This beautiful man wrote a lovely little diddy that inspired this little rant i am about to go on. I am one of the most restless souls i have ever met. I have no desire to stay in one place for too long, or do one thing for longer than necessary. I'm always anxious to be in a new place with new people and new sights smells sounds feelings etc etc. Especially with college coming up, it has made me realize that i'm always lusting to wander, to be somewhere foreign.
Alot of people in my grade are and always will be townies. Not that there is anything wrong with it, but they love Scituate/Boston, and have no intention of ever living somewhere else in their whole lives. Thats something i cannot possibly fathom. I have lived in Boston for 18 years. I love this city, but 18 years in the same place? It almost hurts me, pains me, to think that there is so much territory out there that i have not touched. My mark on the map is like a fucking grain of salt on 10,000 beaches.
I have been fortunate enough to have traveled a bit thus far in my glorious youth. Not many people can say they have been to England once and Italy three times before they were 18, and i am really grateful for that. Some of the best expierences of my life have been getting mind blowingly lost in the streets of York or getting shit on by pigeons in Rome, but its not nearly enough for me. I'm thirsty thirsty thirsty for more culture. I cant get enough of it.
I want to have tea with this man and hear about his life and understand the look in his eyes
I want to wipe this fucking adorable babies little nose and then give them some candy to keep that smile on their faces
I want to make music with Gypsies
and not wear shoes and drink vodka with russians and go clubbing with eurotrash and feed the hungry and nurse the sick and get lost in some other culture and pay for things in euros and eat lots of foreign food and always be on a plane and never be in the same place for too long and go where nobody knows my name but make them remember it and make wine in the italian countryside and smoke cigarettes in paris even though i dont smoke and meet people and just go i really really really just want to go.
ME TOO LIVY!! (Also, I looooove Gogol Bordello - Start Wearing Purple is one of my ringtones) but K.Tighe and I both seem to have been bitten with that "there is a big world to live in" bug and not just travel to, but to live in and to experience. I have no use for resorts and all-inclusive tourist packages (well, maybe not no use, if someone handed me one, I wouldn't say no) but it brings up an interesting thing I've come across in that the word "tourist" has acquired such a negative connotation amongst people who consider themselves travelers in that it conjurs up images of fanny packs, tevas with socks, overpriced entrance fees and honeymooners from Minnesota. If you can figure out a good way to do that experiencing of the world, let me know. Katy has some good ideas (and is clearly implementing them) but they don't fit me quite as well. Let's be Wonderlust Queens my little cousin shaped soulmate.
ReplyDeleteI travel the way I do because I don't have money (honestly. No money), and I am very career-oriented. I don't know how free-spirited adventurers fund what they do but...
ReplyDeleteBut if you're interested, then my big idea is: Apply for EVERY OPPORTUNITY, starting now.
First, www.globallearninginternational.org. Keep this in mind for next year, when you're in college.
Also, I have a good book called "Volunteer Vacations." It lists hundreds of programs around the world willing to host volunteers, (orphanages in Cambodia, Nature preserves in Kenya, Sailboats in Sweden). Lots of opportunities to fit a students schedule. (Bailey, could you see if it's on the bookshelf in the blue bedroom? Otherwise, you can get it at Borders)
And then make the MOST out of these experiences. Make friends. Drink vodka, Be barefoot, Give babies candy.
But don't just live it, make sure you have something to show for it. Learn the language. Write something worth sharing. Take photos like this (http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/photo.php?pid=258709&id=1048782792&ref=mf), Perform a service. Make a documentary. With the hope that maybe someday someone will PAY YOU to go awesome places and do awesome things.
Also (for long term planning) NYU's Tisch School for the Arts has a campus in Singapore. I'm on their mailing list. IN case you are still into film five years from now.
One last thing: if you go to Paris, you should smoke a cigarette. Just one.
k and b tighe you are my soul mates. Bailey i can think of no other person i would rather go traveling with and katy thank you for that input i really like what you said "But don't just live it, make sure you have something to show for it. Learn the language. Write something worth sharing," you are so right about that. Sometime before we are old and saggy, or maybe when we are old and saggy but not too old, we should all go on a trip.
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