Comments on: Are Long-Term Travelers Avoiding “Real” Life?

By: Run

Run — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 15:08:30 +0000

Running away from problems they create

By: Nora - The Professional Hobo

Nora - The Professional Hobo — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 23:59:10 +0000

Craig mentioned the article I wrote on a similar topic: a friend of mine challenged me by suggesting that full-time travel is an act of withdrawal.
Check out the results of that conversation here:
http://theprofessionalhobo.com/2009/09/is-full-time-travel-an-act-of-withdrawal/

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By: Johannes

Johannes — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:10:35 +0000

Interesting. I’m a Belgian myself, travelling in Europe for over a year now. I write a blog called Vluchtlijnen in Dutch which would literally translate as “escape lines” or “flight lines” (referring to the little stripes behind cartoon figures to indicated movement) and of course my motives (to let these movements crystallise on paper) have often been mistaken for escaping my obligation to work and to take part in that huge machinery called civilised society.
But the things is, the machinery is well-oiled. Life is easy growing up in a country as Belgium. And if i’m escaping from something, it is only this: I’m breaking out of the comfort zone, out of the protective womb that a ’society’ in reality is. I’m exposing myself to difference, that’s what I do.
And in this exposure I retrieve myself in more possible aspects than any surface of a “mirror” can show me.

To summarise: when people ask me “aren’t you escaping something?” I just smile and move to another topic. The self-confrontation of living in a context of difference is just something that one can’t imagine. And above all, it’s about finding, not about escaping.

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By: Travel India

Travel India — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:27:57 +0000

Its all depands upon the frame of mind and thinking of a person..what i think is “movement is life and and be actionless is death”

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By: aelle

aelle — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 18:55:51 +0000

Interesting article, and excellent comments.
As someone who used to run away, I can assure you that most of us escapists stay still. Straight A students, workaholics, heavy drinkers, heavy partyers, artists often do it as a means to escape something. It so turns out that those avoidance tactics are a lot more socially acceptable (at least at some stages in your life) than long term travelling. The difference really is that we’re breaking the norm.

I can be at home wherever I decide. I can feel grounded whether I’m staying put or not.

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By: Craig

Craig — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 06:37:18 +0000

I keep hearing this “running away” stuff. I think for many of us, that is absolutely NOT the case. We are running TO something. Adventure, freedom, exploring, tasting, meeting new people, seeing new cultures, etc.

I have been a nomad for 5 years now. Homeless and travelling full time. I have loved it! 76 countries so far, 77 will be next week in Portugal. What a fantastic time I have had.

But, I have decided to buy a home in Thailand. I am from the US and started this when I was 42 with an 18 month “holiday”. I am so excited about having a home again. I won’t stop traveling, but I will have a great base to recuperate and plan my next expeditions. I try not to travel to a country/region unless I can stay there a minimum of 1 month, 2-3 is preferred.

Travel is a great education. We would have less narrow minded, racist people if they traveled and saw the world through other peoples eyes. A very maturing experience.

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By: maria

maria — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 14:59:46 +0000

Who’s the judge? Who can say that “this person is traveling to run away from something and this person is not”?
And what’s running away? How about feeling stuck with a job and a life style you don’t like and not doing anything about it. But instead you’re going to the pub more than you really want to, watch TV or surf the net to much, aruge with your spouse and your kids or aquire some kind of stress induced illness (I’m not trying to blame anyone here or saying that taking responsability for your life is always easy).
And what’s taking responsability for your life? To me, it’s dealing with things that come up that’s stopping you from being in your full power, that’s hindering you from feeling alive and of being of help and support to others.As long as you’re doing this, what does it matter whare you are and what you do?
I have traveled long term with my whole family for years. Sometimes we’re on the road, sometimes we’re at our home base.
Sometimes I’m in a flow and things are easy and great, sometimes life is more challenging, both when I’m at home and when I’m traveling. Both are “easy” or “difficult” however you want to looka upon it.
You do something in some part of the world and it connects to something you do at home. Look upon your whole life/life style instead of when you’re “away” and when you’re “at home”.
To me, it’s all connected. It all IS!

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By: eg

eg — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 03:53:53 +0000

i love this website! i cant believe that i’m just discovering it.

i especially agree with the part of this article about feeling guilty about being the way we are and also that ’some people are not made to stay in one place. Something deep within calls them to roam the Earth, and no manner of guilt, skepticism or attempted coercion will persuade this person otherwise.’ that is exactly me- no matter what guilt my family employ, or pressure i put on myself- to settle down, finish school, or get a 9 to 5- it all feels meaningless- and there is always that need to roam. i am beginning to believe there is nothing wrong, and maybe even something very ‘right’ about it. we are alive.

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By: Sandy

Sandy — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 16:12:15 +0000

I really like that you pointed out that people are just jealous. when my brother graduated high school, he asked my parents for a computer. It was a practical gift. I went to Europe. The computer is now out of date, and my brother just seethes at all my memories.

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By: Christine Garvin

Christine Garvin — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 01:34:03 +0000

Great points about labels, Betsy. It is actually human nature and a function of our brain to label or put people into groups based on similar past experiences/learning. Otherwise, we’d have to assess every single person from scratch and it would take way too long (from a stay vs. fight or flight perspective) to determine who was trustworthy otherwise.

But sometimes it is good to reminded this is a part of who we are, and that we can counteract it within ourselves, so we don’t fall prey to the same thing that we get annoyed at/hurt by from others.

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