Grant Lingel shares his story of backpacking through Central America, and the journey of discovering who he is.  If you are looking for the clean, light story of a backpacker, this is not it.  Grant is very open in the memoir of his adventures including details of purchasing drugs in Mexico and sex on the beach, not just the cocktail.  However, if you are intrigued by his honesty, then you would enjoy his story.

You see, Grant bought a one-way plane ticket to Mexico and only had $300 in his pocket.  Sound interesting?  Grant’s spontaneous spirit is unforgettable and extremely shocking while reading his story.

I enjoyed reading the adventure he shares in IMAGINE: A Vagabond Story.  However, I was disturbed by his brutal honesty during the retelling of the decisions he made.  Most individuals would be ashamed to retell a story of sex on a beach with a high school girl then bribing the Mexican police with cash, not be thrown into jail.  Most individuals would also be ashamed to share their tale of being caught by Mexican police (again, I know…) after purchasing cocaine, and lying your way out of it.

Grant Lingel is not ashamed.  He openly shares, without holding back.  If this is the type of book you enjoy, then go for it, and order a copy today.

As for Grant, I have to hand it to him for actually writing a book and publishing his travel adventures.  I have not written a book.  Let alone a 315 page book.  I can only imagine it took a lot of time and effort to record the journey.

I continued to read and hoped for a huge transformation of lifestyle choices and personal discovery to occur.  Even when I only had less than 50 pages left to read, I still hoped for a personal transformation.  I read hints of this transformation, but also continued to read of more drugs and sex.

• Girls from Norway go topless: “…a very cute and topless Norwegian girl named Birgit.  She was in Playa for two months learning Spanish with thirty-four other Norwegian girls.” page 266.
• The search for the magic mushrooms: “Sebastian told us that Palenque was famous for its magic mushrooms…” page 281.
• It took Grant an entire day to realize that he had already met the same traveler a few cities back:  ”She thought it was a riot that it took the two of us an entire day to realize we had already met before and told me to stop smoking so much pot.” page 308.

Now to Grant’s credit, I also read improved travel logic and some reflection during those last 50 pages:

• Considering the people he had met from all around the world: “I was still baffled by the fact that such different people could relate so well.” page 255.
• Again, Grant recognizes, its all about the people: “I was incredibly touched by his kind words and continued to realize that it’s the people along the way that you meet who make your trip, make your world and your life.  It is they who shape you into the person you become.” page 262.
• Self catering…a great way to save money while traveling:  ”We returned to a busy hostel that evening with bags of pasta and veggies in hand.  I was pretty much eating the same meal every night: pasta or rice with cooked veggies.  Oddly, I was still enjoying it night after night and loved how it kept my wad of savings intact.” page 270.

I agree with Grant that travel is all about the people you meet.  I also enjoyed that Grant shared he is a vegetarian.  Justin and I are both vegetarians and have backpacked all around the world with no difficulty finding delicious food.  In fact, certain areas of the world are a perfect match for “veg-friendly” eating.

Although, I cannot personally recommend this book as a travel philosophy book, I can recommend it to someone who would enjoy reading a book like Grant’s story.  I don’t believe that Grant set out to write a travel philosophy book.  Instead, it is a candid story of all of his adventures and mistakes along his journey.

Grant, Thank you for asking us to review your book.  I had lots of fun!  I kept reading, wanting to grab my backpack and head out to explore.  After reading about your travels in Central America, I want to talk Justin into spending our summer traveling and learning Spanish.

Traveling allows more time to read.  It’s a simple fact.  Travel is a reason to love books.

Whether it’s on an 8 hour flight or a few days at the beach.  Traveling will even inspire a non-avid reader to flip through pages endlessly.

Books are great travel companions.  They are lightweight.  If you get tired of what they are saying you can simply close it.  If you loose a book along the way, it could be upsetting if you were at a suspenseful place in the book.  Overall books are inexpensive and easily replaceable.

As you complete a book along your travels you may give the book away, bring it home for your personal book collection or donate it to a local library.

If you want a new book along your journey, there are countless options beyond the airport bookstore.

Get new books as you travel

• A used book store
• A garage sale
• Book exchange shelves at hostels
• Ask the person sitting next to you on the train, bus or plane if they have finished reading their book, you could even offer to buy it from them.
• An Amazon Kindle or other electronic book reader – this will allow you to bring an entire library (100’s of books) along your travels.  Easily the the best item in my backpack.  I would recommend a Kindle to anyone!

