Why We Travel

So, at last, after so many fears and doubts, the day has come in which I decided to really do this: I am, in all truth, about to go on a long trip throughout India, Southeast Asia and China. The plan, as it's currently set on this October 2012, is to start it by spending 3 months in Calcutta (Kolkata), India, doing volunteer work with a focus on education for poor children and their families. After that, I'll backpack around the rest of India, Nepal, Thailand, Myanmar (formerly called Burma), Malysia, Singapore, Indonesia, the Phillipines, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, China and Mongolia, with some other destinations yet to be confirmed. The entire trip should last something between 6 months and a year.

Since the big decision day, a lot of things have changed: my shopping and local expenses have beens greatly reduced; I no longer think about buying a new car; I now worry about bizarre stuff such as the border blockades between Myanmar and Cambodia, and the average monthly temperature in Mongolia. Also, reactions from people when hearing the big news varies greatly. Some things changed for the best: all of a sudden, I became a cool person to my most adventurous and open-minded friends. I confess it's much more fun to be "the guy who's going alone to spend a year in Asia" than just another inhabitant of São Paulo's glass office cages. However, the most common reaction I've faced is a kind of puzzlement: why? And also a more personal and specific cousin of that question: why all that now, Jorge? Thus, I think it's fitting for me to stat this blog exploring these "whys" a little bit further.

For a start, I think it's important to separate these questions by nature. For the first one, it's almost a philosophical subjetc: some people simply cannot understand the very concept of undertaking such a trip. Why would anyone want to leave family, friends and career behind to jump into an unknown and potentially hostile place, face all kind of difficulties, burn a lot of money and come back with no guarantees of finding a new job and career opportunites? Why, on top of that, would anyone want to do it alone, with no relatives or close friends available to support you on hard times? To answer that, I will not spend much time: this is one of those few things in life, right besides science fiction books and concrete poetry, in which you either see a lot of value or none at all. Bootsnall, an excellent indie travel website, has published a great article on why we travel at all. According to them, we travel to explore new cultures and find a better understanding of the world. We travel to meet local people and do new things. We travel to acquire independence and to let loose. For me, personally, there is an even less elaborate and more primitive reason: we travel because the world is there, and because it's important to know what lies behind the next mountain.

Now, the question about "why all that now, Jorge?" brings a personal component to it: why does it make sense for me to do it, and do it now? On that, I have a few things to say:

Because it's part of me: since my younger days (more details in the MEET THE BUG tab) I have this strong, almost irresistible desire to see the world, to meet different cultures, languages and people, to have unexpected experiences and be amazed by the sheer richness of life. This, even more than simple wanderlust,  is to me a means for living life to the fullest.

Because there is no better time than right now: I have been postponing this dream for many years now, supposing that later I'd have better conditions to do it, with more money, stability, and without aving to "sacrifice" the beginnings of a career. However, I have seen a quote: "the worst bet of all is that in which you sacrifice your life in the hope of being able to buy it back later", and I can't agree more with it. In fact, when will it be a better time for this: after I'm married, have a couple kids, mortgage and all the like? Indeed, for an experience such as this one, it's now or never.

Because I'll get to know myself better: we all have our moments of doubt in life and carreer, in which we feel like turning it all upside down. These are opportunities ro rethink who you are and what you want to do with your lifetime. Unfortunately, a lot of people just ignores these signs (and I am guilty of doing just that for so many times) and settles for a life of half-hearted satisfaction, and sometimes one of just plain old frustration, in order to comply with their own (and society's) expectations of what it it to be successful and accomplished. To be away from our own "identity", obligations and social pressures works like a charm to make us really look within and pay attention to who we are. That way we can learn valuble lessons an discover new opportunities and paths - including professional ones - that we didn't even know were there. Ultimately, I also believe we should seek experiences that look good in our life, rather than in our resumé.

Because I will have great stories to tell my grandchildren: in this life, all we really take are the memories of all that which moved us deeply. We take the moments of daring, love and friendships, lessons learned, and the moments that take out breath away. This trip will be full of it all.

Regardless of where we are going to or what we're going to do there, what really moves our destinies are those deeper drivers, born out of the hidden caches of our personality. At this particular moment, I'm just very happy to be doing something that so profoundly expresses who I am. For you, my readers, I hope this can be as insightful a journey as I hope it will be for me!

In the coming posts there will be more information on destinations and travel preparations! =)