe that “Life is beautiful if you want it to be”. I truly believe in those words. We can capture a little bit of the beauty around and hopefully hold on to it of the rest of our days.
Maybe I've been searching for enlightenment, peace of mind, direction or just more excitement in my days. Whatever it may be I am closer but I will end on a quote from a U2 song “I still haven't found what I'm looking for”.
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mommy
non-member comment
we miss you
yes son one year is a long time but you seem to be enjoying and that was the plan i am so proud of you making a plan and staying with it even though you must have wanted to change gears at some point we really miss you i dont think you should come home if you dont want to but a little visit in person would be nice a little hug or touch. but not much longer some of your pictures are awesome cant wait to see them all. things around here change too as boring as it is this wedding is keeping my thoughts busy lately plus dads 60th and you coming home has my summer pretty well wrapped up not to mention a new job different hours .if you need to use out of you account go ahead i will cover some dad is heavy into truck shopping these days