After 7 months of travel through third world countries, all I wanted to do was leave and return to a place I felt had professional healthcare systems, western food and clean water. I was over the sweltering, humid heat that through illness made me dizzy and even at one point faint – there were times I was walking through streets with absolutely no idea where I was or what I was doing. I was completely over the constant grabs for attention and requests for selfies – sometimes standing just smiling for half an hour while families lined up to take a selfie with me (obviously not because I’m famous but because of my skin/hair colour). I was over moving around with 30 kgs of extra weight on my back and finding a new place to sleep every night or so – not to mention the countless times you open and close your bag to find simple things. I was desperate to get on the plane to Japan and then Vancouver. So desperate I spent my last two days in Delhi, India hiding in my air-conditioned hotel room with a queezy sick stomach ordering food to my room and napping in between day dreams of departing the intenseness that is India.
So why now is it that all I want to do is return to India/Thailand/Cambodia/(not so much Vietnam)? I have so many stories to tell from 7 Months of travel, experience and adventure. So many that whenever I get the chance I’m always bringing something up. And I mean whenever I get the chance, I have become one of those annoying travelers who is always going on about that time I spent 2.5 months in India and raised money to feed street dogs or driving through the Himalaya mountains on one of the worlds most dangerous roads or staying on the most gorgeous private island in Cambodia or completing my 200 hour YTTC in Thailand. I just can’t stop. But now I understand those annoying travelers. I often look back at the photographs I took while traveling and even though at the time things were sometimes rough eg, illness, unpreparedness, difficult people and countries, loosing cameras ect all I think back on is the good memories and as for the bad memories - well most of them become really, really good jokes and really, really good life lessons; however definitely not all of them. Travel is good. It’s good soul food, it’s good for our minds and expanding our consciousness and it’s so good at helping us grow, understand others without harsh judgement and connect with people and places on a level that steals a piece of our hearts. And sometimes just sometimes even the bad things can be good for us. Maybe things didn’t work out the way you planned because it just wasn’t part of your journey and life had another lesson for you to learn that day. If travel taught me anything: Nothing is permanent, don’t take it personally and always remember the people who consistently have your back. Travel can teach us so much about ourselves too. I have always craved conversation that makes me feel connected, valued and involved and these conversations flowed with fellow travelers I met along the way. I learned that I really truly value my own company and my alone time, it helps me to reset and be alone with my mad mind – this is when I have my best and most creative ideas pop up. I learned so much more about myself but it would take too long to write it all here + most people wouldn’t be interested and that’s okay. Upon arrival in Vancouver, my new home for the next couple of years I couldn’t help but notice the lack of street dogs and overflowing garbage, the calmness as people drive down the road without beeping their horns a thousand times and the avoidance of eye contact – things you get used to after 7 months in heavily populated third world countries. Vancouver is gorgeous, clean, has good healthcare, has even better vegan food options and I’m getting used to the avoiding eye contact thing again. Every country has it’s problems, don’t get me wrong – but it feels so good to be able to drink water from a tap and not a plastic bottle. It feels so good to eat fruit and salad and have road rules so that I can feel safe crossing the road. But there is something so incredibly intoxicating about those countries that calls me back. I already can’t wait until I am able to return. until then I’m going to enjoy each day and save more money for more future worldly adventures. Alana xx
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October 2016
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