The other day, I met up with an old friend from my days at Chiba University that I hadn't seen in something like 6-7 years. He was the one that first introduced me to the world of capoeira, and I am eternally thankful for that. Catching up after all that time was great; hopefully we'll get the chance to meet up again next year in Brazil as well.
Having been on an extended trip himself, he had a few interesting things to say when the conversation shifted to our trip. He mentioned how traveling changes your priorities in life—something that I'm already experiencing somewhat in getting rid of most of our worldly possessions before setting off.
Many of the things we consider essential to modern life—cars, cell phones, internet access—are really just conveniences. Giving up certain conveniences can be hard, but a simpler life can make for a less stressful one. I can imagine that there are some luxuries that I'll happily welcome back into my life after the trip, but going without certain things for a year offers a chance to re-evaluate how important they really are.
There's also the external influence from the people we'll see along the way, both other travelers and locals. With destinations like Nepal and Zambia on our list, we're bound to see plenty of poverty.
The thing is though, plenty of these poor people are happy—sometimes even happier than the rich. In Egypt, we met one guy that lived in a house with no roof, but he couldn't have been happier. He had his family, friends, and a few donkeys, and that's all he needed. Money does not equal happiness.
I don't plan on foregoing electricity or a roof over my head any time soon, but my travels thus far have already pointed out some of the basic things we take for granted in rich countries. I could see some aspects of the simple life rubbing off on my lifestyle after a year.
Living abroad for seven years now has definitely changed my view of the world already. I look forward to seeing how the next year will affect things.
How has traveling affected your view of things? What kind of things had the biggest impact?
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