The Value of Travel

It's been said that those who travel will change the world.  Actually, wait.... no one ever said that (or at least not to my knowledge, anyway).  But I suppose it's still true in some sense.

And this is sure: travel will definitely change you.

I've had the opportunity of traveling to many different countries throughout my lifetime.  I spent the last four years living in Mainland China and currently reside in Hong Kong.  After finding so much value in my experience abroad, I stayed.

 

Here are two posts I wrote regarding my time in the Mainland.  They are separated by four years of time and are each special for different reasons. The first speaks of initial impressions and the latter of personal reflections.

Adventures In China // Whispers From China

When it comes to travel, people usually tell me why they don't do it... the most popular reason being finances.  But in my experience, there are ways to travel cheap (even when it comes to flights).  For example, I once traveled from China to the Philippines for a dollar and only paid the tax ($60.00USD).  Another time, I traveled from America to China for only $350.00USD.

I promise you that good deals are available to you as well!

 

And yes, airfare will probably be the most costly part of your trip.   But you can't afford to let money keep you from the invaluable experience of exploration.  Simply, look for ways to save and start saving for a trip now.  Or do what I did and move to a country of interest.

My employer paid for my airfare! (and much more)

Here's something I quickly realized about Asia... once you're here, it's much, much cheaper to travel between countries.  So if you want to see a lot in a short time, come to Asia.  During my time in China, I visited 3-4 countries every winter.  And for two months of travel time, I always spent between $1,500-$2,000USD.

It's a sad thing when finances come between a person

and the potential of a great adventure!  

Here's why...

Throughout my journeys, I've learned so much about different cultures and the people within them.  I've eaten some of the best foods I've ever tasted.  I've had some of the most meaningful conversations on breezy beach-fronts and warmly lit patios.  I've discovered how much I enjoy overnight bus rides and getting all snuggled into the little bed-seat-things.  I've swam in some of the clearest of waters I've ever seen.  I've witnessed joy on the faces of those living in devastating poverty.  I've slept in crazy degrees of heat and soaking wet on cold mountain tops.  I've seen rampant prostitution and the foreigners who pay for it.  And I was even in a motorcycle accident once...

(Sorry about that, Sunneye!)

I've met people who saved lives during Typhoon Yolanda and saw the mass graves it left behind.  I've created musical compositions on wavy boats rides with luggage and passengers falling into the aisles.  I once chased an octopus through the ocean and witnessed it transform instantly in color from sandy-brown to black.

I've made some new friends like Sönke, here.

After arriving home from a trip to Haiti, I laid on my bed and began to sob uncontrollably.  It was overwhelming to think about the tin shacks my new found friends were sleeping compared to what I had.  In that moment, if I could've switched places with even one of them, I actually would have instantly.  The desire passed through my mind as the tears continued to come.  I did my best to embrace the moment and allowed it to sink in.

For me, it was a way of not letting their difficulties go on forgotten.

I remember being in the capital city of Cambodia during the funeral of their king.  We found ourselves outside his palace as masses of locals meandered through the streets.  Another time, I caught a fish right from the ocean with my bare hand and, in an attempt to surprise a friend, swallowed it whole right in front of her (it worked).  I feasted upon a Stone Fish once as well, which is the most venomous fish known to man.  And then there was the time I clung to the shell of a giant sea turtle and together, we descended downward into the sea.  One time, I even stood face-to-face with a bear in the wild.  It was on its hind legs looking at me and then suddenly began to storm through the brush.  I honesty thought it was coming for me and began to fumble over my bear-spray.

(I quickly learned that you gotta have that kind of thing ready!)

I've repelled down waterfalls.  I've explored giant caves.  I was once in a semi-dangerous kayaking situation in the ocean with waves and rocks and jellyfish all around.  Another time, a monkey jumped onto my back and I wasn't sure if I should try getting it off or not (I didn't).  During an intense rafting trip through the Indonesian jungle, a crazy storm suddenly broke out with a torrential downpour of rain.  Lightening began to shoot all around us and the thunder was so powerful you could feel it.

After Hurricane Katrina had struck in '05, I joined up with a team in an effort to bring relief to the survivors.  I remember wandering off one day and found the sea.  I stood at its shoreline.  It was so quiet that it became eerie.  There were no birds in the sky or rustling winds; no children at play or signs of life.  A gloomy darkness had settled in on the horizon as the tides seemed to ebb and flow with sadness.  As I observed the movement of the water, I thought of those who'd been swept out to sea, never to be seen again.  I wanted to feel their terror.  I wanted to know the pain their loved ones felt.  I wanted them to be free.

I suppose, really, I just didn't want it all to have been for nothing.

Shoes and other belongings were scattered up and down the shoreline as well.  I considered the lives that once interacted with them and it all seemed so temporal.  My eyes began to wander to and fro along the once happy beachfront and were soon fell on something else entirely.  There at my feet was a bone nestled into the sand.  It was out of place much like everything around it, and alone.

Was it human? I wondered.  Was it from someone's supper the eve of the disaster?  Or was it just a dog-bone from the local pet-shop, on sale for a $1.99 and then... not?  I would never know.

All I knew was that the shoreline was now its new home.

I could go on and on with stories like this, but here's what I'm getting at...

You really don't know what you're going to encounter as you venture into the unknown.
But the journey is full of wildly wonderful potential and could change your life.

And lastly, I wanted to share a secret with you...
something I've learned in all of my travels.

