Wednesday, December 12, 2007
On Future Travel
The more I travel, the more I realize that travel isn't about seeing some far off place for the first time. Well... that IS part of it, but it isn't what ignites my passion of travel. It's becoming for me about spending time with new people and getting to know people, even if just for that instant that we're around each other. It's about getting to know the place I'm at and living life in that moment.
So even though the sunburn from Nicaragua hasn't finished peeling from my back yet, I'm looking for the next challenge and the next adventure. My next trip is all about family business. For the Christmas holiday, I'll be back in the Chicago region, spending time with family and the few people I still know in that area.
One other trip - not so far away from home - is planned for August, but it is a trip that I am extremely excited about. In August, I'll be seeing New York State up close and personal as part of the Empire State AIDS Ride. This 560 mile bicycle ride is going to take me from Niagara Falls to Manhattan over seven days. It should be the most physically challenging week of my life so far and I'm really pumped to do it.
Other than that, the slate is wide open. I am looking at Argentina as a possibility - especially since I have just about enough frequent flyer miles to make that trip happen for virtually nothing. The other option is Korea. A few of the people that I met on this last trip mentioned that they had taught English in Korea for a year, and that it's a really good way to make money to travel more. The more I take a look at my financial picture and what I want to do with my life, the more this seems like an option. After reading The Daily Kimchi for a couple days, I have to say that the idea is becoming more appealing every day. That opportunity though is at least ten months away for me, as this charity ride is definitely first on my list.
Where else should I travel to? Is there something that I'm missing that I should make a date for in 2008? I'd love to know.
Labels: AIDS ride, argentina, future plans, korea, new york
