Answer: International travel is not any more dangerous than living in USA
Traveling is not so hard or dangerous. So quell the fears of your family
by doing it! After a couple of weeks out you will realize that it is far
more difficult and stressful doing anything in the sedentary world than it
is to travel. Honesty, you have nothing to worry about. The world is safe
for those who acknowledge their personal well being.
Traveling sounds like something that you need to do. There is absolutely
nothing to loose, remember that. If you do not like a place that you are in
you can always leave; if you do not feel like traveling anymore you can
always return to the shoes that you are standing in right now.
The only fear that I have in travel is driving in the USA. If you are brave
enough to drive a car in and out of big cities during rush hour then you
have the gumption to travel anywhere in this world
Just learn to be calm in yourself, look people in the eye, and know that you
live where your feet land. Just be comfortable, walk slow, drink tea, smoke
a pipe, love and admire landscapes and you will be alright.
I think you need to do this. Do not give it a second thought. You were
blessed with the intuition - the feeling - to buy a one way ticket across
the world with determination to move across it and see for yourself what
others can only know from textbooks.
Appreciate, but do not worry about the warnings of you family and friends.
It sounds as if you are well loved haha. The world is safe for the traveler.
TV news and NGOs make their money off of showing the world as a scary place.
It isn't. Out of the 40 or so countries that I have traveled in I will say
that there are only two that I would deem to be a little unsecure: Costa
Rica (rampant crime and no police initiative to curb it - a new phenomenon)
and the USA (the most unsafe country in the world from my experiences).
Outside of these two countries I say no worries and enjoy your footsteps.
I think that people cannot understand what they do not experience for
themselves. You could probably explain your motivation to travel to your
parents and friends till you tongue rots off and I do not believe that they
could really understand. Perhaps they could empathize, but maybe could not
understand the inner motives that drive you out of a safe and secure home to
journey off to foreign lands. Don't worry about it, I think this is normal.
The Wanderlust either calls you or it does not. There is no explaining it.
Just smile, nod your head, and know that you will be chasing horizons in a
few weeks time - living wild adventures and even wilder dreams.
Take what comes and only cross bridges when you come to them.
And always remember that adventure only happens when things go wrong. Don't
be too safe or you will not have any stories to tell me!
Above all, follow Andy's prime directive of travel: have fun.
It is a big, big world out there and it is made just for you. Seek it, find
it, learn about it and yourself, find romance, uncover faults, and discover,
discover, always discover!
I say pack a good translation of the Tao Te Jing into your rucksack and head
out on the Open Road. You will not regret it.
I am just sitting in a little cafe mindfully drinking beer and listening to
Bryan Adams playing of the radio. It is funny how nostalgic I feel right now
hahaha. Other than this I am just having a good ol' time riding my bicycle
around a really big lake in Hungary. I just go wherever I want to, stop
where I choose, swim, and sleep when I get tired. Not bad, I am really happy
today. I have been reading a lot and enjoying these few moments before I
will be lock within a city, busy with things to do. I think that it has been
a full three days since I have talked to my last person hahaha.
I respect the fact that you say that you are going to walk for parts of your
journey. I think that this is the best way to travel Europe - either walking
or riding a bicycle. When I was working in hostels I would listen to the
guest talk about their travels and they seem a little on the boring - nay,
usual - side to me. They just pick a town, buy a ticket, get off the bus, go
to a museum, eat a meal, maybe get drunk, and then pick the next town. They
really do not have much to talk about, I think. It was rare that I heard a
story of real good life changing trials or tribulation - yarns of travel
adventure. But I suppose that is not what they are looking for. So, I say,
if you want to travel Europe stick to walking, biking, or hitch-hiking, as
at least you will be challenged daily and your stories will be the ones that
you can share for the rest of your life. . . . . the kind of stories that
you read about.
It makes me smile big to think that you are going to pick a road and walk it
out. Ireland will be good for this. I did a stint working as a gardener in
county Cork one spring and it was a truly beautiful time.
You will be alright.
I would love to meet up with you in New York for that hot dog. I also
appreciate your letters and do not think that you are odd for sending them.
I understand.
I should be flying into JFK on the evening of August 27th and will start
school on September 3rd.
Walk Slow,
Wade
Question: Is Travel Safe or Dangerous?I leave for Europe in
just a few weeks and every day that slips by leaves me more and more
terrified.
My mother is trying very hard to be supportive, but doesn't
understand why her "baby" is going so far away. She seems to think I'm
trying to run away from her and my Father, which is not the case. My
Father disapproves of the whole thing. He thinks I'm being wreckless and
stupid. He doesn't like sleeping outdoors, or anything that doesn't have
room service included. He thinks have to wash your hair without
conditioner is "ruffing it." My boyfriend has been supportive in the
face of my parents, but cannot comprehend why I would want to go without
him. And, all my friends say, "aren't you being a bit hasty? Isn't that
too dangerous?" But all I've ever wanted to do is walk. Ireland was the
place I first wanted to go to when I was 12, so I figured Europe was the
place to start. The more I read, see, and study, though, the more of the
world I find myself yearning for. I just want to walk. I've spent years
of my life just staring out the window, wanting to open the door, put on
a coat, and just...go. So I am. But with every day my departure
draws nearer, the thought in mind of "what the fuck are you doing" gets
bigger and bigger. I don't camp. I'm nervous around people I don't know.
I have very little money and only a handful of contacts and I want to
wander for a coouple of years???! And no one seems to think it's a good
idea, except the handful of people who only talk to me with bitterness
now, saying, "well, I would do that, if only I didn't have a..."
So, I guess, in exasperation and desperation, I'm turning to a
stranger. You and Mira, and the 6 or 7 other people who's journey's I
have been following over the last few months are inspiring. They help to
quell the feelings that I'm makeing the biggest mistake of my life. I
just...I know these are probably the wierdest 2 e-mails you will ever
get, but I just... I don't even know what I'm asking for. Advice, I
guess. Something? I don't know.
Thanks for your time, and I hope the road leads you to many more
adventures and ever increasing happiness, and know that China will be
waiting for you at the end, hopefully with open arms.
Thanks for listening, and thanks for writing.
Sincerely,
~ Genevieve
Travel is not Dangerous