Monthly ArchiveEverywhere Once |

It’s not a vacation

by Brian on February 20, 2012 in Belize, Central America, Travel

Okay, it’s not exactly a vacation, even if it looks like one. Initially, it even felt like one and we had to try to rein that in a little. We’re on island time and it’s easy to linger a little too long over dinner, having a few extra drinks along the way. The water is inviting and there is always somebody offering one amazing experience or another. It’s easy to say “yes” to it all.

I’m reminded of our Honeymoon trip to Hawaii, many, many moons ago, where a tour operator encouraged people to sign up for excursions by explaining: “You’re in paradise now. Take advantage of it. Worry about paying for everything when you get home.”

An Almost Perfect Island

by Brian on February 17, 2012 in Belize, Central America, Travel

The small island off the coast of Belize is exactly what we needed. Colorful. Laidback. Easy. We couldn’t have picked a better spot to coast into our journey. Caye Caulker, in its present form, exists to serve travelers and we are glad for it.

The island is touristy but in a subdued kind of way. The dirt roads (and they’re all dirt roads) are lined with restaurants, bars, guest houses and dive shops. As a traveler, it has most everything you want, and none of what you don’t.

The Independent Traveler

by Brian on February 15, 2012 in Belize, Central America, Travel

It’s dark in the hull of the water taxi. The light spilling through a small opening that serves as a door isn’t quite blinding. I can clearly make out turquoise water, although the spray kicked up by powerful boat engines does its best to obscure my view. Through the light, beyond the spray, and far over the water I can make out the silhouette of a large cruise ship.

My thoughts flash to what it must be like aboard: lavish buffets of familiar foods, theaters playing Hollywood films, spiffily dressed attendents ready to meet your every need with fluent English. No muss, no fuss; daily excursions whisk passengers to the mainland and back again. Everything is neat and tidy and perfectly organized.

Turning away from the water I look around at the motley crew of backpackers who are squeezed together in the small boat. There is the twenty-something couple from Australia making good progress on their around the world trip, a lone 40-year-old Canadian woman heading for some beach time before doing volunteer work in Guatemala, a family of three; independent travelers all.

Why We Travel

by Brian on February 13, 2012 in Belize, Central America, Travel

Food shacks in Belize City, and site of our first meal in-country

The bright colors of Belize City are dulled with age and the buildings show clear signs of neglect. Dogs and bicycles and cars jostle for position with no obvious adherence to any traffic laws. We hear a mixture of rustling palm trees and Creole conversation. Touts pester us as we pass. We’re not in Kansas anymore and it is wonderful.

So often we talk about travel only in terms of seeing and doing. We completely forget about being. There’s something invigorating about being someplace different; really different.

Bon Voyage

by Brian on February 10, 2012 in Travel

This isn’t the craziest thing we’ve ever done. No, quitting a great job, selling all of our stuff and moving into an RV has this beat by a long shot. But right now, spending two months backpacking through Central America feels like the craziest thing we’ve ever done. I’m not really sure why.

In my head I know that countless other people have done the same thing we’re about to do. I know that we have tons of flexibility and can change our plans completely, even on a moment’s notice. If we choose to, we can spend the entire two months sipping cocktails on the beach; or hop a plane back home.

This should be easy. But it isn’t. Not going, that would be easy.

It amazes me how quickly we unlearn things we thought we knew. It was less than a year ago when I wrote 7 Lessons from a Year on the Road, where I discussed the challenges of hitting the road.

Lesson #1: How easy it is to not follow your dreams “Inertia is an incredibly powerful force. It’s far easier to follow a routine, even a hated one, than it is to do something risky, unfamiliar, and meaningfully different.”

I wrote those words. I thought we owned them. When in reality we had quietly slipped into a new routine. It was a routine based on constant travel, but a specific kind of travel. We always spoke the local language and always had our house and things with us. We were comfortable. It worked.

Now we’re leaving our comforts behind and heading off into a new unknown. Nobody said this would be easy. Nothing worth doing ever is. I guess that is entirely the point; to push ourselves toward worthwhile experiences that are easier just to skip. Dreams, after all, exist to be chased.

There comes a moment when those dreams are ripe for the taking. Our moment has arrived. It’s time for us to go.