“As a stubborn dreamer, I offer the worst of both worlds – I’m completely unrealistic about pretty much everything, and yet I also refuse to budge an inch. Having a vivid imagination is great, unless you take what it produces seriously and expect it to be replicated in real life.”
Kristy Chambers, Author
“It’s Not You, Geography, It’s Me”
ROADTRIPS:
Idea:
Fun, hanging out, music blasting, beeping the horn at attractive pedestrians, wind in your hair.
Reality:
Limited legroom and air-conditioning when riding in the backseats, long tiring stretches of driving, pit stops at clearly unmaintained roadside toilets.
BACKPACKING:
Idea:
Being at one with nature, working out and earning your dinner, seeing sights off the beaten track.
Reality:
Battling excessive seating and mosquitoes, back pain that is only slightly relieved when you lay down on your yoga-mat sized mattress, realising you packed more useless crap than you needed and didn’t pack a few of the things that might actually have been handy.
HOSTELS:
Idea:
Saving money, staying in the centre of cities you normally wouldn’t be able to afford to, meeting new people.
Reality:
Not being able to sleep through the noise of the city, finding out there are only 2 toilets and showers for every 100 guests, bunking in an unventilated room that smells of your own and others body odours, meeting creepy people.
TROPICAL LOCATIONS:
Idea:
Clear water, jungles, romance, street food, relaxation.
Reality:
Vaccinations, no apparent health and safety rules on and off the rules on the island, mosquitoes, unbearable heat, seeing unhygenic practices after eating street foods.
SNOWY LOCATIONS:
Idea:
Snow-capped mountains, snowball fights, snow man building, skiing, sipping hot chocolate by a fireplace.
Reality:
Constantly going in and outside and therefore having to repeatedly remove or add several layers of clothing, inabilty to feel any sensation in the face and fingertips due to frozen numbness, unexpected sunburn.
HISTORICAL LOCATIONS:
Idea:
Viewing a piece of history, understanding more about a culture and it’s people, being filled with wonder.
Reality:
Trying to get a photo without it being ruined by an obnoxiously-dressed person with a visor on and a camera around their neck, sitting in an un-air-conditioned bus for 3 hours to have a 25 minute look around at the site and a 35 minute compulsory stop at the gift shop.
TRAVELLING SOLO:
Idea:
Going at your own pace, doing all the things you want to do, freedom.
Reality:
Realising that being a lone female tourist is not actually the same reality as a lone male traveller and therefore making sure you don’t go down any alleyways and always returning to your room before sundown.
Anyway, ‘Bon Voyage’ and all that, I guess…
Adventures In Loserville 