As you travel and explore the new places, it is also good to explore new elements of reading.

Mix reading and Traveling

• Read a fictional novel set in the area of the world in which you will travel to in the future.
• Read a new form of literature – ex. Always reading the classics?  Try a modern tale by an unfamiliar author.
• Read a text book – learn a new language
• Read the local newspaper – attend a local activity or sporting event
• Go for a reading walk (works well in urban environments) – read billboards, traffic signs, flyers and other forms of media that have infiltrated the culture.
• Be creative!  Experiment with new forms of travel that play well with literature.

Reading and traveling can be fascinating.  Mixing the two together can often lead to even more enjoyable experiences and adventures.   Some individuals have began to combine Book Crossing in their travel adventures.  This will allow you to leave books behind at a cafe, museum or other fun location for someone else to discover and read.  You will be able to follow the books online and track who else reads them and where the books travel.

Even if you are currently unable to travel, a book can take you there.  Don’t let anything hold you back.  You too can say, ‘been there, read that’.

© nomadbackpackers.com -  All rights reserved 2009

On April 6th, Natalie and I returned to Detroit Michigan to encourage my father in his fight against cancer. After 3 difficult weeks, dad lost his battle with cancer and died on April 21st. This is a difficult and heartbreaking time for my entire family. Natalie and I were very encouraged by the outpouring of support from the blogosphere and fellow travelers. Thank you.

As Natalie and I are needed close to home at the moment, I am not sure when we will pick up our backpacks and hit the trail again for an extended journey. As a result, we are currently brainstorming (and taking suggestions) about the future of this site. I know that we will be traveling, on a limited basis, around the United States and articles from these up coming journeys will appear here. I also know that we will be filling in the gaps on this site with stories and advice from our 6 months abroad. However, in the next couple of days we will post a new poll regarding the future of the site. Your feedback is important so be sure to vote. For the moment however, in honor of my father and the many things that he taught me, I will leave you with something I wrote for his funeral.

He Was My Dad

Only at this point in my life, has it occurred to me that Tom Boyd was many different men to many different people.

For some, Tom was a co-worker, an employee, a salesman; the old man in the office. For others, he was a student, a teacher, a mentor, a role model. Many, found Tom to be a friend, a confidant, a calming influence in times of uncertainty. He was a loyal parishioner, a Sunday School teacher, a church board member, a Royal Ranger commander. Tom was at times a son, a brother, a husband, a father, a Papa.

But to me; to me, he was my Dad.

My father was a patient man. I grew up in a world filled with early morning soda pop and donut laden fishing trips. I spent many Saturday mornings wandering in the tall wet grass of a local par 3 golf course, vainly searching for my wayward ball. It never occurred to me that my father was actually interested in catching fish (I thought it was all about the donuts) or that a par three golf course was not exactly challenging for his golf game. I never thought about this because my father was a patient man. On the surface he was teaching me how to fish or how to golf but really, he was slowly, one golf swing at time, teaching me about life. Teaching me how to be a man.

He was my Dad.

My father was a dreamer. He grew up fast and poor in the east side of Detroit and like many members of the Detroit boomer generation, college seemed like more of a luxury than a necessity. I know Dad was a hard worker who dedicated himself to early morning paper routes and winter bridge construction projects. I know Dad eventually decided to go to college and he spent 10 years working full time and going to night school. I don’t know if he was always a dreamer or if he learned it along the way but I never knew him not be working on a dream. Dad was not a selfish man, and his dreams…they were not selfish dreams. He dreamed of buying a home in a good school district so Jason and I could obtain a solid education. He dreamed that his sons would go to college and that we would have opportunities that were never available to him. He dreamed about traveling to Europe with my mom; about building a retirement home where him and my mother could spend their retirement. He dreamed so many dreams. I loved listening to Dad’s dreams because they were contagious. His dreams were magnetic, often pulling other people along in their wake and inspiring them to dream their own dreams. Dad taught me how to dream.

He was my Dad.

My father was dependable. He could be relied on to keep his word, to honor his commitments, to be where he said he would be. Dad taught by example, demonstrating that character, like reputation, was the sum of one’s choices. When Dad said he would be there to watch my soccer game, I never doubted that he would be there. When Dad said he would find a way for me to pay off my student loans, I trusted him. In his relationships, Dad had no use for guessing games and half truths. He was dependable and he expected dependability out of the people he associated with. Like many of the people who knew him, my relationship with Dad was built on his dependability. On the value of his word. On the strength of his character.

