Comments on: Lonely Planet destroyed my life

By: Mikey

Mikey — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 02:45:46 +0000

It’s hard to come back initially because travel brings you a lot of pleasure. It’s a drug, like cocaine, once you are hooked you want to experience more and more of it. You spend a year traveling and you are so used to experiencing new things, new sights, new people, new adventures, new pleasures. Then you come back home and after the initial buzz of telling people of your travels(if you still know someone back home), starting work and settling down you realize that it gets very repetative. Wake up every morning at the same time, do repetitive tasks at work, come home to watch tv or do something meaningless and go back to bed.

It’s human nature to be constantly looking for the next high, it’s why divorce rates are so high because people are not meant to spend their whole lives doing the same things. I havn’t even traveled much in life and I think every day life is boring, what’s going to happen after my rtw trip?

By: Lonely Bedsit

Lonely Bedsit — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 18:11:04 +0000

I’m reminded of a quote from Seneca – “do not run hither and thither and distract yourself by changing your abode; for such restlessness is the sign of a disordered spirit. The primary indication, to my thinking, of a well-ordered mind is a man’s ability to remain in one place and linger in his own company … To be everywhere is to be nowhere. When a person spends all his time in foreign travel, he ends by having many acquaintances, but no friends.”

Why the need to go so far? Another quote that touches on the same subject – “A man who is tired of London is tired of life.” Have you explored your own country? Your own city, your own street?

A visit to Machu Pichu is as foreign to most Peruvians as it is to anyone reading this.

If your friends lead dull and uninteresting lives, how much duller are their lives without someone such as yourself who has the spirit for adventure?

And why are the destinations for these travels consistently in the poorer countries? Why go to Laos rather than Las Vegas? Do you think Laotians live in a world without crappy leaders, humdrum jobs and predatory businessmen? I suspect it’s not because Laotians enjoy a superior society but simply because it’s dirt cheap, and yet the writer complains about “making a fuss over capitalist values”, the same values that afford him the opportunity to partake of the riches of a poor country.

I don’t want to give the impression that I think backpacking is devoid of any merit, clearly there’s much to be enjoyed, but shouldn’t there be a balance in striving to create a contented existence in a stable environment you don’t feel the pressure to ‘escape’ from?

By: Jean

Jean — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 12:45:50 +0000

I would like to hear some input if people think this is a healthy lifestyle? I am recently back home from a year abroad and feeling exactly how this article describes. Is it normal? or are we avoiding something? or are we just doing what makes us happy?

By: Jeremy

Jeremy — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 08:04:59 +0000

I realy agree with the feelings in this article. The getting away from all the pointless shit back home and just going out there and enjoying your life. That said, I think people with boring lives who would rather spend their time working to buy the latest pointless things can be found everywhere, even in these poorer countries. I guess the point is taht you need to del with these people wherever you go. that said, I do agree taht your own home country is always for us travellers) something to get away from!

By: Meg

Meg — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 06:35:07 +0000

When I was laid off from my structured job, I began my addition to travel. Since then I’ve traveled nearly every month for the past three years and have flown more than 100,000 miles. I love it, but it’s true, it’s hard to maintain a life back home while traveling.

By: Rob King

Rob King — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 18:00:52 +0000

I had to laugh, this was perfect and so happened to me also. It was the damn guidebooks fault!

Sadly but true is the perceptions when you get home an how nothing has changed, you are changed and have to leave again…

I went from Canada and have gone through 30 countries… how spot on this was I just had to drop a line!

Cheers!
Rob

By: Julia

Julia — Tue, 24 May 2011 20:33:47 +0000

I gotta link to this… it is too close to home not to!

By: St3ll4

St3ll4 — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 12:43:43 +0000

Thank you so much for the translation!

By: factory coach outlet

factory coach outlet — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 12:53:26 +0000

Pretty good post. I just came upon your blog and wanted to say that I have really enjoyed reading your blog posts.

By: Serf

Serf — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 09:58:52 +0000

Very interesting topics on this article but I do hope that all of you have asked yourselves why this neccesity to do the “lonely planet” travels….I read here about people wanting to be volunteers and so on on so they can travel..I mean most lonely planet travelers are middle class to rich white kids(or european/australian/american etc) taking a break from their “real” lives!So what do they do well go to a really cheap 3rd world country enjoy all the beauty on offer take “exotic” pictures of little street kids and think they are so cute etc etc…alot of examples of this but anyway oh and then they re so happy because they are having an authentic experience where the people are all smiling and really nice to them….Ever wonder why all this is going on,yes lonely planet is bad it helps us enjoy without blinking in the misery of others, yet we see it as alternative travelling,seeing the real thing,living their reality and blah blah blah!Social context has given us that power, the model of progress where we are the developed ones and the rest well savages i suppose..Before going on one of your one year world tours think about it and what you going to do there and dont forget all those things that you see and experience because when you get back home 6months later your life will go back to being the same, laptop on ur lap, macchiatto,intelligent conversations about some intellectual bullsh… and that third world will be a distant memory but to you it will always be paradise,misery always gets second place….We are not there to give handouts,World charity doesnt work for these countries,They are not helpless they have just be put in a situation which is favourable for richer countries!!yes charities are favourable to the rich and corrupt!Lets put equality in its place and believe me democracy wont do it!Read up on orientalism it might enlighten you a bit…sorry for the confusing info but Im sure you can all read between the lines..
Happy travelling
S