I worry about this too. Since I was 18 I've been bopping around from place to place. Now that I want to settle down for a bit here in Sgo, I worry that I won't like the sedentary lifestyle. Although I think it'll be a little while before Sgo is plain vanilla for me.
I think your trip around the world is just what you need, though. It will give you a chance to get away from the plain vanilla and hopefully find a place where you and S. want to live. I think there are ways to challenge yourself without having to change countries every couple of years (at least I hope to god there is!!).
Lori - Blondie in Brazil
· 8 months ago
I can really relate to your comment about being addicted to change. I feel the same way. When I was younger I hated change - grade school to high school, then to college. It took me so long to adjust and I didn't want anything new. Then as an adult all of a sudden I crave change. I have to have it or I go crazy which is why I like to travel so much to change my scenery.
But then when it comes to living I really get sick of a place after about 3 years. So I wonder if I will ever find a place that I truly love and want to live in long term. We'll see.
I think you are going to learn a ton about yourself with this trip.
Carrie
· 8 months ago
I love vanilla. The stuff that comes in the little bottle and, oddly enough and more and more, the lifestyle that it connotes. I hardly ever get bored and I always like to think it's because I'm so fascinated by small stuff like breakfast cereals and house smells.
I feel like there are lots of ways for me to stay in one place and not feel like I'm stagnating, but I'm guessing that's not true for you. Because normally I'd say in order to not stagnate you have to find love in the day-to-day -- but you have a great deal of that, a lot of work to do and things to think about and reach for -- and you still ache for more. I don't really have any answers, but I think it's fantastic that you can find joy in the details but still reach for the grand.
lydia
· 8 months ago
Get sick of your travel clothes?!?!? Now thats just crazy talk. Everybody knows that when you travel you subconsciously pick out an outfit to wear over and over everyday and later you'll look at millions of pictures over 5 continents that look like they were taken in one shoot and wonder why you never changed clothes.
Fned
· 8 months ago
Wow! I wasn't able to log on to my news feed for this past week and I come back to find you've posted 14 new posts!!! Yeay!!!!!! Can't wait to catch up!
Your post about Plain Vanilla is so good! I only was able to write about the boring mechanics in my post, but you really describe the EXACT sentiment of what plain vanilla feels like in yours!:
"...I enjoyed living in Chile in the beginning (....) because I was so far out of my comfort zone that I was growing...."
If you replace Chile by France in that phrase you sum up my entire sentiment on the subject. Factor in Lori's comment and you've got the word by word definition of "Fned's current frame of mind".
Still, S and you have your world trip to look forward to. I think that qualifies for AT LEAST chcolate fudge and whipped cream.
I think change can come in a lot of ways... allthough the most drastic is obviously a change of environment (ie moving to a new country) it also comes from seeing new things while you're travelling. You are suddenly confronted with things and situations you'd never realized existed before and just suddenly being aware of how these new things play a part in the grander scheme of things will make you feel that you are growing.
Until I traveled to Spain was I really able to comprehend the inmense influence of the Spanish culture in Latin America, until I traveled to Ireland and England was I able to understand to what degree these countries shaped what today is the USA, until I traveled to Japan was I able to understand to what degree the end of WWII played a part in the technological revolution that spread to the world in the 70's and 80's... the list is infinite and it's when you have one of these "illuminating" moments while you're on the road that you realize that you have grown a little bit wiser, a tiny bit more intelligent... and you feel alive and happy and sooooooo NOT plain vanilla!!
xoxoxoxo's, Fned.
Anonymous
· 8 months ago
Life is life, wherever you are.. The only person with you until the day you die is you.
Live with it. You're kidding yourself if you think you're happy with your current life.
All Comments
I think your trip around the world is just what you need, though. It will give you a chance to get away from the plain vanilla and hopefully find a place where you and S. want to live. I think there are ways to challenge yourself without having to change countries every couple of years (at least I hope to god there is!!).
But then when it comes to living I really get sick of a place after about 3 years. So I wonder if I will ever find a place that I truly love and want to live in long term. We'll see.
I think you are going to learn a ton about yourself with this trip.
I feel like there are lots of ways for me to stay in one place and not feel like I'm stagnating, but I'm guessing that's not true for you. Because normally I'd say in order to not stagnate you have to find love in the day-to-day -- but you have a great deal of that, a lot of work to do and things to think about and reach for -- and you still ache for more. I don't really have any answers, but I think it's fantastic that you can find joy in the details but still reach for the grand.
Your post about Plain Vanilla is so good! I only was able to write about the boring mechanics in my post, but you really describe the EXACT sentiment of what plain vanilla feels like in yours!:
"...I enjoyed living in Chile in the beginning (....) because I was so far out of my comfort zone that I was growing...."
If you replace Chile by France in that phrase you sum up my entire sentiment on the subject. Factor in Lori's comment and you've got the word by word definition of "Fned's current frame of mind".
Still, S and you have your world trip to look forward to. I think that qualifies for AT LEAST chcolate fudge and whipped cream.
I think change can come in a lot of ways... allthough the most drastic is obviously a change of environment (ie moving to a new country) it also comes from seeing new things while you're travelling. You are suddenly confronted with things and situations you'd never realized existed before and just suddenly being aware of how these new things play a part in the grander scheme of things will make you feel that you are growing.
Until I traveled to Spain was I really able to comprehend the inmense influence of the Spanish culture in Latin America, until I traveled to Ireland and England was I able to understand to what degree these countries shaped what today is the USA, until I traveled to Japan was I able to understand to what degree the end of WWII played a part in the technological revolution that spread to the world in the 70's and 80's... the list is infinite and it's when you have one of these "illuminating" moments while you're on the road that you realize that you have grown a little bit wiser, a tiny bit more intelligent... and you feel alive and happy and sooooooo NOT plain vanilla!!
xoxoxoxo's,
Fned.
Live with it. You're kidding yourself if you think you're happy with your current life.