He was my Dad

Dad was generous and trustworthy, a peacemaker, a moderator, a good listener. He was humble and, at times quiet, reflective and introspective. He was a model host, the easy guy to talk to at a party, a welcoming face in an unfriendly crowd. He was assertive without being pushy, knowledgeable without arrogance, proud without being prideful.

He was my Dad

He avoided attention and accolades. He would have been very uncomfortable with the attention paid to him at his funeral. He would have told us not bother. That people were busy and that he did not need to be honored.

He was my Dad.

He was not perfect though. He was disorganized to the point of chaos. He could be reactionary and, at times, cranky. He was hopeless with technology. Dad hated shopping and was legendary for making impulse purchases. He forgot his wedding anniversary. More than once.

He was my Dad.

Saying goodbye to Dad is hard, but not difficult. It would be difficult to say goodbye if Dad had burdened me with  insecurities. He did not. It would be difficult to say goodbye if Dad was sparse with praise and difficult to please. He was not. It would difficult to say goodbye if I questioned whether or not he loved me. If I questioned whether or not he was proud of me. If I questioned whether he agreed with the man I was and the man I am becoming. I do not.

In the coming years I will miss my father. I will miss out on the relationship a son has with his dad, as the two grow older. I will miss out on seeing him become a Papa to my children. I will miss out on asking his advice and seeking his counsel as we drink wine in the dark, looking up at the stars

My father is gone and, in the coming years, I will find my own way to say goodbye. I wish….I just wish that my life was not so much dimmer in his absence.

I will miss my dad.

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The concept of ‘Van-Dwelling’ presents another example of my  changing mindset.  I first heard of van dwelling while living in the States and even considered what my life would look like if Justin and I lived in a van.  No matter how much I thought about living in a vehicle (before I started backpacking), it always seemed rather bohemian or hippie.

That’s not me!  I could never do that!  Where would I shower?

However, meeting someone who has been living out of their van for more than a year, now seems normal.  I’ve even considered living out of a van for a year or more myself.

If I flew to Australia, bought a camper van, and worked as a free-lance barista, I could travel across Australia for virtually nothing and be able to sell the van before I ended my caffeinated Aussie adventure.

A few weeks ago, I realized I was changing.  Me, the person I am and have been for years.  Travel is changing me.  In my old life, one trip to the grocery store per week used to be plenty.  I used to feel defeated during the week if I needed to make a separate trip to the grocery store for an item or two.  Now, daily trips to the grocery store or market seem normal.  I do not have a refrigerator in my backpack, and the nomadic life tends to daily put me in new locations.  Thus,  my kitchen (and refrigerator) are also continually changing.  Most days it is impossible to buy food for more than a few meals at a time.  The ventures to the market become tedious, but I am unwilling to carry a cooler (although I have been tempted to buy a small one).  The most difficult sacrifice is being unable to sneak into the freezer for a few spoonfuls of ice cream.  I used to do this rather frequently, with great pleasure, before I traded in that life for a backpack and the world.

The ‘backpacker paradigm shift’ is occurring.  I am not completely positive how long this new way of thinking will last, but so far I like it!  Backpacking has been refreshing.  Now I meet friendly couples that invite me to park our Subaru for the night and camp out on their property.  As a bonus I also meet their vegetarian neighbors who are leading a sustainable lifestyle with an acre of avocado trees they planted themselves (15 years ago).  Cliff and Paula gave me a plastic grocery bag with 20 huge avocados.  Could life get any better?

Well, it’s not always perfect.  You should see some of the bathrooms I have used along our journey and even they don’t compare with my time studying in China.  I know the worst bathrooms are yet to come as we travel to Asia.

As I backpack my outlook on life will continue to evolve.  I am not sure what stereotypes or opinions I have tightly held onto will be challenged next.  But until then, I will learn to accept the unpleasant, and even drink the burnt coffee.

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Currently, I am cruising on the Coral Sea towards the Great Barrier Reef.  I am surrounded by water.  It’s everywhere I look.  In fact, some days cruising at sea causes the inability to view any land in the distance.  Although I am surrounded by fantastic blue H2O, none of it is drinkable, as it is salty ocean water.

Growing up in Michigan, surrounded by the Great Lakes which are full of abundant fresh water, I didn’t realize what a treasure truly surrounded me.  The Great Lakes contain roughly 22% of the world’s fresh surface water.  Not everyone has that much fresh water readily accessible.

