Weekend Punch: Are you a traveller?

NESLIHAN KUROSAWA says:

06:06am | 28/07/12

Hi Punch Team,

Life is what you make of it! So they say!  Yes, travelling broadens your horizons and does so much more. Who actually said that our futures were very certain or uncertain, anyway?  We mostly put so much effort into planning our futures on strong foundations that we actually forget to live our lives moment by moment!  We all hope and dream of leading more colourful lives, but somehow we don’t all quite know how to go about it the right way!

For me personally, travel means leaving our comfort zones to have whole new experiences like learning new languages, cultures and life styles outside of what we are accustomed to. I have made brilliant friends during my travels. And one of them happened to be a yoga instructor who had the courage to travel India which could be one of the least likely places I could have imagined to travel, ever.  However, after a long and enjoyable session of yoga I just had to realize that she was one of the best life coaches and yoga instructors, I have ever met in my life, seriously.

Travelling for relaxation is one thing but if we can also take away a little bit of the culture, knowledge and wisdom with us, even better, right?  And my friend also told me that the heat and the food were equally so bad that she ended up losing about twenty kilos, when she first arrived in India. It was not a five star resort on the Aegean Coast like the ones we all like to dream about. However what my friend took away from her trip was just priceless!  And she can now share that knowledge with the rest of the world.  Can you ask for more than that?  I certainly could not!  Kind regards to your editors.

Super D says:

07:45am | 28/07/12

I suppose, technically, I’m travelling at the moment. I’m back inLindon for a few years though it feels like home again already. On our way we spent 3 months in Malaysia so that was more like travelling albeit with young children in tow.

One of the Malaysian highlights was spending time with Burmese refugees awaiting resettlement but I’ll save that story for another day.

As much as I love Australia, keating was right, it is the arse end of the world. What an attractive arse it is!

I’ll be back in a few years when carbon pricing, the Labor-Green alliance and Rob Oakeshott are but faded skid marks on the nations history.

Travelling reminds me that Australia in 2012 is a country with awesome potential only constrained by progressive types who don’t understand our place in the world.

Shep says:

08:14am | 28/07/12

The one and only bad thing about travelling is that it is totally addictive, and once you’ve travelled you understand that your own country, while great is just one of all the great countries throughout the world. 

So many things to see and no where near enough time or money.

Winston Smirth says:

08:28am | 28/07/12

A traveler does not know where he is going. A tourist does not know where he has been.

Les Patterson says:

08:38am | 28/07/12

I’m a traveller and I never leave home without one!

thatmosis says:

09:03am | 28/07/12

Agree Shep it is addictive. My wife and I have been to China, Ireland, Egypt and Dubai and are saving madly to go to the Mediterranean next year.  Another thing about overseas travel is that it is usually cheaper than travelling in Australia and the service and accommodation is better, even down to the B and B’s we stayed at in Ireland. We have seen Australia but it has always been expensive and some of the service, if you could call it that, leaves a lot to be desired.
  We found that overseas we were treated very well, the food was excellent and didn’t cost a weeks wage and the locals went out of their way to make you feel welcome even if some of their directions had you going in circles and you had to haggle over prices in the local markets,all part of the fun.

stephen says:

09:51am | 28/07/12

Did the Beach Boys play in Atlanta ?
ACDC in Sydaney ?
Castanetos in Barcelona ?
Stampeders of Calgary ?

And who’s Jude ?

stephen says:

09:57am | 28/07/12

I wished Lauren Jackson would have stood up straight.
Then I would have seen her from here.

The Games Opening ceremony I thought was terrific.
Unusual, feelgood and interesting.

Gregg says:

10:08am | 28/07/12

Travelling is just another part of ones life and for most of us fortunate to have done a little or more, usually a very small part, something to be enjoyed and yes it can have broadening experiences just like our lives back at home can.

As much as many people in Australia are fortunate to travel internationally, even more probably do not and especially so with older generations, it not being unknown of for many people in Australia to hardly travel out of their own states let alone Australia.
That is probably something I did not dwell on too much when having travelled myself and documentaries always help you appreciate the positions of others not so fortunate.

Travelling is what you make of it as home is too and somewhere most of us are likely to be spending far more time and thus where we ought to make our best efforts.

Elphaba says:

01:06pm | 28/07/12

I suffer the post travel depression when I get home. To combat it, I stick up pictures of the next place I want to go to, and remind myself that the time spent at work earns me the money for the next trip.

Re: Olympics, I currently haven’t seen a single frame of footage, and the closest TV to our department at work is busted, with the ETA of a new one from the technology department being ‘soon’. I’m going to try and go the whole 2 weeks without having to watch any of it.

Traxster says:

11:21am | 29/07/12

I often say to my friends and colleagues,when they complain how hard their lives are….....
‘go and live in South East Asia or Africa for a while then you’ll see just how lucky we are to live in Australia.’

Robinoz says:

12:20pm | 29/07/12

In 2005 I accepted a job in the “Garden of the Middle East”, Al Ain in the United Arab Emirates. During the three years my wife and I lived there we made friends from all over the world. We also managed to do a lot of travel to places like Syria, Egypt, Canada, Germany and other European countries, Cyprus, Jordan and more all at a far cheaper price than flying from Central Australia. It was a wonderful experience and I’m sure having a broader perspective helps one be more grounded. During our trips away from our palatial (by Australian standards) home at Al Ain, even to our home in Australia, we were happy to get back to our new temporary home at Al Ain. It’s true that there is no place like home, but home is where you live at present and where all your gear is. It’s where the people/person you most love are.