30 Jul2011
Things I do at home and do not when I travel
I’ve just realized how fast time flies (once again!) It has been already 5 weeks since I’m back in Europe. It is almost half of the time I had spent in Mexico before. Unbelievable. And I see now I am being different at home, in Slovakia, than when I travel. Do I have two personalities??? Or what? How is that even possible? Shit! Tell me it is the same with you, please!
At home:
- I spend a lot of time with children. I have a 3-year-old brother, 5-year-old cousin, my friend’s son is going to be 3 as well and my mom works in a kindergarten.
- At home, I feel like doing nothing! I actually have to force myself a little bit to do something. Maybe because being at home is for me the proper relax, the real holidays. Because when I go on holidays somewhere else, I need to see and do as much as possible. I do not sleep there, I do not lie down and enjoy the whole day just staring or sleeping. I do explore. And most of the time, I come back home so destroyed after what people call ‘relaxing holidays’ that I just want to do nothing and spend the day on the sofa listening to the music, on the phone talking to my friends, or chatting on facebook.
- I watch TV, TV shows, stupid telenovelas, Rosamunde Pilcher’s romantic movies, I even watch TV news. Shame on me! Such a waste of time!
- I cannot fall asleep at night (before midnight I do not even try), then sleep in late and I’m absolutely useless until like 1 pm, which is when I drink at least 1 liter of tea/water. Otherwise I’m a walking zombie. Punch me! Just wake me up!
- Walking? Are you crazy? I can walk up to 30 km per day when I travel, but at home? Just the fact I have to go to the town centre which is like 8 min walking freaks me out! I prefer to go twice a week and stay there for 3 hours till everything is done, than to go every day for a bit. And take a walk to unknown places as I do twice during my trips? (one day light, one during the night) … You must be f*** kidding me now! No way! Better someone bring more popcorn and a telenovela as I’m not moving my ass of the couch! Not even to the kitchen.
- I eat all the time. Slovak cuisine is great! I guess that must be my mom’s fault and my grandma’s and friends’ as everywhere I go, I just have to eat, or they are pissed. Bye bye my healthy diet. I never buy sweets/chocolate/cakes but each time I visit someone (almost every day!), they offer me a huge bunch of them. How could I refuse? Then I have to try to be fit when traveling.
- I eat a lot of soups. I love them. I can make just 3 different ones when I travel. But my mom and grandma do them all the time. Once again, time to eat!
- I spend days visiting friends and family or them visiting me and there are days when I have no time for anything else. Then the days pass so fast even though it seems I’m doing nothing.
- I do not laugh that much.
- I get angry, nervous, anxious more often than when travel.
- I play tennis, table tennis, bowling, go to sauna and swimming pool. But still just once in a while so altogether I don’t move much and burn less calories than on the road. Where is the dislike button?!
- I dye both the eyebrows and the eyelashes myself and use facial masks. I do not do it at all on the road.
- I go to my hairdresser at home while I cut my hair by myself abroad. It is much cheaper at home and she knows already how to cut my hair so I don’t have to risk to leave like a shaggy chick.
- I do comb my hair at home. I use fingers on the road. I want no electric shock hairstyle to scare my potential future travel buddies. The fingers must be enough.
- I eat with my legs on the table and the laptop on my lap. I would love a table like that when travel :D Should I buy a bigger suitcase?
- I almost don’t text. I give missed calls and everyone calls me back. On the road I mostly text as calls are too expensive.
- I do not like to go anywhere on my own. Actually, I hate it. But I travel mostly alone, so what the heck?!
- Everyone takes care of me when at home. Sometimes I do not have to move a finger, even though I do everything myself when travel! I can’t complain but it makes me really lazy at home.
- At home I do use an umbrella. Never when travel. It is annoying to have it on me and it takes too much space.
- I use nail polish at home. There is a logical reason behind it. As I try to take with me only the necessary stuff on my trips, I do not take any nail polish nor the removers.
- I do not look at dark skin guys back home. Unfortunately, everyone darker than Ivory Beige in Slovakia can be only a gypsy, so NO, THANK YOU!
- You could see me in heels maybe once or twice at home, but never when I travel.
- I hitchhike up to 30 km from home, almost always. Usually together with my mom. I was hitchhiking just twice somewhere else. The first time was horrible, from Madrid to Madrid. The second, I ended up in Italy instead of Spain.
- With my dad we ride his Suzuki Intruder. I heart motorbikes. I wish someone was giving me bike rides when travel, too!
Does this weird thing happen to you when at home too? What is different for you on the road? Do you feel like a different person?
Jens
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Ah yes, I know that feeling of being rather … lazy at home. About sctive and full of energy on the road, but slow upon return. Maybe it has to do something with recharging? ;-)
Great text, by the way! Good idea, meeting travellers natural habitate ‘off route’.
crazy sexy fun traveler
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Comment@ Kyle:
You are so right, Kyle! The balance is the key :D
Kyle
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This is a great concept to think about. Sometime when you’re home you start to feel comfortable and appreciate the luxuries you have. But then something happens and you feel caged or stagnant and you have to go somehwere or anywhere. There’s defintely advantages to home and on the road but you can do both without commiting to only one and finding that balance is important
crazy sexy fun traveler
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So true, Sam! All that, plus family problems at home and almost no adrenaline which is what I need … and everyone think they can tell me what to do which is driving me mad obviously :D
Nomadic Samuel
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I really enjoyed this post. I’m at home now as well & it’s a mixed experience. There are things I really enjoy and feel comfortable; however, as you mentioned I do feel quite anxious at times. I think when I travel I am so constantly stimulated and busy that I think less about ‘serious’ things and when I get home it’s about finding a new job, wondering about my future, etc.
crazy sexy fun traveler
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Thanks Bjorn! The same, maximum 2 weeks at home and I just have to take another trip, otherwise I’m going crazy, like now :D
Bjorn Karlman
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Loved the list!! You covered a lot of ground there:) Seriously weird how the home environment does that to us. I think it is mostly a good thing, as long as we get back on the road eventually. Life is a series of cycles and as much as I love the crazy pace on the trail, I like the feeling of getting to crash at home where everything is familiar. How much time do you have to spend at home before you can’t wait to take off again? For me it’s like 2 weeks:)
crazy sexy fun traveler
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Everyone different/darker than white is interesting for me :P
And you are right Hart, I don’t like cooking but it is much cheaper than to eat out all the time when travel.
I Hart Travel
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One thing I would like to do more of when I travel that I do at home is cook more. Or at least make my own sandwiches. I spend too much money eating out when I travel.
I definitely have more patience with strangers and people when I am home than when I travel. I always feel like I’m in a rush he
I Hart Travel
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So you like looking at dark skin men when you travel? Where is your next destination? :-)
crazy sexy fun traveler
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Finally someone like me :D I really don’t get it, but at home even going from the living room to kitchen is worse than a mountain trek for me :D
No TBU, why?
Rob Bloggeries
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Totally am a dif person, the walking thing really hit home. All I do is walk when traveling but am all lazy when home. In Macedonia now, Slovakia is one I missed! Going to TBU?
Will get you on blogroll soon, so lazy sorry!