This years theme for World Water Day is “Shared Water – Shared Opportunities”, with a special focus on transboundary waters.  Through better transboundary water practices we are able to create mutual respect and trust between countries.  Because fresh water sources are a hot commodity, it is important to share and literally keep the peaceful waters flowing.

Although World Water Day occurs only once a year, people are daily facing water crisis all around the world.  So, tonight when you brush your teeth or even the next time you go to the bathroom, be grateful for the water right at your finger tips.  And tell someone what today is, in efforts to spread awareness.  Otherwise it will just get flushed down the toilet and forgotten.

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Over the past 3 weeks I have worked for a service based hospitality/tourism lodge that caters to a wealthy clientele. (For the purposes of this argument, wealthy implies that a couple makes in access of $US 250,000 a year). The clientele is often respectfully curious about how Natalie and I, as Americans, came to be working at a luxury lodge in New Zealand. These conversations usually contain an abbreviated version of why we are pursuing long term travel as a lifestyle and how/when those decisions were reached. These conversations tend to be abbreviated because I find it difficult to juggle drink orders for 9 tables (was that 3 gin/tonics and 1 house Merlot or 5 gin/tonics and 2 house Sauvignon Blancs?) while having a philosophical conversation regarding my personal views on the allure of extended travel.

After several rounds of “good for you”, “it is good to get that out of the way while your young”, and “I wish I’d done that before we started having kids” often comes the awkward questions.

“Does the lodge provide nice staff housing?”

“Well, I am sure the lodge provides you with a vehicle right?”

The staff housing question makes some sense because many seasonal jobs provide staff housing options that are rented by the employer to the employee. In our case, we found that we could make more cash by finding a job that required us to locate our own housing option. The provided vehicle question however, always catches me a bit off guard. Natalie and I are not involved in highly specialized jobs (read: developing next generation nano technology) here in New Zealand. The people who ask these questions often do so while I am making drinks and washing glasses so they should be well aware of my “expert” skill set. In what type of world would an employer give me a car so that I can get back and forth from a job where I spend my days weeding the garden, mixing drinks, and washing dishes?

These questions are usually asked with a slight amount of arrogance, clearly communicating that the interviewer is almost certain of my answer. The question is really just a confirmation of their assumed expectations informed by their class perspective. Except they’re wrong. My seasonal job did not come with a staff housing option (or allowance) and they did not throw in a loner car as a signing bonus. My guess here is that I am not the only seasonal worker in New Zealand providing their own housing and transportation.

Typically, after hearing my response, the interviewer gives me a look that is a cross between “whelp, I just made a fool of myself” and “how stupid are you to work a job with so little benefits”. I am not offended that, according to their world view, even low end jobs must come with excellent benefits or incentives. I was also not offended by the lady from L.A. who wanted to know where I was going to school for my hotel management degree. I am a bit concerned however about the narrow world view of the wealthy.

It bothers me that they are so out of touch with the root causes that create a cycle of poverty for working class people. I am worried about a world where many people who have both power and wealth assume that low end jobs come with high end perks.(The bag boy at the grocery store probably gets all of his groceries for free) Perhaps more than anything, I am surprised that educated wealthy people know so little about working class jobs as to confidently proclaim such incorrect assumptions.

What is it about wealth that causes people to see so little of the world around them to believe that these types of assumptions are correct? Do you have a funny story about the assumptions of the wealth (“let them eat cake” does not count)? Share them.

We are backpacking and plan to be on the go for a year or so.  I am choosing to participate in Blog Action Day 2008 and discuss poverty globally.  Even only a few weeks into our backpacking adventure, we have already seen glimpses of several homeless, hungry, lost individuals.  Although Rome is a beautiful historic city, their is a more painful side to all the beauty and romance, as poverty is a tragedy many Romans witness.

However, I would like to share a story from a few summers ago where I witnessed the harsh reality of poverty. I was taking classes at a university in Beijing during the summer of 2005, while big construction plans for the Olympics were still well underway.  I had just finished my last final exam (even though I was nervous I ended up getting all A’s) and planned to go for a long walk.  I walked north away from the educational district, towards the Olympic planning sites.

As I got closer, I began to see the usual construction elements, including dirt, cranes, building materials, and other large intimidating vehicles.  As I turned right onto a major road I noticed a 50×300 ft large canvas advertisement showing an image of a luxury townhouse, set up to create more high income housing in Beijing and to enhance China’s image during the Olympics.  I also noticed a small cut in the middle of the enormous canvas draped so high and so wide across an opening.

