Hey, we're all in similar boats here, let's share some of the funny experiences we've had when trying to explain to people that we're going to travel...indefinitely.

I've thought it to be very entertaining the various interactions I've had with people when I tell them I'm leaving.

#1 response: That's so awesome! I wish I could travel like that!

(my thought, well, if I can do it, anyone can! This goes back to the thread about do people really want to travel: it's all about priorities)

#1 question: How long are you going to be gone?

My humble response: Well..... that is an excellent question!

(confused look ensues)

You see, the only thing we can be sure of is change (especially when we're talking about travel plans!) So how do I explain that I'm moving to Australia to work and save to travel around the world? And I don't know when I'll start/end. Where I'll live/work for the next 1, 2, 3+ years??

Assumptions people make:

#1 I'm rich

#2 I'm irresponsible

#3 I'm running away from something

Things people wonder:

#1 What is she going to do with her life?

#2 When is she going to "settle down"?

The thing is (as I'm sure a lot of you know...) this IS what I'm doing. Pursuing a passion! Living a dream!

Here's to all you vagabonds out there

1) Where are you going? Uh, I don't know. I'll figure that out as I go.
2) How long will you be going for? Uh, I don't know. As long as my money and patience lasts, I suppose.
3) Who's taking care of your cat? My parents.
4) Who's taking care of your bills and stuff? Nobody, I'm not keeping any stuff and will have no bills. How is that possible to not have any bills? Not having any stuff makes it possible.

I usually end up describing it as a sort of advance on my retirement. I worked out the numbers on how long it would take at my current level of savings to get to where I'd never have to work again, and it was around 30 years. Call me impatient, but I don't want to wait that long to travel. It's also more efficient in a way to get travel in all at once rather than 2 or 3 weeks at a time.

Anybody ever notice that, before you leave on your RTW trip, your friends and family seem to be utterly fascinated by it, and have tons of questions - but, once you get back, their eyes glaze over if you ever spend more than 10 seconds talking about it?

I think that was the most unexpected part of coming home for me.

quote:

Originally posted by gojonesgo:
Anybody ever notice that, before you leave on your RTW trip, your friends and family seem to be utterly fascinated by it, and have tons of questions - but, once you get back, their eyes glaze over if you ever spend more than 10 seconds talking about it?

I think that was the most unexpected part of coming home for me.

Yep. I've been there more times than I want to admit. It's awful.

I remember when I went on my first entended trip traveling around South America for seven months - everybody was amazed that I would even consider such a thing.

Then I went on my second one - a year biking around the Indian subcontinent. People didn't believe I would do it until I did.

By the third time - a year bicycling around teh USA and MExico with our kids, people didn't doubt us for a second.

And this time - a 2 1/2 year journey from Alaska to Argentina with our kids - it's kind of taken for granted.

quote:

Originally posted by gojonesgo:
Anybody ever notice that, before you leave on your RTW trip, your friends and family seem to be utterly fascinated by it, and have tons of questions - but, once you get back, their eyes glaze over if you ever spend more than 10 seconds talking about it?

I think that was the most unexpected part of coming home for me.

To be very honest I cannot relate more than couple of minutes on somebody else's travels unless i have been to the same place myself. There has to be a connection for me with those travel and how the person tells the tale.

I think its hard for people to relate that is why their eyes glaze over...they cannot relate to your experiences. When you come back you are gushing with information and want to share but what I have learnt is to share slowly..tell a story here and there. And if you are showing pictures..limit them to the best and a few...not thousands and thousands.

Yep, I absolutely agree - nobody should ever be held hostage by another person's travel stories or (even worse) photos.

I just meant that it was ironic that people who were so interested in every last detail of the trip before I left, were so disinterested in it once I'd actually done it.

It was no big deal - just unexpected.

I tend to get the "wow, that's amazing...' reaction these days.

Every now and then I still get 'you can't go there. Its dangerous and your a girl...' Personally I laugh at that one these days. The first time I got that one it was from my partner at the time. I so dumped him and went anyway.

As said I find it funny now. Gee I wouldn't have known that I'm a girl unless you told me!!!!

What if you went and tried to make a point of not telling anyone you were going?

What if you returned and didn't tell anyone where you had been?

"Oh my god, we were so worried about you! Where have you been for the last 12 months?? We thought you were dead!!!"

"Oh, I stepped out for a little bit..."

I like it!

I'm leaving in 25 (25!) days on a gap year. I go to one of the top 50 schools of the nation where every body is obsessed with what college you're going to and what you're going to study and how many scholarships you've earned. Don't get me wrong, college is a great thing, and I'm planning on attending it next fall. But when people ask me what I'm doing, this is how it goes 90% of the time:

"What college are you going to?"
"Oh, I'm taking a year off."
"What, really??? That's SOOOO cool"
"Yeah"
"Like, the whole year? What are you doing? Interning?"
"I'm travelling."
"Oh, awesome!!! Like, Europe?"
"No. Asia, Australia, and Africa." *at this point they make a strange face*
"No Europe? Are you travelling alone????"
"Yep. Well, I'm starting off in China with my brother."
"Then you'll be all alone???? Wtf?"
"Yes..."
"Then are you going to college?" **like a normal person**
"Why, yes. In California."
"I wish I could do what you're doing."

Surprisingly, even though I've never taken a trip longer then three weeks in the past, all my friends are pretty ambivalent or supportive, probably because I've been talking about it for so long. (Why did I wait?!)

I'm hoping the solution to eyes glazing over is to keep a blog, this way people can follow as much as they want or as little.

After mentioning Ill be travelling RTW all 2009 I often have a reply:
"Oh, you're so LUCKY"
I bite my tongue. I stop myself from replying with a lecture: "No, I am not lucky. This trip was NOT given to me. I sacrifice, worked so hard and did everything I could to make it happen. It was in no way luck"

There's nothing remarkable about doing this any more (I'm in Norway), except it is getting sort of politically incorrect to burden the planet with excessive flying. So I guess the most likely reply these days is probably: "So, are you going to pay extra for the CO2 emission from your flights?"

Bjørn
http://bjornfree.com/

despite how much we sacrifice for it, traveling is still a privilege, and we are in fact lucky to be able to be in a position in life to do it.

I absolutely limit how much I talk about my trips. Like Madhu, I can only handle so much about places to which I can't relate. And, sometimes we do t realize how insufferable we're being with all the travel talk. Everyone though, can relate to preparation.

I have never had anything but support for my travels. Even way back when, my parents were nervous, but never unsupportive.

My husband and I are starting our gap year on July 1 (27 days!!! OMG can't believe it's almost here!!!)

Anyway, I also get the "Gee, that's great! I could never do what you're doing." I also get-

"How much did you save and how long did it take you to save it?" (So many tens of thousands and about 3 years.)

"What are you doing with your place?" (We rent and have so problems giving up our apartment.)

"What are you going to do with your stuff?" (We're selling what we can and putting the rest in storage.)

"What about your pets?" (I had ratties, and, sadly, they all passed away at the ripe old age of 2+ earlier this year.)

"You don't have kids, do you?" (We don't have any kids to worry about.)

All in all, my family and friends are very excited for us. I have gotten lots of requests for post cards. :-)