Canada: The Voyage Home

In my last post, I talked about the possible things that awaited me in China. I'm very excited about travelling to new places. Despite this, I'll be glad to be come home at the end of it all. Travelling the world is great, but I can't do it for extended periods of time. Here are some reasons why:

• Flag Withdrawl: It sounds cheesy, but when you are in a different place, you will realize what your flag really means. The flag represents the ideology of your country, and no two countries have exactly the same values and ideology. It's going to be especially tough for me in China because the ideologies differ by quite a bit.
  
• Lost in Translation: If you stay in one place for a long time, you will get that feeling that you are trapped in another culture. You will find that those little differences will either creep you out, entertain you, or annoy you.
• Narcolepsy: Despite good planning, you will find that you have to sleep on a night train, park bench, or airport terminal. It makes for a great story, but nothing can compare to sleeping in your own bed at home. This happened to me on the way back from Zurich, when I had to spend the night at an airport in NYC.
• Drink Malk: Everyone misses something from home. It may be a food, a product brand, or a service. It's usually something silly that you've never given much thought to before. For me, it was chinese food. Try finding a decent Chinese restaurant in Paris... it's not going to happen. Somehow, I don't think I'll have this problem in Beijing though.
• Blitzkrieg Sightseeing: I like to see everything. Chances are that I'm not coming back, so I don't want to miss anything. That means non-stop sightseeing and activities. This results in exhaustion. This happened to me in Cancun, when I honestly slept about 4 hours per day, and spent the rest of it clubbing or at the beach. It also results in a nasty cold after my vacation was over.
• Unconnected: Not having easy access to the internet and e-mail is always frustrating when travelling. While you can always find an internet cafe, it's awkward and expensive.
• Sh*t Happens: Anything can happen during a vacation. I've caught the last flight out before a hurricane. I've pushed a car out of a ditch in a snowstorm. I've thrown up on prestine coral reefs. I've been the guy they give the final warning to, over the address system, before his flight leaves without him. I've suffered from food poisoning, heat stroke, and frostbite. It makes for great stories. It builds character. But after a while, I yearn for stability, and that's when it's time to come back home.