Finding myself in an adventurous mood, I decided I try to fit through the small hole and see what was occurring behind the advertisement.  As I crouched through, the air escaped my lungs and I couldn’t breath for a minute. I had never seen anything like this before.  It appeared to be a shanty town of garbage, rubble, and debris.  It was a small poor Chinese community that had grouped together and formed a type of safe haven for themselves. Only, it was barren, almost like a ghost town.  Numerous signs of the people and families that had once lived there were plainly visible, but the majority of the community had obviously evacuate as a result of the construction.  As I was walking past these abandoned shack-like homes constructed of just about everything and anything, I was in so much shock I couldn’t cry.  Then I heard a noise.  It was nearby.  Was it a wild dog, was I going to be attached by a gang of Beijing rebels, but then I saw him.  Not too far from me was a child.  A young boy.  In a box.  As I saw him I was holding my camera and did the only thing that made sense.  I took a picture.  It seemed so American, I almost hate myself for it.  But I just knew that I might be able to share it someday as a way to share the very real problem of poverty our world currently faces.

I heard someone, hopefully a parent inside, and I knew it was my time to get going.  But I think about that little boy all the time.  I wonder, where does he live now that the Olympics came in and built a stadium on his home? He would be three years older now.  Is he able to go to school?  Does he have enough food?  Safe drinkable water?  Is he still alive?  I wish I could have helped.  I wanted to do something.  It was getting late and I needed to return to my dorm for the night.  I was almost 4 miles from my University.  I feel so shameful that I did nothing.  What could I do?  I prayed.  I still pray for him and his family.

On this Blog Action Day 2008 I will also pray for the young boy and that he may grow into an adult and help our world understand poverty and the many social issues we cannot ignore.  People are suffering and struggling all around the world.  This was just one story, from one woman.

Living without my jeans is not a big deal.  Their are so many others living with far less.  What could you live without?  If you gave up that pizza, could you donate to world vision?  If you gave up your Saturday could you volunteer at a shelter in your community?  Share ideas, things that you already do to help others, or things you plan on doing in the future to help end poverty.

Poverty is a part of every society and every culture. How a culture chooses to engage (or not) their specific brand of poverty spotlights the values and aspirations of its citizens.

With all this in mind, Natalie and I will be partnering with Blog Action Day to help change the international conversation about poverty. Head over to blogactionday.org to see how you can get involved.

Originally, I created this information as part of a  static page, but I am trying to cut down on the amount of static pages associated with this site.  Also, I think this information might be read more if it was published as a standard post. – Justin

When I tell someone that Natalie and I are going to spend a year traveling around the world, I receive many different reactions. The more I have thought about it, the more I think these reactions embody a genre of misconceptions that need to be, at least on this site, corrected. To start, if you think that Natalie and I are inordinately special, wealthy, or courageous people you may want to read our bios. The truth is that although we may not be Mr. and Mrs. Cookie Cutter American, we are more or less normal (i.e. we work, pay taxes, grew up in the suburbs, etc.) Perhaps that is why these comments are so interesting.

Example 1

Traveling for a year!?!? That sounds expensive. I will never be able to afford that.

Like you, and much to my disappointment, when I plant a $20 bill in the ground a tree bearing beautiful, green, United States of America $20 does not grow. Even if you make sure it has plenty of water and sunshine this method does not seem to work. That being said, it is true that travel of any kind takes a certain degree of money. The misunderstanding is that the average American cannot afford to spend 6 months to a year traveling the world. Throughout the planning process Natalie and I will write numerous post on how we are saving money for our trip. However, the travel book company Rough Guides produces a book entitled The Rough Guide to First-Time Around the World where they estimate that one year backpacking around the world could cost between $10,000 and $100,000. This basically depends on the choices you make in regards to the following items.

• Travel: How you want to get from one place to another and the level of luxury that you require
• Accommodations: Do you want to sleep in 5 star hotels or do you want to rent a bed in a hostel dorm room
• Food: Do you want to eat western style resort food? Do you want to eat from street vendors? Do you want to cook the food that you have purchased from the local supermarket?

In general I am going to say that budget travelers (i.e. Natalie and I) will spend considerably closer to $10,000 than $100,000. (I figured that was a given but just in case it was not…)

Example 2

Working is a way of life and I doubt that my boss will simply hire me back when I return. It will ruin my career if I do this.

