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Traveling makes me feel a thirst for life.
But I used to limit it because I didn’t want to spend too much time away from my family.
When I eventually became semi-suicidal, stuck in a dreary, stagnant environment in my native country of Poland, I decided that it was time to prioritize my own needs and stay abroad as long as I wanted to.
Almost instantly after landing in my first destination, Perth, I felt as if someone had taken off a gigantic weight off my shoulders.
I was so ecstatic I was full of energy even with a jet lag, sleeping just 5 hours each night (while usually I don’t feel good even after getting 10 hours of sleep in Poland).
The weather, the colors, the people, the wildlife, the atmosphere. It was intoxicating. I was cured of my affliction.
To this day when I listen to the songs I listened to back then I get filled with energy.
Over weeks of my travels, both I as well as my girlfriend realized that our families (and friends) don’t really care much about our travels, regardless of what kind of epic things we do. They’re more interested in what their pets or neighbors are doing.
And it’s not as if I’m that guy who keeps pestering his friends and family with hundreds of travel pictures. I would send a few carefully-selected pictures and a 20-second video or two a week. Even that didn’t garner more than one sentence of a response. Not much interest, even if I asked about their lives and wanted to stay on top of what they were doing.
Only a handful of people stayed in touch and so I shifted my focus to these relationships.
But this isn’t me crying about a lack of attention. Far from it. I accept and respect that people have their own lives and they don’t owe me anything.
I’m not traveling to gain anyone’s approval. I’m not doing it to have others tell me how incredible I am. And I’m definitely not posting this to vent.
Rather, I’m posting this thread for people who used to be like me, postponing their dreams because they’re afraid they would hurt or offend some family member or lose a friend.
It doesn’t take long to see who’s invested in your life and who isn’t.
Leave your city for a month. See who’s going to stay in touch with you and who won’t express much interest in what you’re doing.
If your friends only show interest in you when you’re in the same location, are they really your loyal friends?
If your family members can’t share the joy you have when fulfilling your dreams, do you really need to live where they live?
Ask yourself if the people for whom you’re sacrificing your life would do the same for you. If they can’t take the time to talk with you when you’re away, it’s possible they don’t prioritize the relationship as much as you do.
I’m a nice guy who always puts the needs of others above himself. Inevitably, it leads to dissatisfaction, frustration, and over the long term, depression.
My trip has showed me that first it’s you who needs to be happy. If you’re only capable of being happy away from your friends and family, then that’s okay. They should live their own lives and you should live yours.
But I used to limit it because I didn’t want to spend too much time away from my family.
When I eventually became semi-suicidal, stuck in a dreary, stagnant environment in my native country of Poland, I decided that it was time to prioritize my own needs and stay abroad as long as I wanted to.
Almost instantly after landing in my first destination, Perth, I felt as if someone had taken off a gigantic weight off my shoulders.
I was so ecstatic I was full of energy even with a jet lag, sleeping just 5 hours each night (while usually I don’t feel good even after getting 10 hours of sleep in Poland).
The weather, the colors, the people, the wildlife, the atmosphere. It was intoxicating. I was cured of my affliction.
To this day when I listen to the songs I listened to back then I get filled with energy.
Over weeks of my travels, both I as well as my girlfriend realized that our families (and friends) don’t really care much about our travels, regardless of what kind of epic things we do. They’re more interested in what their pets or neighbors are doing.
And it’s not as if I’m that guy who keeps pestering his friends and family with hundreds of travel pictures. I would send a few carefully-selected pictures and a 20-second video or two a week. Even that didn’t garner more than one sentence of a response. Not much interest, even if I asked about their lives and wanted to stay on top of what they were doing.
Only a handful of people stayed in touch and so I shifted my focus to these relationships.
But this isn’t me crying about a lack of attention. Far from it. I accept and respect that people have their own lives and they don’t owe me anything.
I’m not traveling to gain anyone’s approval. I’m not doing it to have others tell me how incredible I am. And I’m definitely not posting this to vent.
Rather, I’m posting this thread for people who used to be like me, postponing their dreams because they’re afraid they would hurt or offend some family member or lose a friend.
It doesn’t take long to see who’s invested in your life and who isn’t.
Leave your city for a month. See who’s going to stay in touch with you and who won’t express much interest in what you’re doing.
If your friends only show interest in you when you’re in the same location, are they really your loyal friends?
If your family members can’t share the joy you have when fulfilling your dreams, do you really need to live where they live?
Ask yourself if the people for whom you’re sacrificing your life would do the same for you. If they can’t take the time to talk with you when you’re away, it’s possible they don’t prioritize the relationship as much as you do.
I’m a nice guy who always puts the needs of others above himself. Inevitably, it leads to dissatisfaction, frustration, and over the long term, depression.
My trip has showed me that first it’s you who needs to be happy. If you’re only capable of being happy away from your friends and family, then that’s okay. They should live their own lives and you should live yours.
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