1. The Transitory Lifestyle of Backpacking: A few years ago, I spent the summer months in Banff, Alberta, where I lived in a big house with other backpackers from around the world. One of my roomates was a German fellow who refused to talk to me. I took it personally at first, until one of our friends informed me of the main reason why he didn't want to befriend me. He knew I was probably going to up and leave in a few weeks. He had been living there for awhile, and had seen many other people come and go. At the time, I thought it was an immature way of thinking, but have since come to understand how he felt. Spending and sharing moments in time with people, and watching them leave five minutes later, is the most difficult and challenging aspect of travel.
2. Having to Ward Off North American Stereotypes: Yes, I know. We are fat. We eat way too much, love our fast food, and are greedy. We are also easy and slutty. We all act like the women you see in porno movies, and as a result, we deserve to be degraded, have crude remarks directed at us, and be treated like bimbos. All we have to do is stand in front of ATM machines, and money will pour out (we have super-powers like that). Everyone is rich, we all drive expensive cars, and live in mansions like you see on Hollywood reality tv shows. North Americans are solely responsible for climate change, overpopulation, and third-world famine. One night while offering to wash the dishes after supper, I was even informed that I probably didn't know how to perform such chores because I came from a country where we had machines for everything.
3. Worrying About the People in Your Life Back Home: One of the greatest stressors I experience while travelling is that if something tragic were to happen to one of my family members at home, I am a world away. I have come to realize that I cannot stop living my life over things I have no control over. However, with this worry always in the back of my mind, leaving home in pursuit of travel often seems selfish, is always difficult, and causes me great grief.
4. Communal/Public Toilets: I hate using public restrooms. As a child, I refused to use the bathroom in school. As a result, unlike Frances, I have developed a camel's bladder. I am not prissy, but I have always been embarrased about bodily functions. A lack of toilet paper, squatter/non-flush toilets, and not having a proper place to wash your hands properly is gross. Having to pay to use public washrooms in some countries is even more appalling.
5. Feeling Like the Third/Fifth Wheel: Travelling can make you feel like the unpopular kid in school all over again. There are cliques everywhere. I hate coming across herds of travellers who either know each other from home, or who have been travelling together for awhile. Instead of tagging along and feeling out-of-place, I prefer to seek out other solo travellers to hang out with. I also have never been afraid to enjoy my own company.
6. Being Ripped Off: On our first international adventure together in the Dominican Republic, Marcella and I were out shopping one evening when two women unknowningly sneaked up behind us and proceeded to braid our hair. After they had each braided one little strand of hair, they insisted we pay them an absurd amount of money. In fear of being thrown into a dodgy third world prison cell, we gave them a few dollars and agreed to have them do our hair on another day. After arriving in Russia early one morning, and having negotiated a price with a taxi driver, I was dropped off in front of my hostel. The taxi driver threw my luggage out of the car, lost his ability to speak English, and demanded a fee of $120 for a ten minute drive.
7. Taxi Drivers: Just ask one of us about the Tico taxi driver in San Jose, or see above.
8. Loneliness: A pang of sadness sometimes occurs to me while travelling solo in big citites, or visiting certain landmarks. It makes me realize that I have no one to share it with. One of the most lonely experiences of my backpacking life was when I booked into a tour group to go on a safari in the Serengeti, and noone else showed up. I remember being all excited, while stalking zebra and gazelles, a cheetah strolled into town and was on the prowl. I was stoked about the hunt, and said so to my safari guide, as he yawned and looked at his watch. A feeling of great loneliness came over me, and with it the realization that travelling solo is not always so fun.
9. Lack of Privacy: I need my space. The only time I think I have ever snapped at someone while travelling was when I had to put up with a clingy first-time traveller. When I announced that I was going for a walk, and she invited herself along, I lost my cool. I think I have become this way after a childhood of sharing a bedroom with three older sisters. It appears to be a family trait: Marcella has mentioned a similar freak out, which prompted her fellow traveller to refer to it as "Marcella Time."
10. Stressing About Money: I wish I was completely care-free about money, but the truth is, even while travelling, I have bills to be paid each month. I worry constantly about being unemployed and running out of money.
12. Waiting: Waiting for other people to get ready........ Waiting for connecting flights....... Waiting in long line-ups....For every hour of something of interest, comes with it another couple of hours of boredom.
13. Being A Vegetarian: Travelling outside of Canada can be quite the challenge for non-meat eaters. Vegetarian options are not always easily available. I have always been a very picky, simple eater who has never enjoyed eating in certain social settings. I can't stand having to defend my diet choices. And don't even get me started on the "why don't you eat meat" question, either.
14. Vendors: I hate pushy people, whether at home or abroad, but I think it is even more annoying in foreign countries. There are fewer words that make me cringe more than "Looky Looky," or "For you, good price." Just because you think I am money bags, does not mean I want to purchase your crap.
15. Cold Showers: I don't own a car. I don't smoke. I don't eat meat. I don't wear fur or leather. My major contribution to global warming? Long, scolding hot showers, and hour long bubble baths. It is the luxury I miss most when travelling.
16. Having to Constantly Be Social: In reality, I have more in common with Miss Anti-Social than Miss Social Butterfly. Travelling can feel like work at times, and can be quite exhausting. There are some nights where I wish I could crawl into bed at 9pm without looking like a loser.
17. Getting Sick: During our last day in Bali, before our flight to Darwin, Australia, Marcella and I decided to check into a 5 star hotel, where we justified that it would be safe to have ice cold drinks in the pool. A few hours later, there we lay critically ill, side by side, in twin beds. We had both come down with the most evil of traveller's ailments: Bali-Belly!
18. Roomates: Especially while in dorm-style hostel rooms. You never know who you will end up having to put up with. Most recently, while in Copenhagen, I ended up sharing a room with three older business men, and it really creeped me out.
19. Lack of Mind-Altering Conversation: Where are you from? Where are you going? Why are you travelling? What do you do at home? At first, other people taking interest in your life is flattering, but after awhile it becomes annoying to be asked the same questions over and over again.
20. Constant Partying: I really don't want to be the backpacking Nana. I have my fair share of nights out, but sometimes, just once, I would like to wake up to a room that does not reek of alcohol, or brush my teeth in a puke-free sink. And hearing the 18 year old backpacker go on about how much they drank night after night becomes kind of jaded.
21. Slowly Evolving into a Bushwoman: When travelling, not caring about appearances can feel quite liberating at times, but I am a girlie girl. If I had to choose only one activity to enjoy for the rest of my life, plucking my eyebrows would be it. I worry about losing my lugguage because my cosmetic bag is in it. Being well groomed has and will always be important to me. I don't want to be that high-maintenance chick, but I hate feeling unclean, being able to smell myself, and not having access to a full length mirror.
22. Overpopulation: I hail from a country where you can travel on the Trans-Canada highway for hours and not see anything but deer and trees. I never understood the concept of overpopulation, until I went to Africa and rode public transportation through actual traffic jams (often caused by swarms of people and cattle). I have been suffering from PTSD ever since.
24. Language Barriers: Not being able to communicate effectively, and having to resort to grunting and farting like a two-year old child in order to make yourself understood, is not very fun.
25. Peanut Butter is Not Always Accessible: There are times when my daily drug of choice can be extremely difficult to come by.
Is travel even worth it? See blog entry below.
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