A month has passed and the only way that I could describe the trip was insightful and refreshing. I had gone through 14 states (US and Canada included), visited more than 15 Universities in the US and Canada, talked to dozens upon dozens of people. To summarize, here are some of the insights that I've found along the trip.
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| The Trip ! |
1. Backpacking requires a lot of preparation.
The early perception that I had of backpacking was shallow in truth. I thought it would be as simple as picking up a bag and tying your shoe laces for a long marathon with breaks in between. Little did I know that backpacking, like any other travel activity required a lot of detailed planning.And most importantly of all, a MAP of where you were going. Walking around aimlessly in the French city of Montreal sounds fantastic on paper but once your in the thick of it, with no shower for a whole day and not enough money to eat, it can get really frustrating. Thankfully, my partner in crime and I were smart enough to use our smartphones Global Positioning Satellite to find ourselves around.
In addition to that, backpacking also takes a toll on your psychological health as well. Like all great travel experiences, there will be times of immense euphoria (Chelsea winning the Champions League !) coupled with moments of despair and worry (friend goes missing and bus leaves in half an hour ).But for what its worth, the experiences all add up balancing each other out and making you a much wiser person. It makes you appreciate whatever good things you've had before and take heart from other less pleasant experiences.
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| Pure Elation at Times Square ! |
Let me just say that it's not a secret that human beings are individualistic and serve their own interests. Everyone is, except for those certain few who go above human nature and learn to become selfless and caring individuals. Through out my trip, I've met many types of people. Good, bad, inspirational, all kinds really. In Pittsburgh, I met a pizza shop owner who on first sight of meeting you, gives you a free slice of pizza.This man had a simple business policy
"No money, no problem , you can have the pizza now and you can pay for it later "
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| Meet Joe. Pizza.Owner.Pittsburgh hospitality |
Conventional businessman or entrepreneurs would have their knickers in a twist. This was never written in any " How to be a successful entrepreneur for Dummies " book nor why should it be. The man cared more for his customers well being rather than his own business. He might not sound like a millionaire businessman, but he does sound like an amazingly caring and thoughtful human being !
During one stop of our trip in Philadelphia, we stayed with a young woman. Okay technically speaking, she was an septuagenarian but from her vibrancy and life, she could give all the supermoms in the world a run for their money ! We met her just shortly after 1 am on a warm, dark Philadelphia night. We were flat-out tired after our bus trip and the first thing we did with her was go on a night tour of Philadelphia. As I sat on the backseat of her Honda trying to make meaning out of the places and words she was saying, I was just in awe of her youthful cheer and enthusiasm. There I was, a young so called `energetic` boy losing the battle of staying awake to a lady 3.5 times older than myself. It was funny then and it still is funny now thinking about it. But then again, she traveled the world twice.YES ! SHE TRAVELED THE WORLD TWICE !
While staying at her home in the Philie suburbs, we got a chance to listen to her stories of travelling the world and looking at some amazing travel souvenirs. She had everything from old figurines to the most eloquent of fabrics such as our own Kain Batik because she visited Malaysia in the 70`s before. What I gained the most from meeting her was that, you can`t be static.There is no end in life until the old ticker stops ticking.Keep going, keep travelling, keep meeting new people. Somehow, even the most irrelevant things you learn might serve you well in the future. Learn to forgive past mistakes and accept yourself, your never too old to forgive nor too old to learn. There is always time. And for that, Thank you Judy Becker !
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| What else do you do on a Friday night ? Good Company.Good Food.Good Conversation That sounds just about right |
Along my travels, I had also met a Muslim man.He was tall, strong and had a menacing figure of a bouncer. He wore a traditional African male green long dress which resembles a jubah. What was special about this man was that, from his complexion you could be sure that he was African American, yet from his genetic code he told us he was also Chinese ancestrally speaking. My friend and I were gobsmacked with that finding and inquired further. More than half an hour passed by and we discussed issues from the Obama administration to what color the Prophet peace be upon him was. He shared us his theories about the great caliphates being black and the story of how the African man was forced to change his identity,religion and language for the sake of a white man needing someone to wash his clothes and dishes. His presence has taught me one thing, don't judge a man for what he wears or looks like, because underneath the external features, you could find a treasure trove of insight and wonder.
