Lessons learned in the five years traveling the world

Five years ago I broke up with a girl. Shortly after that I ended the contract for renting an apartment, and I'm sold their possessions, packed some belongings into boxes and sent to his mother's house. Then he packed his bags and set off on a long journey around the world. On my bank account did not have thousands of dollars.

The first stop on my way to Paris began. At that time I was still very upset about the break-up with his girlfriend and led a small business through the Internet, which has brought a modest income. I wandered through the streets of Paris, hardly noticing the beauty around me.

However, little by little, I came back to normal. Life went on. I went to Belgium, then went to the Netherlands, traveled the whole of Germany, and reached Prague. From there, I went back home, but a few months later set off on a new journey - to South America. Then I visited the South-East Asia, Australia, Central America, Eastern Europe and South America again.

< What you will learn and see stays with you for life. < br>
For five years, I have visited 55 countries, bought dozens of new friends, talked with hundreds of amazing people along the way and even learned passable explained on a pair of new languages. I'm not going to assure you that I "found himself" during his travels, and does not intend to write here any inspirational words.

Long journey through the world as any other way of life that a person chooses, has its own advantages and disadvantages. These five years of wandering were the most difficult and the most worthwhile in my life. I am glad that I have this experience for anything no matter what he had not been traded.

In the first place, because during the trip, I learned a lot and learned a lot. And sometimes it was quite unexpected things. Some of the lessons I have received during the periods when he was totally not ready for them. Sometimes I opened the truth, I did not want to know. These lessons and that knowledge can not be returned back. There are things that can not be "razvidet," as would be desirable.

But be that as it may, the more I learned, the older and more experienced getting. That's the main thing I learned during these five years of traveling:

Happiness - the concept of a universal, as opposed to human dignity

In most "safe" countries, there is a stereotype of travelers: a student from a wealthy family goes to some third world country, where he sees a poor, half-naked children happily playing in the dirt and dust sticks and broken toys. Then it descends insight that one can be happy in this world and not being able at any moment to enjoy an exquisite meal from a nearby restaurant.

Suddenly it turns out that a person has a fairly flexible ability to be happy. Psychological studies suggest that people quickly adapt to any situation and find joy in most situations, regardless of culture, wealth or political situation.

So, after my personal journey "strip of happiness" has decreased. When in 2009 I moved to Boston, the coveted pleasures: parties, meetings with interesting people, crazy adventures ... But over the years things have changed

. I do not mean I was going to "keep up with life." Be happy, enjoy life - it's important. But it can be done in almost any situation, as soon as the mind adjust to them. You can be happy in the slums and in the palace, on the beach, in the mountains, in the desert.

But what is really a rarity - it is human dignity. To a man should not apply as a dumb animal - use it, ignore it needs to betray, beat, maim or suppress. No matter how happy children playing in the mud with old water pipes and broken toys, still it should not be.

Meanwhile, the people of Western culture too fixated on the fact that life was comfortable and happy all the time, but in the world there are things much more important and interesting than personal happiness and pleasure. After returning, I began to pay more attention to the injustice occurring not only in the world in general, but also very close, next door. What I had not noticed.

And, oddly enough, this understanding has helped me to be happier. When such values ​​as dialogue, human intimacy, self-expression, sincerity came to me to the fore, then it turned out that happiness and satisfaction is their "side effect».

< World Travel enable wider see the world, but it limits the ability to become attached to anything concrete

Travel allows to look at the beauty of the world "from a height." No, I do not mean out of the plane.

I mean, you start to see the effects of this world more broadly, more three-dimensional. Different cultures are mixed in mind, superimposed on one another. You begin to realize how different the course of history destroyed or strengthened social structure of individual countries.

Suddenly, what you thought was unique and peculiar only to your home country, is universal, and what you thought universal and self-evident, in fact, very specific.

You realize that the needs and desires of all people on the planet are almost identical, they all fall into the same trap and suffer from similar misfortunes.

You realize that no matter how much you learned about the world, it will always be a drop in the ocean. In each new stunning location you learn more about the ten that would be worth visiting, too.

You realize that you can never visit all these places. Because the more you wander the globe, the less new places for you mean, the less their meaning and joy.

Sooner or later, you realize that you need to limit yourself. And not only in a geographical sense, but also emotionally. Because in order to experience some experience deep enough to stop and make an informed choice.

< The biggest advantage of the country's culture is usually the biggest of its lack

In 1965, a small island Singapore gained independence. A poor country with a small population of illiterate and without resources. Singapore leaders understood that to survive they need to act quickly and find a way to turn a tiny island in an important part of the global community.

