On the Road

Yes and no. On one hand, you’ll never forget your own language, even if you do acquire a bit of an accent. And no matter how many years you’ve been away, you’ll remember more or less how to slot back into your home country if you decide to go home for that kidney operation. On the other hand, the longer you stay away, the more you change so that there’s no real going back to the life you used to live.

For example, once you’ve lived in a culture where everyone lives outside all the time, the chances of you going back to live in a tiny flat somewhere and working in an office are slim. Why would you ever want to? It’s like the difference between fresh juice and drinking Tropicana – why would you want to go back to the expensive, packaged life when you’re used to the cheap and natural?

The only problem is that you may find the place you’ve emigrated to begins to change. Maybe you found a peaceful little village in the hills of Laos that is now filling up with Israeli travelers playing loud techno until 5 in the morning. Or maybe there’s a revolution and the government decides to confiscate your property and kick you out of the country.

Or maybe you’ll change and want something different after a while. You might have kids and wonder where they’re going to be schooled, or your parents might get sick and you want to go home and take care of them. Or maybe you just get sick of always being the outsider in the culture and long to belong once more.

The problem then becomes that after many years on the road or living abroad, you become something of an international bastard, the leftover piece of the jigsaw that just doesn’t quite fit any more. Wherever you go you’ll compare it to the last place disfavourably and as your life passes you by, you might reflect that, shit, you didn’t really do anything with it.

Then again, roll a spliff and consider that things aren’t so bad. In the words of an old freak in Goa:

“We may not have done anything with our lives but at least we had no ambition.”

Check out Expatriates.com and Escapeartist.com for more.

Want to meet other road junkies?
Come to the Road Junky Sahara Retreat Feb 6-11 2012 to hang out with 30 other travelers to meditate, make yoga, tell stories and dance under the full moon in the desert.

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