As the weeks pass, more and more friends, family and forthcoming strangers are telling me about their experiences of travelling and the psychological difficulties which can ensue as a result of going away for such long stints. It's both surprising and reassuring to hear things such as
"I'm not surprised that you are you are 'Sick to death of being tormented by my demons'...that is part of travelling...you never leave the past and in fact going abroad only magnifies life before"
and
"It is not paradise. It is hard work and even harder when you travel with your partner."
Others have told me how they got home sick, depressed, disorientated or just plain sick and had to go home. Then there are those who fell out with their companions, boyfriends of 8 years even and went their separate ways. One girl I've met even bought her ex a plane ticket home she couldn't bear to be with him any longer! There are even some who went crackers, like I think I'm doing at times. The fact is that travelling for long periods doesn't suit everyone and even those who love it and love talking about it for years afterwards, have their blacker moments. At times one can rise to the challenges faced each day and see them as character building, part of the adventure, the fun, something else to tell the grandchildren. At times, it is fantastic and I feel so lucky to be able to do this. Every day I learn something new about myself and Ric and the places we are visiting and I think that going away for more than just a short holiday is something everyone should try and do at least once. That said, there are times when it all gets a bit much.
It's seems it's as easy to lose momentum as it is to gain it, which we might well do in just a day or so. Just now though, Ric and I are feeling unmotivated by Asia, tired of being waited on and ferried about and if we're really honest a bit apathetic about this trip. We've also lost quite a few miscellaneous things recently in suspicious circumstances (that's why a lock my bag!) and spent a lot of money despite our penurious tendencies.
We don't so much argue as get in to the same conversations or niggles every day. We know each other's body language so well that usually sentences don't even need to be half said. We pre-empt the other's anxieties, frustrations, wants and needs. Ric knows only too well now when I'm lost in my own world of OCD nonsense. That's not to say we don't wind each other up at times. It's shocking how easy and natural it is to take things out on each other. Is this what marriage is like I wonder?
Our day of diving today wasn't great. In fact, it was our worst yet. The visibility was about three metres in places, which in normal speak means we hardly saw a thing, it rained, I nearly got pulled under the boat because of the current at the surface and both of us were sea-sick for most of the seven or so hours we spent on the boat as it ploughed through the choppy waters.
Enough of this moaning. Ric found a Burger King so he's happy and I have found yet another animal to adopt temporarily (see kitten pictured) and tomorrow we're outta here. I didn't want to see a Go-Go Show anyway. We're going back to Bangkok where we can purchase our visas for Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. Indonesia is also on the cards.
"I'm not surprised that you are you are 'Sick to death of being tormented by my demons'...that is part of travelling...you never leave the past and in fact going abroad only magnifies life before"
and
"It is not paradise. It is hard work and even harder when you travel with your partner."
Others have told me how they got home sick, depressed, disorientated or just plain sick and had to go home. Then there are those who fell out with their companions, boyfriends of 8 years even and went their separate ways. One girl I've met even bought her ex a plane ticket home she couldn't bear to be with him any longer! There are even some who went crackers, like I think I'm doing at times. The fact is that travelling for long periods doesn't suit everyone and even those who love it and love talking about it for years afterwards, have their blacker moments. At times one can rise to the challenges faced each day and see them as character building, part of the adventure, the fun, something else to tell the grandchildren. At times, it is fantastic and I feel so lucky to be able to do this. Every day I learn something new about myself and Ric and the places we are visiting and I think that going away for more than just a short holiday is something everyone should try and do at least once. That said, there are times when it all gets a bit much.
It's seems it's as easy to lose momentum as it is to gain it, which we might well do in just a day or so. Just now though, Ric and I are feeling unmotivated by Asia, tired of being waited on and ferried about and if we're really honest a bit apathetic about this trip. We've also lost quite a few miscellaneous things recently in suspicious circumstances (that's why a lock my bag!) and spent a lot of money despite our penurious tendencies.
We don't so much argue as get in to the same conversations or niggles every day. We know each other's body language so well that usually sentences don't even need to be half said. We pre-empt the other's anxieties, frustrations, wants and needs. Ric knows only too well now when I'm lost in my own world of OCD nonsense. That's not to say we don't wind each other up at times. It's shocking how easy and natural it is to take things out on each other. Is this what marriage is like I wonder?
Our day of diving today wasn't great. In fact, it was our worst yet. The visibility was about three metres in places, which in normal speak means we hardly saw a thing, it rained, I nearly got pulled under the boat because of the current at the surface and both of us were sea-sick for most of the seven or so hours we spent on the boat as it ploughed through the choppy waters.
Enough of this moaning. Ric found a Burger King so he's happy and I have found yet another animal to adopt temporarily (see kitten pictured) and tomorrow we're outta here. I didn't want to see a Go-Go Show anyway. We're going back to Bangkok where we can purchase our visas for Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. Indonesia is also on the cards.
I took some good photos of Lion fish today too in spite of the conditions!
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