From the beginning, the new government began with an almost maniacal persistence to develop education, trade and the financial sector, cultivating national idea around of rapid economic growth. The capital was built from the eye, to attract foreign investors, bankers, and development of international trade. It was a sort of Disneyland for wealthy foreigners - a paradise, where they were drawn like a magnet, with all their money.

Today, Singapore - one of the richest countries in the world. The country is, in principle, to cope with crime and poverty. When I get there, it seems to me that I am in the perfect future.

However, for the veneer hiding a void. This country clearly lacks soul. Everything is created with one goal - to make a profit. There is no history, no identity, deeper human values, a deep respect for the man - nothing outside the financial viability and efficiency

. Ironically, the most impressive advantage of Singapore is the most depressing drawback. The country was so obsessed with the need to finance, in pursuit of her own cultural identity lost.

Another striking example - Brazil

. Brazilians are very proud of their jeito brasileiro - «Brazilian way." The idea is to "cut corners" and find the easiest way to success, to devote more time to a pleasant pastime: playing football on the beach, sipping cocktails on the waterfront, chat with friends ...

It is this way of life of Brazilians so fascinates foreigners in this country - no other people can not be so fun, nowhere is there such a colorful carnival

. However, this most "Brazilian way" has a downside - a mess. Nothing here works the way it should be. The government is corrupt without exception, and the infrastructure is stuck at the level of the 1970s. This is the best, and the worst that there is in Brazil.

Much the same can be said of Japanese politeness, and German accuracy, and about American consumerism and so

Most people on the planet do not care what you say and what you do -. And it's good

When you live a sedentary life - every day wake up in the same bed, drink coffee at the same cafe, leads the usual conversations with co-workers, each day greeted with the same neighbors and dine in the same restaurants, it seems that every detail is important.

And if your wife arranged for you to jealousy scene in a local bakery, then you most likely do not want to go there soon. If you do or say something stupid in the sight of the familiar, something else will be a long time to worry about it.

However, when you travel, you find yourself in a stupid situation constantly - that because of the language barrier, you order at the restaurant something inedible, then do something indecent by local standards

. And best of all, that very quickly you realize that all naplavatsya. Absolutely.

< The vast majority of people most of the time is not up to you any business.

Once in Thailand, for example, I took a taxi and the driver halfway discussing with a friend on the phone. And then it turned out that the driver speaks English very well and understood everything I said. Arriving at the address, he turned to me and with a distinct American accent began to explain why he moved to Thailand and why I should be more patient.

All sorts of embarrassing was a lot. There are such that it seems impossible to live after that. But during my travels, I realized that even the worst situation - is not end of the world. Life goes on.

We do not have someone to please, someone please or impress someone. In most cases, an unpleasant situation - it's just a picture, we've created in your head

The more you travel, the less I understand myself

. in the "Search of Itself" Many people go on a trip. But really, it's just a cliche that sounds profound and personal, in fact, does not mean.

I think that when a person says, that he was going "to look for yourself," he means that he wants to wrest itself from familiar surroundings, to get rid of the main external influences (boss, mother, friend), to be in a neutral environment to check what surprises he will present himself and to rethink his life at home.

That is, in such "searches of" people trying to figure out whether he likes himself, and if he liked the life that he leads at home.

The problem is that the travel - is not only relief from the effects of the remaining home. During the journey you will inevitably fall under the other external influence.

The man who walks on the beach in Cuba - this is not the same person that was sitting in his office in his country. The man who travels the roads of Eastern Europe-not quite the same, congratulations on the anniversary of his beloved grandmother.

The external environment is changing dramatically, the less you know who you really are because you become nothing to compare. When you frequently move from place to place, you are constantly in a state far from your

«standards». If you feel sad, it is difficult to understand why this occurs: whether you are homesick, or worried about the failure of the latest project at work, or you are so hard to communicate with people whose language you do not know. Maybe you were in a depression for many months and only now been able to realize it.

Or, for your sadness, there are many reasons. You do not know. You can not know.

And instead of to open itself you start a doubt.

You can go to Paris and fall in love with him. Or you can go back through the years and hate this city. During one trip to the resort, you can enjoy the sea and the beach, and next time - to die of boredom there. And wonder why this happens.

What changed? Setting or yourself?

During the long journey you will eventually begin to doubt everything that you know and who you really are.

But it's a good thing.

Because uncertainty creates skepticism brings openness and the ability to not judge anyone.

At some point, you stop asking questions and just start enjoying the sounds of the sea and the wind. You stop trying to "understand the essence of things", and immersed in the love that gives you peace.

And keep moving forward.

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