A friend of mine is contemplating a move.
A pretty ballsy move.
To Spain. Or New Zealand, Or Australia, Or South Africa. Somewhere other than America.
Part of it is for a change. Part of it is for economic reasons and the high cost of college for their child in the USA.
I do understand the urge. I have thought of never coming back from some of my travels. The world is a big place and it begs to be explored. In Australia when I was on a dive boat on the Great Barrier Reef, I thought to myself; 1. This might be a very expensive hobby, 2. Wouldn’t it be fun to do this forever? 3. I love the dive mistress.
Obviously I didn’t run away and join a dive boat or marry an Australian girl, but I thought about it. For something that is so cool and everyday being a different adventure, I could give up the acting bug.
People (Americans especially) get trapped in life and stuck in a job and don’t really see the possibilities that are out there. The "American Dream" is to work for one company for 40 years, have 2 weeks of vacation every year, retire, and then go fishing until you die. The world doesn't work like that any longer. You might have multiple careers or many jobs at the same time.
Europeans seem to have a different view of things. They work to live. Not live to work. They have 4-6 weeks of vacation a year. After college they might take months or a year off to travel before figuring out work and jobs. When I travel I meet people from all over the world. Some of the ones who impressed me are the ones who travel for months to years at a time. They are out of school and seeing the world. I met a German guy who had been out there for over a year traveling, and working odd jobs. When he had money to go to the next place, he did. Now my American brain had an objective to the traveling I did. I had places to go and things to see. So I was out for 3 weeks but with a plan. To go and not know what was next is something that never really crossed my mind. My travel plan is structured improvisation.
But if you go to a new country and get a job doing whatever, aren’t you just living a life in another place? Got to live somewhere and somehow, though. I met someone years ago who wasn’t happy. She had a good job in Phoenix, but her dream was Seattle. She was going to go to Seattle. And that would make her happy. I didn't ask what about living in Seattle would make her happy. She would be the same person in a new place. It was the thought, the dream of Seattle that gave her hope. I guess humans need hope. Or religion or something to make the chaos and uncertainty of life make sense.
Sometimes you need to go somewhere to find what is in yourself. And you always got to do what is best for the family.
2 comments:
I adore you.
Our plans to move are still in the investigation stage. But we are finally agreed that we are indeed leaving. Now its just a matter of where and how.
Your description of the different attitude toward travel and adventure hits home for me. I used to have an attitude of "lets try this and see what happens" Now, due to economic issues my only consideration in doing anything is "can I afford it" and "what can I get from it." It makes me sad, and I cant let my girl grow up in a place where her destiny is to work like a dog, accrue debt and have no art, music or theatre or bike rides or baseball or days at the beach because she cant afford it or cant get the time off work. We are sooooo out of here.
Sad to see you go. I'll come visit if you live someplace cool. ;)
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