We arrived back in the UK last month after 2 years of traveling. We covered 20,000km and visited 30 countries. http://www.cycling-nomads.com We are enjoying our time not touring, just using the bikes to get around. How do people manage after taking that long tour? It does change perspectives. Has it changed yours and if so in what way?
Bill
Long tour
Re: Long tour
Not had the opportunity to do such a long tour but the end of my teaching career beckons in possibly 2 years but more likely 7 years time.
Reading such blogs as yours certainly inspires me - must admit I hadn't heard of that particular bike before.
How is 'regular life' suit you?
Reading such blogs as yours certainly inspires me - must admit I hadn't heard of that particular bike before.
How is 'regular life' suit you?
Solvitur ambulando
Re: Long tour
A small exert
" Coming home
Walking through the front door of a house I left a year ago planning never to return was a little weird. By the time I was in the living room it felt as if I’d just left a week ago. It was nice after a year to walk into a place and recognize things, things that I’d bought years previously, furniture, my favorite painting on the wall. I felt like I was home.
The next morning I found myself hunting for my stove, planning to head into the garden to cook up some water for a cup of tea. “[inappropriate word removed] I don’t have any fuel.” Then I remembered there is a kettle in the kitchen, time to learn to live the “civilized” life again.
The first week went by in a blur, enjoying the luxuries of home, wasting gallons of drink water under the steaming hot power shower, enjoying the cool damp autumn air, walks in the woods and catching up with friends. Mr Hyde also enjoyed being pampered in a workshop with proper tools rather than at the roadside or in a field. Good food and an overdose of good coffee gave me lots of energy and my sickness and tiredness of the last months felt like a distant memory.
For almost the first 10 days my mind felt less fit than my body. It felt empty and numb almost as if I was sedated. It was unexplainable and almost scary especially in combination with all the flashbacks but I just accepted it as part of the process. This is now happily also a distant memory and I’m now feeling rested and able to start looking forward again. The regular flashbacks of the last months are now almost non existent so I guess my mind is finally catching up and getting its filing system sorted out."
I've been home for 2.5 years now and only in the last 6 month started finding my feet and balance in my life. The first 2 where a yoyo between working for money and getting away on shorter trips.
Now I'm slowly getting sucked back into the rat race( I even have a car again now...grrrr), though will never quite fit in with this crazy modern (Western) world of hours, but I'm also done with long trips abroad. The main things that have changed are a greater tolerance and respect for other, more patience and appreciation of the things I have.....Health, clean running water, good coffee, access to good food and healthcare. More than anything I think Africa humbled me......
Who knows what the future will bring as I'll always have itchy feet....
" Coming home
Walking through the front door of a house I left a year ago planning never to return was a little weird. By the time I was in the living room it felt as if I’d just left a week ago. It was nice after a year to walk into a place and recognize things, things that I’d bought years previously, furniture, my favorite painting on the wall. I felt like I was home.
The next morning I found myself hunting for my stove, planning to head into the garden to cook up some water for a cup of tea. “[inappropriate word removed] I don’t have any fuel.” Then I remembered there is a kettle in the kitchen, time to learn to live the “civilized” life again.
The first week went by in a blur, enjoying the luxuries of home, wasting gallons of drink water under the steaming hot power shower, enjoying the cool damp autumn air, walks in the woods and catching up with friends. Mr Hyde also enjoyed being pampered in a workshop with proper tools rather than at the roadside or in a field. Good food and an overdose of good coffee gave me lots of energy and my sickness and tiredness of the last months felt like a distant memory.
For almost the first 10 days my mind felt less fit than my body. It felt empty and numb almost as if I was sedated. It was unexplainable and almost scary especially in combination with all the flashbacks but I just accepted it as part of the process. This is now happily also a distant memory and I’m now feeling rested and able to start looking forward again. The regular flashbacks of the last months are now almost non existent so I guess my mind is finally catching up and getting its filing system sorted out."
I've been home for 2.5 years now and only in the last 6 month started finding my feet and balance in my life. The first 2 where a yoyo between working for money and getting away on shorter trips.
Now I'm slowly getting sucked back into the rat race( I even have a car again now...grrrr), though will never quite fit in with this crazy modern (Western) world of hours, but I'm also done with long trips abroad. The main things that have changed are a greater tolerance and respect for other, more patience and appreciation of the things I have.....Health, clean running water, good coffee, access to good food and healthcare. More than anything I think Africa humbled me......
Who knows what the future will bring as I'll always have itchy feet....
Re: Long tour
I only go away for about 3 months at a time, but it is twice a year. I've been doing it so long now that within a day or two of being home I am (frighteningly) back in the swing. Likewise when I go away, after a couple of days it feels normal to be staying in a hotel, eating local food and pedalling my bike.
Most of my friends are equally blasé about me coming home. A quick ' had a good trip' and back to normal chat. Most of my neighbours don't realise I have been away at all.
It used to phase me a lot more when I was younger and more wide eyed. I would come home from somewhere completely different and mind boggling like India and people at home would be telling me about the big problems they had had with work/social life/washing machine/etc. It always seemed so trivial, but it was normality and I soon dropped back into it.
I always wanted a major shock by being home, but never had one.
Most of my friends are equally blasé about me coming home. A quick ' had a good trip' and back to normal chat. Most of my neighbours don't realise I have been away at all.
It used to phase me a lot more when I was younger and more wide eyed. I would come home from somewhere completely different and mind boggling like India and people at home would be telling me about the big problems they had had with work/social life/washing machine/etc. It always seemed so trivial, but it was normality and I soon dropped back into it.
I always wanted a major shock by being home, but never had one.
Re: Long tour
simonhill wrote:I only go away for about 3 months at a time, but it is twice a year. I've been doing it so long now that within a day or two of being home I am (frighteningly) back in the swing. Likewise when I go away, after a couple of days it feels normal to be staying in a hotel, eating local food and pedalling my bike.
Most of my friends are equally blasé about me coming home. A quick ' had a good trip' and back to normal chat. Most of my neighbours don't realise I have been away at all.
It used to phase me a lot more when I was younger and more wide eyed. I would come home from somewhere completely different and mind boggling like India and people at home would be telling me about the big problems they had had with work/social life/washing machine/etc. It always seemed so trivial, but it was normality and I soon dropped back into it.
I always wanted a major shock by being home, but never had one.
Do you have a blog or website? Where do you go - Europe or further afield?