The first time you hit travel crack you feel it big time. Euphoria laced with bits of anxiety pulsates through every vein. Time warps and the limit to all the crazy things that can happen in a day expand.
The only people around who know what you’re going through are other backpackers and you talk to them as if today were the last. ‘Where ya headed? Where ya from? small talk quickly elevates into more meaningful connections.
These connections drive you from city to village to country. You traverse landscapes and soak in sunsets. You experience at a rate that challenges your brain’s processing power. But when you look back on the first few days on travel crack, by some divine logic, it somehow all makes sense.
Over the past 3 days, I’ve tasted the travel crack once again and I’m hooked.
The Last 3 Days On Travel Crack
I went from the airport to San Salvador where I met a great Canadian couple from Whistler who were heading to El Tunco so we decided to split a cab and I made it back to Papaya Hostel where I soaked in the pool and ate Papusas before falling into a deep sleep only to be stirred awake by the light of a new day that was full of new people that I had to meet like that Norwegian couple who also had a travel blog but were leaving soon to Nicaragua and inspired me to board a bus to Antigua, Guatemala that resulted in a long chat with the driver who was saving to buy his own bus and start a tour company because he believed that if the old couple from Florida who had sailed to Guatemala and had been living there for over 3 months had the correct information about visas they wouldn’t of gotten stuck at the border and we wouldn’t of had to drive them back to Antigua where the driver dropped them at the same hotel before taking me to a local hotel that I was sure no other backpackers were staying at but to my surprise found an awesome Japanese girl and her Chinese husband who invited me to eat dinner with them during which I got to practice my Japanese and discover that her husband was a travel writer who had published two books in China a country of over 1 billion people a thought that induced exhaustion and I retired to my private room where I read Kafka On The Shore until I awoke the next day which happens to be today.
Antigua, Guatemala
Fate, Destiny Or Whatever You Want To Call It
It’s only now, as the initial shock of being on the road subsides that I can reflect. I understand that by some kind of fate, the path I took was entirely pre-determined.
It was no accident that I met Norwegian bloggers and a lovely Japanese couple with lots in common. It is no surprise that I am here where I am now, at 5 pm on the shores of the most beautiful lake in the world.
I’m not worried anymore about where I’m headed next because I trust that everything will work out as it is supposed to. The anxiety has dissipated and I am left with only the euphoria and tranquility of the travel crack. The best part!
Lake Atitlan, land of eternal spring
Conclusion
By my estimates, one day on the road is equal to one week in the sedentary life. You experience, learn, and connect so rapidly that you can hardly comprehend what’s happening. Only until the initial rush wears off can you see the path and learn to trust in fate.
“It’s the crack, the crack is the good time, having the crack is the good time,” the Irishman from a surf documentary repeats as serious as a cop searching for lost kilo’s of crack.
Whether he’s talking about actual crack or metaphorical surfing crack it’s unclear. Either way, the best kind of crack is life induced crack and nothing beats the travel crack. Do you mind if I say crack one more time? CRACK!
Hey, Leif, love your blog. I’ve only known about this for a few days, but your blog has already caused me to rethink the whole “college/work/marriage/kids” cycle. However, I have a question. In this entry you mentioned practicing your Japanese. I’m horrible at languages. Maybe it’s only because I’ve just been in classroom settings, I don’t know, but I pretty sure being unable to speak the local language will hinder my traveling abilities. Do you have any tips on how to learn languages other than English?
Hey Allie, that’s awesome, thanks! You really don’t need to know another language besides English. It helps if you can speak the local language but you can get by with just a few words. After a while you really start to pick up on body language and you can be understood and understand just about everywhere. But if you really want to learn another language, check out http://www.runawayguide.com/runaway-travel-guides/the-secret-to-learning-languages/
This is brill! I’ve been cold turkey for too long…too long
Get on the travel crack! :)
Crack = craic. Its the banter! The conversations and good times you have with those around you! Great article and brings back some excellent memories!!
O, didn’t realize it was craic, thanks for letting me know. Cheers brother!
Great article! Love your blog Leif! I thought of running away myself when I was 15. I actually found your blog while doing research on how to do it. I was immediately hooked. The more I read your articles, the more I realized that running away wasn’t going to solve my problems and that there was no way that I could make my myself any happier somewhere else especially with the guilt of what I would have done to my family and friends. You made me realize that it wasn’t about how bad the place that you were at was or even about how good the place you were going is gonna be, but that it was about the adventures you find in between. Believe me I still have travel fever and plan to travel the world one day, but you inspired me to stay strong, be content, and find the adventures where I am at now. Thank you so much! BTW if you aren’t immersed in too many novels at the moment, you should try to read The Walking Drum by Louis L’amour. It’s what inspired me to want to travel at a young age. Thank you so much again, maybe one day we’ll meet on the road and I’ll buy you a drink. Lol. Good luck and safe travels!
Hey Logan! I’m really happy to hear it. It means a lot to me. Thanks for letting me know. I will definitely check out that book, thanks for the recommendation. I would love to grab a drink one day! Let me know :)
Awesome!!!