Wednesday, October 10, 2012

(I Wish I Was A) World Traveler

The last time I did any traveling was more than eleven years ago, when I spent a summer in Spain as part of a study abroad program. Several of the other students in the program enjoyed going to bars and clubs and partying with American tourists, but I figured that I could do that at home. So I often went out to explore on my own.

One thing I noticed about a lot of the people in Spain was how relaxed they were. I liked that they took a two hour siesta in the middle of the afternoon. They weren't rushing around constantly, and they weren't glued to their cell phones like the Americans at home were. They took the time to enjoy long lunches with their friends, and they seemed happier.

So that summer, I followed their example. Instead of spending all my time studying, I walked up and down the streets of the city I was living in. I browsed through almost every shop I came across. I went to restaurants and bars during the day; because I couldn't speak a lot of Spanish yet, I would often just point to dishes that were on display or items on the menu. I ended up eating a lot of good food that way. I even traveled to other cities in Spain. I brought my journal everywhere with me, so that I could write down everything I saw and experienced. Maybe it was because I was only twenty, or maybe it was because I was in Europe, but for one summer, it felt wonderful to not be a workaholic.

But ever since then, I haven't really done much traveling. I visit my parents twice a year, for a week or two at a time; they live in a different state. I don't have the time or the money to travel anywhere else. My passport expired a while ago, but I didn't bother to renew it.

Recently, I went to New Orleans for a couple days to attend a relative's wedding. I'd never been there before. Since I had my mornings and afternoons free, I walked up and down Canal Street and around the French Quarter. I watched artists selling their paintings in a small park, and I took pictures of the river. I tried not to stare at the women who were clad only in their underwear, standing in the doorways of peep shows and strip clubs.

I browsed through souvenir shops. (Side note: what is it about being a tourist that makes you more willing to buy overpriced stuff? It's like, "Yes, I WILL buy that magnet for $3.95! What a deal!") I even bought one of those colorful Mardi Gras masks with feathers attached to it, even though the chances of my attending a Mardi Gras party are about as likely as my going to a death metal concert and then heading to a tattoo parlor afterwards. I went to cafes and watched people singing and dancing in the streets. It felt good to be somewhere other than Chicago for once. (I'd post the pictures I took, but I'm a terrible photographer. The pictures kind of look like I drank a bunch of caffeine and then rode a roller coaster for an hour before taking them.)

After the rehearsal dinner, my younger cousins (who are all in their twenties) took me with them to Bourbon Street. As I walked with them and looked at all the bars, the people standing and drinking on balconies watching the people below, the guys lifting up their shirts to get free beads (I thought it was just the girls who did that), and all the people with beers and cocktails in their hands, I kept thinking of that line from Dante's Inferno: "Abandon all hope, all ye who enter here." (Nothing against New Orleans, of course, which I liked very much. But can you tell I'm a teetotaler? It doesn't really bother me if other people drink, though, as long as they don't throw up on my shoes.)

Many people spend their twenties traveling all over the country or the world. They take road trips across America or they go backpacking in Europe. I, on the other hand, spent my twenties resisting the urge to staple expired coupons to rude customers' foreheads and telling undergrads, "WHY do you have to come to class? Because I SAID so, darn it!" 

I worked multiple jobs because I had to; it allowed me to support myself while I was in graduate school and while I was teaching. I learned a lot from those jobs. But sometimes I wish I had been able to do more traveling, because I wish I could be that girl I was in Spain all those years ago.

Once I finally finish grad school (which, as I've stated before, is quite similar to the nine circles of Hell), I will do more traveling. Maybe I'll go back to Spain, or maybe I'll go to France and write in cafes like Hemingway did. And for the first time in a long time, I'll let myself relax.

What about you? Have you done a lot of traveling? If so, where have you gone? If not, where would you like to go?

21 comments:

  1. I've just done a big trip around my little country. Next up: the rest of the world (still working on that plan). Europe, Southeast Asia, the US!

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    1. Hi NZ Muse,
      Lucky you that you get to do so much traveling! That would be amazing. If I were ever to retire early (I'll probably work FOREVER, though), I'd like to spend more time traveling.

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  2. We love to travel. After I had my kids I felt like they were two pint-sized obstacles to going places but then I had an epiphany...we could still travel and they would be fine. Since then we've been all over the world and I find the kids make it an even more enriching experience than it was in my prekid days.

