This Blog Is For Me, Too

published by Bren

Last updated: November 16, 2018

They say there can be too much of a good thing.

Too much fun. Too much money. Too much travel.

Too much travel? Really?

Yes, really.

As I sit here in my hostel in Quito, typing away on a rainy afternoon, I realise what a tired and jaded traveller I’ve become. I’m in one of the most diverse and exciting countries in South America. The coast is home to incredible beaches and parties. The Amazon is an hour flight away. The Galapagos Islands are home to some of the world’s rarest wildlife. The Andes are within spitting distance. And then you have the cultural gems of Mindo, Cotopaxi, Cuenca, Riobamba and Baños just a bus ride away.

Yet all I’ve done for the last two weeks is sit in the hostel and watch TV. And drink. And play poker. And sleep.

When you’ve travelled as much as I have, it’s easy to forget why you started in the first place.

And so, for no reason at all, I started reading through my blog. I started with my About Page, and then my favourite stories, and then my e-book. I read about my walk on Wall Street, and my time in Africa. I read it all.

And as I did, one quote hit me like a brick.

There is an incredible, mind-blowing world out there, more fascinating than you ever imagined it to be.”

What caused me to write that? What was it, or who was it, that made me feel that way? What blew my mind? What was so fascinating?

And suddenly, all the memories came flooding back. I thought back to all the people I had met, the amazing stories they had shared with me, the laughter, tears, anger, sadness, everything that had made my journeys memorable. I thought about the mixture of joy and depression that came with coming home. I thought about the friends I had since almost forgotten, the girls I had fallen in love with, the kids who had taught me life lessons with a single smile.

I read my own words, and it all came back.

And now I remember why I travel.

Us long term travellers are spoiled on the road. We forget what we’re looking at. We get lazy. Unappreciative. Another rural town with beautiful colonial buildings? Snore. Seen one of them before.

But if we stop being such jaded, stuck-up snobs, we might remember what this new town really represents; a new adventure. You might meet your next best friend here. You might hear a song that you would never hear anywhere else . You might fall in love with the girl who sits beside you at the coffee shop. You might eat a mandarin pie that is so perfect it will be seared into your taste-bud memory for life.

But we forget that. All of us do.

And that’s when I realised, this blog isn’t just for you. It’s for me, too.

We all need a little inspiration from time to time.

How else are we going to get through that 25-hour bus ride? Why else are we going to endure 36 hours of diarrhea? Why else would we sleep in a room that smells like feet with six other smelly backpackers?

It’s because of the possibilities. When you move, everything is new. Anything can happen. Endure the journey and see what it spits out. That’s the spirit of travelling.

If you’ve forgotten why you travel, look back through your photos. Think of your past memories. Listen to the local songs you fell in love with. Remember the people who inspired you, who changed the way you look at life. Think of all the lessons you learned. Try to remember the reason you fell in love with the road.

Chances are, you’ve forgotten how incredible it all was.

So take the time to remember. And then go do it all over again.

Time for a new adventure? I think so.

We all need, just a little bit, of inspiration.

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  1. Awesome post, that’s all I have to say! I lived in Ecuador for a year (Quito for 5 months). I highly suggest you go to Montanita, and travel just 2km north to a small town called Olon. I’m not a religious person, but I lived at El Santuario (a Catholic orphanage) for 5 months and it was such a beautiful experience… They welcome foreigners all the time and I bet they would love to go to the beach with you or something! Go into Olon and stay at Hostal Oloncito. It’s very easy to find and is run by a lovely German man who makes AWESOME pizza. Montanita is crazy and fun and worth a visit, but Olon is quiet and beautiful. 🙂 Enjoy South America!

  2. I like your blog bren. However I have a question for you with all the new in your life all the adventures, the new women, new places, new foods, how do you find you are able to appreciate the old? Further how are you really able to commit to anything of any value if you are always the new guy in town? My reason for asking this is I am a self employed self made location independent entrepreneur living and traveling with a male self made location independent entrepreneur, we are both extremely independent and have traveled the world together and previous to meeting each other have both done extensive traveling. He has decided he wants to move somewhere new and do the traveling on his own, wants to stay “together” but doesn’t want me to come. I support him, but can’t help but feel very sad and left out, I feel like he’s my soul mate. What can I do to support him and what can I do to make this easier on myself. Thanks

    1. Hi Lindsey. Wow, I am the last person you want to talk to about this. I don’t want to make any assumptions about your boyfriend, but I guess as travellers we are always searching for new. I always appreciate the old, but I am always hungry to experience new as well, and that goes for all the things you mentioned. I guess it is just in our nature as nomads. I wish I could help, but it’s really a conversation you need to have between yourselves. Best of luck (tip: maybe ask a few female travel bloggers – they might be able to speak better from experience :P)

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