Angela Killian

When I was in college I hated being around “that guy” at dinner parties. You know, the one who has been everywhere and can’t get through a single meal without boasting about becoming a yoga master in Nepal, or the time he saw the Cherry Blossoms in Kyoto, or the time he fed a Cobra with his bare hands. That guy. Everyone hates that guy.

In college I hated hearing about other people’s travels because I was so insanely unexplainably jealous and just knew I would never have the opportunity for those experiences. #1 my parents are not wealthy #2 all the money I earned went towards rent and gas #3 none of my friends had enough money to go with me #4 I would certainly never travel alone.

Before I moved to Thailand, I procrastinated buying my ticket until the last minute. What if there is an emergency and I need the money for something else? What if I can’t afford wine this week? What if I need to change the travel dates? What if.

Joe capriciously bought his ticket before dinner one night without blinking. Dammit, now I really had to buy mine. Otherwise he would go without me! Finally, I put it on my credit card and paid it in full when I got my next paycheck. Best. Feeling. Ever. If you don’t MAKE it happen, you will always put it off.

Aside from booking tickets and choosing travel buddies, there are more problems ahead. #1 addiction. Eventually you get used to being a vagabond and you can’t stay in one place for too long without leaving the country. #2 aversion to belongings. This follows number one. Because you now feel antsy to be “trapped” in one place, you have to stay mobile. Let me tell you, if  / when shit hits the fan, Joe and I can load our backpacks and be at the airport in 30 minutes. Don’t get me wrong, I buy stuff and like nice things, but detachment is key. #3 alienation. Your family will never understand your lifestyle. When are you moving “home”? Why would I go to Thailand when I can go to Mexico? Don’t you miss America?

I have no plans of moving “home” anytime soon, Thailand is a totally different experience from Mexico and of course I miss certain aspects of America.  Everyone promises they will visit, but will never actually follow through. I’ve come to expect that. though. Some people “just don’t travel.”

The worst part is when you actually have the chance to go home for a visit. You miss your family, friends, cleanliness, beauty products and decent Mexican food, but you are NOT looking forward to the 30+ hour journey to a place you have lived your whole life. Upon arrival, first thing’s first: HOARDING, everything you can’t get where you are living. You look forward to all the endless shopping so you can finally have all the razors, make-up and tampons that your heart desires. This is not as satisfying as you thought, but that doesn’t stop you from stuffing your suitcase with instant macaroni and cheese and Ken’s honey mustard.

At family dinner everyone wants to know about your experience overseas…for 30 minutes. After that, your allotted time is finished and you have now become “that guy”. The trouble with traveling is…it becomes part of you, it changes you, opens your mind, you see the world differently. Once you start to travel, you cannot “turn it off”. You are not boasting, you are sharing because you want your friends and family to love and appreciate all the things you’ve seen / done. Unless your audience has traveled, they will never understand. Joe and I often joke that we cannot have “normal conversations” anymore, they are overflowing with innuendos, slang and inside jokes from travels. People who hate you for being “that guy” are only jealous because they are afraid they cannot do what you are doing, but we all know that EVERYONE can travel if it is a priority.

At what point do you decide to follow your dreams no matter what? It seems to me that people these days wait until it’s time to tick items off the bucket list to really “live” life.

When I was 16 an elder woman came into the clothing store I worked at. She told me that there were 3 things a lady should never leave the house without…1- hand lotion 2- lipstick…and 3- a toothbrush…because you never know what life will throw at you and we must be prepared to leave at any moment.