That’s an odd statement from a blog about, among other things, travel.
But I alluded to this in the past.
Traveling the way I’ve been traveling is tiring. Being on the constant move is tiring.
Just when I get to know (and maybe love) a city, I move on.
It takes about a week before I get comfortable with a new place. If I leave before that week is up there’s an underlying sense of stress.
In New Zealand, because I decided to do a bus tour, I saw 16 cities in 30 days. That is just too much. I went to more cities in NZ in 30 days than I did in the 70 days I was in Australia.
Guess where I had a more enjoyable time?
New Zealand was amazing, but incredibly stressful.
I hate stress.
I’ll go out on a limb and assume you hate stress too.
Today I’m flying to Detroit after 5 days in LA. I’ll be in the Detroit area (where I grew up) until I leave for India on Jan 28.
Although I can’t stand cold weather, I’m looking forward to having a home base for more than a few days.
What I Did Wrong In Australia/New Zealand
Squeezing 2 vast countries like Australia and New Zealand into 100 days is not possible.
When I booked my flights to Australia/New Zealand (all the way back in March) I planned on coming back to the US and laying down roots again.
A couple of months after I booked said flights I decided to sell all my stuff, live out of a backpack, and see more of the world.
Because I bought a return instead of one way ticket I was already pretty well handcuffed to the 100 day Oz/NZ trip. Yes, I could have paid flight change fees and extended the trip so I could stay in my favorite places longer, but there’s a reason I didn’t do that.
I already made December plans with my family and friends in Michigan. When I say I’m going to do something, barring unforeseen circumstances, I do it. With my upcoming plans I won’t see any of them for a long time so it all worked out perfectly and I’m looking forward to spending time with them.
How To Quit Traveling and Still See The World
When I say I’m quitting traveling, I specifically mean I’m not going to be on the move constantly anymore.
I booked a one way award flight from Detroit to Mumbai. I will probably stay in Mumbai for just a few days before heading to Goa and staying there for a month or two.
My new rule is, unless I don’t like a place, I’m staying there for at least a month.
This will give me time to acclimate to each place I visit. I’ll also be able to rent an apartment or a single guest house room.
I still fully plan on making 2-3 day side trips, but having a home base to go back to will be wonderful.
The beauty of travel…scratch that…the beauty of anything in life is that you can do it however it works for you.
For some people, not knowing where they’ll be from one second to the next is exactly what they need.
Personally, I like knowing at least a few hours (OK, days!) in advance where I’ll lay my head. :)
What is your style of travel?