If you travel solely for the sake of travel - for what you can get out of it - you'll most likely return home feeling tired and maybe even a little disappointed.  But if you can shift the focus of your journey and care for others along the way, you'll return feeling refreshed and rejuvenated.  It's funny how that works!

So what are you waiting for?

Go and experience it for yourself!

But before you do, check out this video first.

Some friends and I traveled throughout Vietnam and this is what happened!

My Stamps

Israel, Jamaica, Thailand, Singapore, Haiti, Korea, Puerto Rico, Philippines, Mexico, Malaysia, Vietnam, Canada, Hong Kong, Macau, The Bahamas, Cambodia, Tibet, Indonesia, China.

More to read... 

A Discovery In China // Distant Lands

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I Can Do That In My Sleep: The Dog-Man

If we equated sleepwalking to acting, I'd be one of the most versatile sleepwalkers there ever was.  This next story demonstrates the vastness of my far-reaching abilities.

Denzel ain't got nothin' on me.

T H E  D O G  M A N

After the Gummy Bear story (click here if you haven't read it yet), it didn't take long for news of my sleepwalking to circulate among the community in Colorado.  The stories were funny and they were fun to tell.  But while they were growing in number, very few of them captured an audiences attention like this next one.

We were running a youth camp in the mountains and slept a hundred or so people in two giant tents.  One was a circus tent and the other was for weddings. (And no, there was no special symbolism between the tents and our camp... I don't think.  Actually, wait until the story's over and decide for yourself.)

I ended up in the circus tent.

Separating the guys and the girls, we packed in about fifty people into each tent.  And at night with everyone asleep, it was quite challenging maneuvering around all of the bodies and bags and cots and shoes and phones and whatever else high school students packed around.  There wasn't much of an order to where people slept or how they positioned themselves.

(Okay, maybe the guys tent was a bit circus-like.)

So if you needed to use the restroom or something, it wasn't at all easy getting around everyone without either hurting them or tripping over their stuff (and then hurting them).

And that was with a flashlight in hand!

But none of that mattered now.  Night had fallen and my performance for Best Sleepwalker was well underway.  This was the night I'd take home the gold.  The stage was set.  I straightened out my tie and gave my jacket a good tug.

I was ready to leave my mark.

Opening my eyes, I stood to my feet.  And for the effect of it all, and to leave the best, possible impression on the judges, I left my flashlight behind.  I would go it alone.  So there I was, gazing out over a dark, chaotic sea of body parts and disorganization.  But I wasn't sure just yet what I should do.  And that was when my eyes found the one person in the tent who could secure my running for Best Sleepwalker...

The leader of the camp, Stan Pawkins.

The only problem was, he was at the other end of the tent!  And that meant that everyone was now at the mercy of a sleepwalker - a professional sleepwalker, but still.  I soon found myself stepping over faces and nearly crushing electronics.  I tip-toed over this and inched around that.  And like a pro, I neither tripped over cable or sleeping bag, backpack or the occasional wandering arm.  It was flawless.  And let me just say this...

Nothing could stop what was coming.

As I neared Stan's cot, I cleared my throat and tried out a few of the animal sounds I knew.  For whatever reason, it seemed like a good direction to take the performance.  I wasn't quite sure which one to use, but since I was good at thinking on my feet, I figured it didn't matter.  And you should know, I've always had a thing for animal noises... and my chimpanzee isn't all that bad!  But a hollering monkey seemed a bit dramatic for this event.  I needed something a bit more likeable.

Like this little guy...

So I found Stan's cot and knelt down beside his sleeping body.  At first, I just watched him for a bit, staring into his restful face.  He slept like a baby.  I can't recall how long this went on for, but I'm sure I took my time.  Next, I positioned my face near his and, opening my mouth, sort of just went with the moment.  The next thing I knew, I was making dog noises into his ear!  And since everything was riding on this moment, I really gave it my all, panting away like a thirsty Old Yeller.  It was beautiful.

I had never felt so alive.

Awaiting my 'that a boy!' or, at the very least, a nice pat on the head, I panted on like there was no tomorrow.  But then I realized something... Stan didn't like dogs.  He just sort of freaked out and got intense with me!  But I didn't allow this to discourage the performance.  Best Sleepwalker was still on the line and I used this to my advantage.

I stopped panting and put my tail between my legs.  Slowly rising to my feet, I walked away like the saddest creature in the world.  I figured I'd at least show off my crazy sleepwalking-over-people skills (and maybe make him feel bad... or jealous).  Before his very eyes, I traversed once more over the sea of bodies, climbed back into my sleeping bag, and continued sleeping.

And my noteworthy performance was over.

The next morning, I was left wondering what might've happened had
Stan and I slept in the wedding tent...

I guess we'll never know.

Quick Bonus Story: On another occasion, Stan and I - and a few others - were staying at his sisters house in Missouri.  I was on the floor next to Stan and he was in the bed above me.  Someone else was in the bed with him and the other two were on the floor as well.  Well, not long after I had fallen asleep, I guess I sort of flipped up from my back and onto all fours and was staring at Stan from the bedside.  It really freaked him out and he and the other guy weren't sure what might happen next.  But thankfully for them, nothing else transpired and I soon laid back down!

<Sleepwalking Adventure #4 
<Sleepwalking Adventure #1

Mystery Post!

 

Note: A "Mystery Post" is a post selected totally at random.  There's a lot to explore on this blog & this is a fun way to do it!  Enjoy!

 

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