I have had the most wonderful few days in London. Id wanted to make this status before I left Cape Town (but of course I had planned so poorly that I arrived at the airport just before check-in closed and social media was the furthest thing from my mind) but I had wanted to warn you that I would probably be making some rather out-there statuses during my time away. I dont know if youve noticed, but often when people are on holiday they are quite prone to making long, rambling quasi-philosophical statuses about their trip and even the human condition in general. If you cast you mind back to 2012 when I was Thailand you may remember some of the Old Testament-length statuses I made, including professions of love to girls Id known for 40 minutes and misspelt patriotic odes to South Africa. I just think it is important and helpful to understand that when people travel they really go through a wide range of experiences and emotions and it is quite expected that they are often quite compelled to try to express what theyre going through. In the past people kept journals, now we put it on Facebook. When you travel, especially if youre alone (Id strongly advise you do this) you have moments of anxiety, euphoria, loneliness, excitement and joy, and there is often an overwhelming urge to share this with people. Also, youre often pissed, tired or hungover and a bit over-emotional. It doesnt mean youve lost it or are in trouble, it just means that you are overtaken by an urge to attempt to explain to others what you are experiencing. If you remember the movie the Butterfly Effect, which I actually wasnt too taken by, there is a scene where Ashton Kutcher has a sort or aneurism because his brain is processing too many memories and too much information. When I travel I feel the same, in that I cannot grasp how big the world is and how much is happening in it. And the fact that I can walk into a pub on the Thames on a Sunday and bump into a guy I used to scrum next to at school is really difficult to see as anything other than a small, strange miracle. So, please bear with me with the musings that will come in the next few weeks, and most importantly dont worry that Ive become unhinged. Im just a young man travelling and enjoying each and every moment - at 6 this morning I saw the sun rise above the Thames whilst sitting on a statue, watching an Algerian man have an animated conversation/monologue with a gaggle of geese. But the two things I am most happy with is how truly good, kind and hospitable people are (but dont worry, long status about that on the way - War and Peace length), and secondly how despite that fact that I have been pushing it pretty hard, every morning Ive woken up not feeling bad about myself or something Ive done (except for the fact that a pub lunch on the Thames pretty much costs the same as a Sea Point condo). The three things Ive come to believe that improve you as a human are reading, keeping good company, and travelling. If you are fortunate enough to do all three, I suggest in the strongest sense that you do so. x
Posted on: Tue, 08 Jul 2014 15:19:44 +0000
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