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| Mr Rasyid and the amazing Cheesesteak ! (Travel partner wiping some awesomeness from his chin as well) |
The next man I met by far takes the cake. His name was John and he would be hosting us in Maine.It was originally my friend who found him online on a website called Couchsurfing. Couchsurfing is essentially a new way of travelling, it encourages users to experience a new place from the perspective of a commoner and not merely as a tourist.What you have to do is just create an account on the website and write letters to people if they would be willing to host you in the place your visiting. Once its all said and done, you would then have free accommodation and a new friend in a new place. How great a deal is that ?!
We met John at the Portland Bus Terminal. He looked around 60, but from the firmness of his handshake he could have been around our age. Upon meeting him, we learned of his background of working in Korea as an officer and had the privilege of looking at some of his treasured war medals. John is not an average American to say the least, he loves to travel and is very knowledgeable on a wide range of issues regarding religion and life. Before meeting us, he also went on a backpacking trip of his own and traveled Morocco and the southern part of Spain. Interestingly enough, the reason why he wanted to visit Morocco was to go to this one mosque called the Hassan II Mosque which is the largest in Morocco. One of John's most amazing experience that he shared with us was when he was lost in Alaska for 2 weeks. 10 days of which, he had no food. When it came to Alaskan adventure stories, I thought about Christopher McCandless and his unfortunate journey into the wild. Yet, once I heard his story, suddenly that thought left my mind and now I actually had a guy that I could literally ask how was it like to be lost in the Alaskan wilderness. Mind you, it was not a walk in the park.To survive, he relied on some of his military skills for example, pick a point at the horizon, move there, pick another point, rinse and repeat. After surviving his ordeal, he was praised by the survival experts on his plan of action. He inculcated in me the rope a dope tactic, normally used in boxing. In layman terms, the tactic is to wear your opponent down and finish him once he's tired and frail. Muhammad Ali used this tactic to great effect against George Foreman to knock him out in the 8th round in Rumble in the Jungle. Youtube it if you don't believe me. John taught me a lot of interesting things. We conversed a lot about truth and life. He is a man of great experience and full of wisdom. Not to mention, he also gave me an insightful introduction into the NBA world and influenced me to start supporting the Boston Celtics in this season's NBA playoff. Go Rondo !
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| John Cloran and le friend |
Note: Sadly Boston Celtics did lose to Miami Heat during the playoffs a few weeks ago, but whenever I think about basketball. The first thought will be of Rondo dribbling past 2 players and working a blind pass for his team mate to dunk it in. Class
3. Travelling is not merely just taking pictures
When travelling I think people make the mistake of taking way too many pictures. Since the Camera was invented, people had a way of sealing once in a lifetime memories. Im sure that many of you will probably find some black and white photos of your parent's wedding or great grandmother lying around the house. Photos are a great way of sealing those once in a lifetime moments. And let me emphasize on moment.These days, with air travel being more accessible to people than ever before, it is very easy to say "I want to go to Morroco" and be there in 3 months time. With that in mind, I think the emphasis of taking pictures during travels should be shifted to something more everlasting.
But ?
What is more everlasting than a photo ?
The experience and people
Ever since the camera, we tend to devalue our experiences and relationships we have with the place that we are travelling. That is where people mostly lose out. What I have observed while travelling the cities is that every place has a different feel to it. New York feels like a big stage with its big props and tonnes of extras walking all day.Ann Arbor feels more like suburbia with its many housing communities and small eateries. New Haven is exactly like what the name suggests; lots of greenery infused with rich American culture; museums, learning institutions and the first burger stall ever made. People must embrace the feeling of each city to truly feel what's it like to be a part of the community. As they say " When in Rome, do as the Romans do". With that in mind, my partner and I made no mistake as we literally ate our way across America savoring the tastes of what each city had to offer. We've had everything from Chicago's wonderful deep dish pizza to Boston's steamed Lobster. Generally, we didn't really eat that much throughout the trip but when we did, it was heavenly.
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| Deep Dish Heaven ! |
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| Lobster and I |
Now that I am 20, this article means something to me. Its a reminder, hopefully not just for me but for anyone who reads this. Don't waste time; figure yourself out, find your passion and love your close ones like you never loved before. It took me 3 weeks and 43 thousand kilometers to realize that, and dare I say, it was one of the most exhilarating moments of my life.