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    1. Hi Johanna,
      I'm sure your kids will have some very good memories of their childhood because you take them to different places. I think they'll learn a lot from traveling too.

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  3. I went to France two years ago, and it was lovely, but that and all my trips to Europe have been school related, so they were very scheduled and organized. I'd love to do what you did on your trip to Spain. In fact, the next place I'd like to travel to IS Spain, so I'll keep in mind your way of exploring it, in case I ever get there! Thank you for a post that stirred up good memories of travel, by the way!

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    1. Hi SolariC,
      One of the things I liked about the study abroad program in Spain that I participated in was that it gave the students a lot of freedom. There were classes and a few organized trips, but the rest of the time we were on our own. And it was nice to immerse myself in the city that way.
      And you should definitely go to Spain. It's a great place to visit.

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  4. The trick to beating the system is to work abroad, I've learned. I never really even planned to travel that much. I did an obligatory trip to some stereotypical European places during a college break and I'd done some spring break island getaways, but I was set, I thought. Then the job abroad came and suddenly the world seemed insanely small and why not visit some more absurd places like India and Thailand!

    Colleges in the Middle East are hiring American teachers all the time. Just something to think about if you're actually serious about wanting to travel...

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    1. Hi mmarinaa,
      Thanks for the advice! I have thought about working abroad; I even thought about applying for a fellowship in Europe, even though those are hard to get. I don't know if I could live in a foreign country permanently, though I do think it's neat that many people do it. I remember missing American accents when I was away.

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  5. Money and time are always the obstacles, but sometimes you've just got to make it happen. I didn't do much traveling in my 20s either, but when I hit 30 I realized I was tired of waiting. I'm only a US and European traveler, but those two continents have plenty of great places to keep me busy.

    Looove the laid-back feel of European cities. Renew your passport - is good for 10 years and you'll feel more free just having it.

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    1. Okay, so the US isn't a continent, but you know what I mean.

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    2. Hi Nicki,
      There are definitely plenty of places to see in the U.S. and Europe. I'd like to go to Boston, and I'd also like to go to Seattle, among other places. And I'd love to go back to Europe, especially Spain. I've read stories and essays written by people who were able to travel on tight budgets, so maybe I could do something similar to what they did.

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  6. I'm still waiting to get to Europe, but then I think... I've only been to half the states in the U.S. (if that) so I should travel close to home in the meantime. Now that my kids are getting bigger, maybe!

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    1. Hi Wendy,
      I think that traveling to half the states in the U.S. is pretty impressive. I think it would be interesting to see how things are different in each state. And I think your kids would like traveling too, because they could learn a lot from it.

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  7. You are so funny! I laughed out loud at least a dozen times reading this. Your dry sense of humor is fab. Anyway, I would like to travel more as well, but I'm such a homebody. I really do like my little haven. The idea of traveling for weeks on end is very unappealing to me. Yeah, I should get out more. :)

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    1. Hi Emily,
      Thanks! I think that one reason I haven't traveled as much in the past several years is because I'm a homebody too. I'd like to travel, but I also typically prefer to stay home rather than go out. For one thing, at home I don't have to deal with long lines. :) On the other hand, I do have to deal with my annoying neighbors when I'm at home, so traveling would give me a chance to escape from them.

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  8. One of my very best friends just moved down to New Orleans with her husband! I've never been there, and I'm excited to visit them next year ... though not for Mardi Gras, per se. I like to have fun but in moderation and that might be a tad too crazy for me :) I love to travel as well. Just got back from a wedding in Hawaii! I hope to return to Europe sometime soon, within the next two years or so!

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    1. Hi Julie,
      I thought about moving to New Orleans, because they have several good schools in Louisiana. I don't think I'd fit in at Mardi Gras, though. When I went to Spain I visited Pamplona for the running of the bulls, and people were partying in the streets all night. That was wild enough for me.

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  9. I've traveled an okay amount in the US, but haven't really traveled out of the country much at all. Hoping to start soon. We shall see. In a few years, you'll be globe hopping. :)

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    1. Hi Libby,
      I hope I will be traveling more in the next few years. I think it's good to see what life is like in other parts of the country and the world, because it's a nice break from everyday life.

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  10. I think travelling after you graduate is a great idea! Before getting a permanent job somewhere you could just teach English in various different places. Come to Turkey!

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    1. Hi Deniz,
      A few people I know have taught English in other countries. I've thought about doing it too, especially because it would help me become fluent in another language; I read somewhere that cultural immersion is the best way to learn a language.

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