Monday, January 14, 2008

Time flies...



Wow! 4 months!

It's hard to beleive that 4 months have already passed since Sarah and I returned from our trip around the world. That's over half the length of the trip itself. By comparison, in the same amount of time which has passed since we returned home, Sarah and I saw Peru, Bolivia, northern Chile, the Moai of Eastern Island, Tahiti, New Zealand, Tasmania, taken a motorcylce trip through Vietnam, saw Angkor Wat in Cambodia and been to India.

In comparison, it feels like we've barely done anything since we got back.

People say "time flies when you are having fun" but I don't know if that's necessarily true. Instead, I think time flies when you are going about a routine life. Time flies when you can wake up and sort of drift through it on autopilot. When you don't need to actively be considering where you are and what you are doing, that's when time flies. Or to quote another phrase, this one by John Lennon, "life is what happens when you are busy making other plans."

But, at the same time, it's not like Sarah and I have been just sort of drifting along with glazed over looks on our faces. In fact, for the most part the opposite has been true. The time since we've been back has been filled with activity: Moving into our new apartment, going back to work or job hunting, making wine, watching my borther and sister-in-law move to California, cooking Thanksgiving for my family, celebrating the holidays with Sarah's family in Texas, getting caught up on comics, movies, art and music, and on and on.

In fact, if anything, our schedules have been too busy.


Sarah and I just a couple of minutes after New Years 2008, a year older and -with any luck- a world wiser.

Also, to those of you out there in the Interweb, who might be considering doing a trip like this, but are affraid of loosing your job, I have something to tell you: Don't worry. Honestly. As someone who left his long term job, only to return and find a better job, at a more fullfilling company (on, in my case, Foundation), for even better pay than I was making when I left all I can say is that going on the trip might have been the best professional decision I ever made. Honestly.

(Though I will admit that it was a bit touch and go there for a bit when I got back.)

Finally, I'd like to end this with a final thought. The other day, I was looking through the photos from the trip, when a thought drifted through my mind:

"God, that seems like a lifetime ago."

And, as soon as it did, I stopped. I could hardly believe I thought it. But, in some regard, it was already true. That thought made me sad. Time flies.

2 comments:

shawn said...

I'm very Happy to have come upon your bloggins of your travels. I am interested in doing a motorcycle tour of vietnam as well.

any suggestions?

shawn

The General said...

Hi Shawn! I'm glad you've found our blog too! It's our hope that Strange and Benevolent can be an inspiration and source of info for other travellers.

As far as doing a motorcycle tour in Vietnam goes, we rocommend you look for an outfit called Easy Riders. They were the first and are still supposedly the most professional of the motorcycle tours companies in Vietnam. It is who we used, and we were very happy with our experience.

When you are asking around for Easy Riders, be sure to ask to see the drivers special licence. According to our drivers, only Easy riders receive a special tourist licence from the government, so its a good way to know the are the real deal... since supposedly there are quite a few imposter tour groups.

I'm not sure about arranging something from abroad, but it's easy enough to find tours once you are in Vietnam. We arranged ours in Nah Trang, but I know you can find them in Hoi An and other major cities and towns.

If you do try to arrange something in Nah Trang or Hoi An, ask around for Dao. You'll know him when you see him because of his longish hair and tattoos on both arms. He was my driver, and was excellent.

Anyhow, hope that helps, Shawn. If you have additional questions, don't hesitate to email me tylerhill75 "at" yahoo.com.