Waking Up and Coming Alive: A Conclusion

The prominence of how life is not just a series of chapters but a chronicle of stories told seems to resonate very much right now. I’m sitting in a hostel in the South of France, driving to Italy with my great mate Paul, enjoying the changing scenery that flickers past my window as we cross from sea to sea, over mountains and through canyons. In some ways this has acted as a form of picture book as I have the opportunity to remove myself from the life that I have been carving since I got back. The rain is pouring down almost obscuring the view of the beautiful Mediterranean, lapping upon the Cote de Azur, reminding my of the rains that seemed to pour endlessly in Rio just under a year ago, and the torrential early evening showers of the sticky Caribbean coast from Columbia onwards.

It feels like since I got back in late November, my life has been so crowded with other things, that I have had little to no chance to reflect upon, and write about, the endeavour that consumed my 2008. Most prominently the ups and downs that Emily, the first, and hopefully not the last, real love of my life, provided in planning for the future, and then ripping away from me through acts of indecision and deception. But now the planning, and the hope, the subsequent tears that flowed and the aching sense of loss is slowly beginning to clear leaving me with a chance to finally finish this blog. Regardless of whether my writings were read by anybody or not, this blog feels like such a massive achievement. I have written thousands upon thousands of words describing my experiences in a way that instantly takes me back to some of the most happy, and some of the most difficult times of my life. In a way it feels like it has been a kind of companion throughout, there to talk to when utterly lonely and burnt out, and there to tell about the wonderfully exciting life changing experiences that presented themselves. I did it, and I have a diary of it all, that I have been able to share with all of those who so kindly worried about me during my absence.

So where to actually start concluding after such an eventful year. I stood upon glaciers, dodged tropical waves on the Caribbean, swam with dolphins and crocodiles, rafted through raging Argentinian torrents, boated through the jungle, surfed 15 foot waves (badly!), learnt Spanish, learnt about revolution, revolutionaries, communism, walked to Machu Picchu, sand-boarded, jumped from a plane, attempted to fish in coral reefs, ate a Kg steak, stood just under 5km above sea level, and of course, fell in love for the first time. The list goes on and on. I also made so so many new friends, some of which I will treasure their contribution to such a life changing experience. Notably (and in no particular order) Katherine, Adam, Dan, Matt the Bear, Scott, Bobby, Justin, Matt Sanchez, Rob, Hannah, Andy, Alex, The Barry Brothers, Majo, Suzanne, Johan, and most most prominently, Emily.

I remember writing in Salta how I felt that I was not really changing or experiencing things, but just floating from one place to the other. How things changed from there on. Now that I really think about it so much has happened that I’m very possibly not the person who sat there staring from his office window well over a year ago. I think I’m a better person, a more conscious and morally directed person, who I would say I definitely like and respect more than I did before going. I think that my future looks different now too. After feeling the most wonderful, and the most painful experiences of my life in falling in love I know that I want to find it again, and that my life will be hollow and shallow without it.

And that, I think, is one of the things that one can really take away from travelling: the opportunity to gain perspective on life; a view of what really matters. We fill our days with the endlessly ebbing calls of day to day life that seem to occupy our thoughts so much that we perhaps just don’t have a spare moment to put ourselves in sometimes sapping, but ultimately rewarding circumstances. Now, of course, there are many ways to define ‘travelling’, in the same way that the definition of working would vary between, lets say, an artist, a teacher and an accountant. However, in whatever respect travelling is undertaken, I think that it gives us a perspective on life that is different from anything else. Perhaps it can also be attributed as one of the most selfish things we can do, but then again should at least a degree of our small time on this earth be devoted entirely on ourselves without distraction. Although, in some way my travelling was selfish, i didn’t work or volunteer, but maybe that was never what it was supposed to be about. I know I want to devote myself something to help people later on in life, but this experience was for me, and me only, and I don’t feel guilty about that.

So travelling, what is it like? In short all I can really say is that it’s eclectic, from my experience. It can be the hottest place one month and the coldest the next, it can be great friendships struck and great friends lost (but not for good), it can be a lonely day far away from home and the most beautiful life moment shared with someone kindred, it can be exhausting treks or days at the beach with a great book, it can be a beautiful brown tan and sun bleached hair or terrible sickness and mosquito bites. It can be many many things. And that is the beauty of it, as far as I’m concerned. It was almost never mediocre; it was living life and the highs and lows that associate with it. In some ways it feels kind of impossible to articulate everything that I have seen, been and done. I’ve written so many words but still never really touched upon that which touched me, if that makes sense. All I can say is that I wouldn’t change a thing.

So, although I think I could probably write endlessly on this topic I will try and cover the final few bits concisely. If I could give any advice on how to travel alone to whatever destination one chooses to travel to it would be:
Do it - if it is possible then don’t keep making excuses not to. Now is the time.
Travel how the locals do - don’t fly everywhere and take tourist buses, the experience is in the journey.
Take gaffa/duct tape - it has a million uses - seriously, trust me.
Travel light - you really don’t need that much stuff to live on.
Don’t take anything you’re not prepared to lose, break or have stolen.
Be cautious but not overly so - bum bags are a sandwich board that say rob me. just keep your hand on your wallet in dodgy areas and you’ll be fine. Just relax and let it show.
Hide emergency money and take a spare credit card - your bank will block your on a regular basis.
If you find yourself on the backpacker conveyor belt then remove yourself from it. Every time I branched out on my own something great happened.
Take a pack of cards - essential!
Take many memory cards and swap them round often and back them up online if possible. I was so sensible about this but still lost a load of photos.
Learn the language - it’s so much more fulfilling when you can chat with the locals - they appreciate it.
Don’t book ahead - OK first night, but otherwise wing it - I almost never booked and never ever found myself without a bed for the night.
Try everything! - This is the time to do so.
Take a few books and swap wisely - books are gold for travellers, take a few good ones and don’t accept silly swaps because you’ll struggle to replace them.
Last but not least, let me know how it goes!

So what now? Well, in honesty I'm not all too sure really. After returning it feels like there are many decisions and opportunities to sway me this way or the other. Plus with the unexpected freedom acquired in February, I suppose my range of options have significantly increased. In the months since returning I have started my own mini consultancy which gives me no real job security or opportunity to settle. However, perhaps another way of looking at it is to say that I have put myself in a position where I won't come back to staring out the window thinking that "life is just not what I expected it to be". I now have the freedom and financial security to work when I want and take as much time off as I want. Perhaps this isn't everything I expected at this point, but it's more than enough. For now if life is a compromise then I got an excellent deal.

I have little doubt that this won't be my last bout of travelling & blogging, however for now, Liam in the Latin is all wrapped up.