My Dilemma - TravelPUNK Backpacker College Student Budget Travel Message Boards!

**TheWills** · 03-06-2005, 06:52 PM

Hey everyone! I wonder if anyone feels the same ?
So anyways Im sitting here listening to some Kenny Chesney (any country fans?) the last few months have been pretty downer with the interuption of my trip due to my broken leg, then just sittin around cause I havnt been able to work, and well today 2 of my bestfriends moved out and left town to start new jobs. And Im just trying to figure out what I wanna do with myself and right now was sounds really good is just pack up and head to the virgin islands or soemthing and spend the rest of my days there. Its been really deressing lately cuase I have 100's of people telling me you gotta get back to work or you gotta go to school or you have to do this and you have to go to school and get a good job, I WANNA SNAP! I dont even know what I wanna do yet with myself and really the corporate thing dosnt appeal to me, and Im sick of all the Bullshit going on in the world, I really just wanna go to some secluded part of the world and find tranquility, I really just wanna drop of everyones radar and go somewhere where life is carefree and everyday is lived with the flow of trees in the breeze. You live everyday just to feel the sun on your face and the salty water on your skin, maybe work on a fishin boat or in some beach side bar. I just really wanna live one day at a time, I mean im 20 now and all I know is I dont wanna deal with bullshit all my life. I think what Im really getting at is I need to go on a trip but its not gonna be a sightseeing thing I really need to get out there and excuse the cliche "find myself" I gotta get away from the life we all live and spend some time which could be 1 month or 10 years in a mental quarentine until Im content with myself, its that stroke of enlightenment that has to slap me in the face..........well sorry about the rant but this is something that has been eating at me for so long now, I just thought I would throw it out there thanks for puttin up with me on this one every body
will

**TimmyJames1976** · 03-06-2005, 07:47 PM

hey...do it while you can....i'm 28 now and went the slow long road through college graduating about 15 months ago, and i am finally getting a chance to go overseas for a few weeks be4 i go cross country here in the US for the month. all my friends either had jobs right out of school and stayed there, now married, have a house, white picket blah blah...and in a way im jealous, but for the most part i fear that i may end up like that. they do the same thing every night night, and purposfully complicate their lives with meaningless crap in order to complain and feel that they are doingsomething. my other friends who i met through school have started in that same path, although a few of them have actually had more of that feeling you describe and i have. one of them is actually going cross country with me on his summer off(he is now a teacher). another had a well paying job right out of school and dropped it to move to a beach region in florida and is now a waiter. even the teacher friend is having regrets about getting tied up in the rat race. i feel for you because i find the concept of working 60 hours a week in a job that i dont like, or at the best don't hate, for the next 40 years in order to retire when im 70(if im lucky with the current US finacial woes)does not appeal to me in the least. i actaully just applied to a language school in taiwan to hopefully teach there for a year or 2. it sounds like you are not a money or material oriented person. i am not either. unfortunatly, we live where money is the driving force. i don't really know what i am getting at here, but just wanted to let you know that you are not alone in your feelings or thoughts. their are many others like you. just remember, in the end, we all eventually have to walk alone. you can't let your friend make your decisions. i am a little older, and one thing i have learned over the last few years are we have many many friends over the years, but only a rare few friends. be wary of peoples advice who want you to do just like them. they either don't want to go in to something on their own and want to drag you along, or they are jealous of your individualistic thought, and for the most part here in america, if you are not with them, you are against them. its just the common mentality. so whatever you choose to do, make sure its your choice. the worst thing that can happen is you learn something in the process. good luck!!

**MolsonGirl** · 03-06-2005, 07:59 PM

I say go for it.. if you think it'll make ya happy.. no point in sitting around all depressed... and if it's not working you can always come back whenever you want right.. nothing is permanent.

**kingcrazylegs** · 03-06-2005, 11:14 PM

Maybe you could try going doing some voluntary work....it will allow you to go to a new place where you know no one, live a simple lifestlye, and gain a new perspective. I think its one of the best ways to find new direction, because somehow it just puts everything into perspective.

**urOZm8** · 03-06-2005, 11:36 PM

Hey there Will, sorry to hear about your blues of late. My spin on this is that you need to go on a hiking trip, get back to basics and enjoy the beauty of nature.

The times I felt most relaxed and at ease on my trip was when I was out hiking all alone with nature and without a single care in the world. It was invigorating and the best times of my trip.

The forests and cliffs on the border of Germany and Czech Reb, Swiss and Italian alps and the Atlas Mountains in Morocco. Ahh the visions, get back out there man.

ev

**travelpunk** · 03-07-2005, 02:14 AM

Great advice TPer's!

Hey Will, I think most of us have been down this road in one form or another. The key is to stay occupied. Sitting around too much has a tendency to put us "in our heads." Meaning, that we start thinking too much and we stop trusting our instincts, causing us to take less action or no action at all. Don't let a broken leg get in your way.

If you break down all of the motivational courses and sum it up into one word, in my opinion, it all comes down to action. Whether it's to lose weight, become rich, find your dream job, own a home, travel the world, write a book, play the piano, find yourself, etc....ACTION is the key.

breakdown template: Objective> what do I need to do to acheive this objective?> where/how will I go about acheiving this?

you(example): Virgin Islands > buy a ticket for $??? > work as a "____" for "x" hrs a week.

or

Find myself> travel across Europe/go to Nepal? > set a departure date> buy a ticket

Don't think about it too much. Do a quick flow chart (like above) of all possible objcetives that sound good at this time, See which one looks best/reasonable/doable at this time, then take action. Don't complicate it. Figure out your main objective then the details will come as you move forward in that direction.

Kinda like when people go "I want to backpack Europe." Then they start researching all the quide books, listen to stories of their friends, then surf the net for info....errrr eventually finding Tpunk

. Catch my drift? It's starts with that one objective "I want to_____." Then, BAMM, the spiff is on!

I have a friend who went down to Cabo San Lucas from LA a while back. His original objective was just to go down and hang around for the summer. He frequented a bar an became friends with the owner of it who gave him work and eventually ended up bartending there, rented a small house (from the owner) behind the bar, sold his car, and BAMM, ended up staying there for 3years!

There is no right or wrong answer on what you choose to do. The only way that you will truly lose is if you choose to do nothing. Action

"A man who risks nothing, gains nothing." Words that I've lived by for many, many years.

Hey, for a bit of inspiration, rent the old comedy/western type movie City Slickers with Billy Crystal. In there they talk about everybody has that "one thing." Well, it's that "one thing" is what you have to figure out, my friend...

Good luck, partner

**omisan** · 03-07-2005, 09:39 AM

I don't think you'll find anyone here who'll tell you NOT to do it.

I really wish I'd started traveling sooner and more often (or for longer periods), when I had fewer commitments to work and material property and crap like that. Do it while you have the chance to really explore without worrying about what's awaiting you back home.

**TheWills** · 03-07-2005, 03:30 PM

Thanks guys that support really helped, gah your all right I need to keep busy and start setting some goals and working towards them, thanks again all

**ChasinJason1313** · 03-07-2005, 08:13 PM

Goals are overrated.

So's money