A lot of changes have been happening lately. We mentioned a
few posts ago that the time has come to wrap up the traveling—for now. We
obviously don’t intend on ever leaving traveling behind for good. So stay tuned
for the next 60 years as we take on the world!
We’ve recently accepted a job in Beijing teaching English.
We’re a little nervous about it, living in such a big, crowded, and potentially
expensive city. I’ve also applied to a Master’s program that I’m waiting to
hear back from (send good feelings this way so I can get in!)
All these changes and the prospect of actually settling down
a bit has got Ricky and me to thinking about the past 7-ish months we’ve spent
traveling. The consensus is that we’ve
really “grown up” on this trip.
Obviously, we were already adults who had done adult-y things. We’d both
lived away from home, had jobs (though I’d say that Ricky’s job as an assistant
manager at a hotel was probably more adult than my custodian gig at college),
paid rent, all that. But this kind of long term travel has aged us in ways we
didn’t expect.
As a lot of you know, we were affected greatly by tragedies
that have happened in so many places. Seeing the remnants of war has given us
new views on what we’d only vaguely heard about before. We came to see that
what we only sort of hear about on the news has much more far reaching effects
on people worlds away.
This kind of thing ages you. Seeing what war does to
people—how it tears apart civilians who didn’t ask for that sort of thing to
happen, how they try to adapt and survive, how a city will never be the
same—that kind of thing makes you old. That kind of thing makes you think about
things that the average 20-something might not be inclined to ponder. It gives
you whole new ideas on right and wrong, the value of life, morality, ethics,
and loss.
War isn’t the only thing to have changed us. No, every
aspect of life in the countries we’ve visited has changed us. The poverty, food
and lack of it, community, tribal life, the moments of kindness that have been
given to us, and the ones we attempt to give back—there is no way that being in
the midst of these things can leave you emotionally or mentally static.
I know that most people throughout their lifetimes
experience certain things that help them learn what we have learned, but our
process was a sort of high-speed evolution to a certain maturity, a certain
understanding of how places outside of our homes really are. Living it is more than what a documentary on
National Geographic can prepare you for.
But it’s not all war and local life that’s given us that
adult feeling. We’ve grown in other ways that otherwise would have taken us
ages. For example, Ricky, who I like to refer to as Map Brain at certain times,
does indeed have a brain like a map. He can navigate us through an unknown city
to the section where most of the low-priced hostels are, or find our way back
after roaming the town looking for some decent food. I’ve never been so good,
but my skills in navigation and recognition of landmarks and directions has
definitely improved.
We’ve both gotten better at negotiating prices and being
unashamed at doing so. This was a talent I had hoped to work on upon my arrival
in China, and I did ok, but I feel like I have mastered the skill as we have
haggled for everything from hotel rooms to bottled water. We usually are pretty
confident that we get the best price (at least the best prices white faces like
ours are allowed). This skill has come in handy as we have interviewed for jobs
and negotiated prices and benefits to our advantage.
I’ve never really been good at talking to people. Making
chit-chat is my idea of one of the outer rings of Hell. I often feel I have nothing to say and small
talk with strangers is strained and awkward. Well, after being on the road with
someone, being with him 24/7 for this long, no matter how much I love him, I
(both of us, actually) have craved conversation with other people. Ricky often
makes the first move, but I usually have no problem joining in with the conversation
any more. I have things to say, newfound opinions, experiences to share, and
advice to give. I can contribute. And what’s more adult than having a heated
conversation about gun laws where actual facts and statistics are used, as
opposed to simply shouting your political preference?
Now, armed with all of our new knowledge, experience, and
skills, Ricky and I are ready to begin the next phase of true adulthood. We’re
getting ready to sign contracts, rent an apartment, and pay some bills.
Wait..how do I push rewind? I don’t know if I’m ready for
this!
