 surferob's Albums | | | |
|
| Page Views: 353 | Rambling on Traveling by surferob - last update: Jul 28, 2004 |
Lately I've been reminiscing about the last few years' worth of travel that I've undertaken. It's been a fairly productive couple of years, starting I guess back in September of 2001. Just about 10 days after "9/11" as it happens. Yes, I set out on a trip to see the world just as the world was descending into total chaos and war....didn't seem like such a crazy idea to me. Anyhow, it was then that I left on my much fabled (and non-existent on this website) four-month ramble around Europe. I know what you clever ones are thinking..."four months starting in September?? Why that's wintertime you fool!!" Points for you for being so smart. Points immediately taken away for not contacting me beforehand and telling ME. Living in Southern California has the odd side effect of making one forget that much of the planet experiences things called "seasons" - four to be exact. Well even though I had no idea what I was getting myself into, in the end I came to enjoy traveling in the colder months. Warm weather travel has its pluses too, sure, but there was something great about backpacking in the freezing cold. And it ended up being a sign of things to come, as I have since only been to Europe in fall or winter. Glutton for punishment, you ask?? No. It's more or less just been coincidence - when I'm ready to go (money saved and all that), I just go, without regard to whether it's the "right" time to go. Plus, off-season travel in Europe has the obvious upsides, not least of which is being on the opposite end of the seasonal tourist migration. I think I would have a hard time enjoying Rome in July, just for example.
For those interested in the all-encompassing timeline, here it is. I finished that four months of travel, which included Holland, Belgium, France, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Poland, Czech Republic and Spain (One of these countries is not like the other, eh....hmm...well here's a cliffhanger: the story will come up if I ever get to builiding pages on Poland and Spain.) Incidentally, I had only a cheap instant camera on this trip, which I bought about a third of the way in after initially thinking I'd travel camera-less, and still haven't managed to make any of the prints uploadable, alas. There are some good ones. And so I haven't written anything about that trip yet at all because I feel a bit stifled at not having an image to pair it with. (A real writer wouldn't have such problems.) Anyway, where was I. Oh, so I came back home to my beloved San Diego after that trip, a somewhat changed man (with nothing but change in his pockets) and half-wondering if I shouldn't have stayed where I was. Still, I was happy to see my friends, my home, and not least of all, the beach! It had been the longest break from surfing in my life, and the frigid January waters felt as refreshing as a mountain brook. I remember that first session well: me and my best friend, Tony, on a quiet, crowdless weekday, small but glassy waves in Oceanside, just south of the pier......but I digress. That was two years ago to the day as a matter of fact.....wow. That's kinda cool, hadn't thought of that. Anyway, moving on. |
So over the last two years I've taken a wholly different tack. What I ended up doing in '02 and '03 is to take shorter but more frequent trips, one every few months, instead of working an entire year or two to save for one long trip. In that time I've been to Hawaii, Ireland, the UK, Costa Rica and Spain, interspersed with shorter trips to San Francisco, Las Vegas, Yosemite and the Grand Canyon among others. It's been fun. Somewhere along the way I discovered VT and, later, digital photography, and started "trying" to put all my travel thoughts and experiences down on silicon. But as I've freely admitted in the past, I'm quite lazy. It's not my fault, it's genetic or something. But I am making a snail's progress, which is better than none. And I'm determined to get it done, dammit. Actually that's a lie, I'm not determined at all. I might get it done, it could happen, I wouldn't rule it out.
There was a point to illustrating all this. The experiences of the last two or three years has left me trying to decide which, if either, of these has strategies has left me better off? Again, taking one long trip at a time, preceeded by months and months of tiresome work, or, maintaining a smooth, consistent pace of work some, travel some, work some.....etc. And most importantly, how do I apply these findings to the future. I know I must keep traveling - there's so much yet to see. And of course I need to keep working to pay for it. The two must be balanced somehow. But balance is my middle name, me being a Libra and all, so this should come somewhat easy.
To be continued.....................in the meantime my original Homepage, now titled "On Why We Travel" is now filed under 'my albums', feel free to have a read. |
| surferob's Albums | | | |
|
 Comments for surferob about World | | | | |
Travelchili Sun Oct 21, 2007 14:47 UTC
Hey Rob - Happy Belated Birthday to you! I just got back from a trip to Germany + southern Estonia, so had a hectic week. Hope you are well there and celebrated your BD in a nice way :) | traveloturc Tue Oct 16, 2007 19:33 UTC
Happy birthday to you from Istanbul/Turkiye..I wish that you realize all your dreams...good luck ... | GracesTrips Tue Oct 16, 2007 17:46 UTC
Happy Birthday, Rob! ENJOY your day! | dsantosh Tue Oct 16, 2007 16:53 UTC
Happy birthday . Greetings from India. |
|
|
email me
add as friend
