Random Moments in Travel

 

(Market in India)

I was just going through some old pics of my past trips and reminiscing...

(Thailand)

  A cessna in Costa rica- our pilot was either drunk or just really uncoordinated- we were skimming tree tops and it felt more like a roller coaster ride- my heart was in my throat the whole time.  (Same trip, we went para sailing (if you havent been, it's way less fun than it sounds- or at least not as adrenaline inducing- or maybe I was just jaded after the plane ride)) over water where we had just been swimming to look down and see SWARMS of hammerhead sharks.  It had a weird effect on me- seeing that they had been right there all along and we hadnt hadnt even noticed.

(village on the way to Pnom Penh)

 A flash flood in Nicaragua- the guest house we were staying in was suddenly knee deep in water....

 Getting some horrible mystery illness in Buenos Aires- I was delirious for four days (getting sick while travelling is bound to happen, but I literally was hallucinating this time)-

My first deep sea diving trip- I actually had a panic attack.  They take you out to the middle of the ocean where you jump off the boat and have to swim the very choppy water three times around the boat before your dive- my arms wouldnt coordinate and I was hyperventilating so much so that by the time Id swam half the length of the boat the first time around my limbs felt like dead weight- Id never had a panic attack before then- horrible.  It ended well- I got out of the water and breathed for about ten minutes and got back in the water to try it again and did fine...

 First time I tried to drive a motorbike- I made it fifty feet before crashing into a tree....

Travelling- theres always going to be something- bad communication (fried snake anyone...?) missed flights, trains, border crossing times (borders do close for the day....).  Travel has the ability to reduce even the most intelligent and educated into fumbling illiterates- pointing to a bus stop sign saying very loudly and slowly "IS. THIS. THE. BUS. STOP?"-  Haha.  So, my advice- if you ever start feeling too full of yourself- Travel.

  Its so worth it- I may not sound too convincing (and things have gotten more out of hand than what Ive just posted above....)- But I wouldnt trade these experiences for anything. Its worth the price of the plane tickets, the inevitable difficulties, the hardships, all of it- worth it and more.  There is nothing that will change you and your worldview so fast.

Im up late again looking at plane tickets and reading journalist's autobiographies- I think I need to travel again very soon....

"If you always do what youve always done- Youll always get what youve always got"

~

"If you only do what you know you can You wont do much"