I am not your boss and I don’t know how high you want to go up the career ladder. What I do know is that I think people should work to live, not live to work. You may not get your job back in a year and, if you do, you will probably not get promoted as quickly as people who did not take a year off to go see the world. All of that to say, working 40-50 hour weeks 50 weeks a year ( I hope you get 2 weeks “vacation”) so that you can afford to “live” the American dream may not be exactly what you had in mind.

It is likely that after traveling the world for a year you will be able to find another job. This will be a lot easier if you save some “help me find a job and get my life back in order money” that will not be used on your trip.

Example 3

How can I travel the world? I have never been outside of the United States, I only speak English, and heck, I don’t even have a passport!

Lets start with that passport.  Luckily for you the government is in the business of taking your money (about $100 for first time applicants) and giving you a passport. Even better, the government finally got around to joining the information age (okay, they figured it out about 5 years ago) so now you can find all of the information online.

From what I have read, and my limited experience traveling abroad, it is normal to be apprehensive about traveling to a new country. If you spend any amount of time traveling the world (or with increasing frequency the United States) you will run into people who do not speak English. Although this can be frustrating, treating people with respect and not acting like the Ugly American will see you through the tight spots. Now if you do not want to see other cultures and if you do not want to encounter people who cannot understand English,  than clearly world travel is not for you. But if you want to see the world, allowing a language barrier to stop you would be a travesty

1. - What is your inspiration or reason for doing this?
2. - What do you want to accomplish?
3. - What will you do with your life when this is over?

Although I have considered these questions in one form or another Ben’s inquires intrigued me to the point where I thought I should write about them for no other reason than to gain clarity (I am a teacher by trade so reflective writing is part of the territory). Also, living in my hometown again forces me to answer questions from well meaning friends and relatives and writing out my thoughts will help me to not confuse the next 25 people who ask me

Wait, you are doing what in 5 months?

Our inspiration or reason for doing this?

At first, I thought the answer to this question was obvious. I mean, who would not want to spend a year traveling the world, meeting new people, embracing new cultures and probing the depths of their character and personality through a copious number of new experiences? The more I thought about it however the more complicated the answer became. What I have come up with is this: I am both dissatisfied and disillusioned with American dream and its accompanying lifestyle and culture.

As a student of history, I have read and studied the short history of the United States in perverse detail. I understand how this country became a super power and why the American dream is an instrumental part of our cultural consciousness. My sophomore year American history teacher summarized the American dream as follows.

The American dream is about owning your own home and creating for your children a better life than your own.

Quite a few large paper weights have been written that expand on this idea, but for the purpose of this explanation I believe the above summary will suffice. For many Americans, chasing the American dream involves the creation of a strong work ethic and the necessary persistence to fight for our version of the American Dream. This has lead to many Americans working 50-60 hour weeks 52-54 weeks a year. As a nation, we are obsessed with work and this cultural obsession has greatly contributed to many of the things that make this country enviable. Arguably as Americans, we spend so more time working as an adult that we spend doing anything else. Logically, we become defined by what we do (i.e. Hi, my name is Justin and I am a technical writer). Perhaps if I worked less I would feel more confident saying:

Hi, my name is Justin and I am a poet, who occasionally enjoys creating original musical compilations with my wife and my 12 inch powerbook. I enjoy reading and I occasionally dabble in philosophy. To support this lifestyle, I work as a technical writer.

Problematically, I spend so much time working that the things I really want to do, the reason that I went to college and graduated with a teaching degree (more on why I am not using that some other time) fit into the cracks between work, family, and sleep.

Do not be mistaken, I enjoy working. That is, I find pleasure in being able to financially provide for myself and my family through the labor of my body and my mind. I do not think I deserve to be paid for what I did not work for, nor do I hate going to work. The thing is I want to work to live instead of existing every day simply to work.

In observing the typical American lifestyle, I see many people pursuing the American dream of making more money, owning more stuff, and working more hours. Most of these individuals are not the poster children for job satisfaction and, if questioned closely, many of them tell me that they enjoyed life more when they had considerably less money. In searching for the American dream, many people have become wealthy (or at the very least “well off”) but they seem to have misplaced their joy somewhere along the way.

I am disillusioned with the idea that if I work enough hours and climb the right ladders that I can buy happiness.

I am dissatisfied with the idea that the most productive years of my life should be spent working 50 hour weeks so I can own the right house, drive the right car, and take the right vacations.

Soapbox Warning: The average American takes somewhere between 5 and 20 vacation days per year. Often, American workers spend a week or more working extra hours to “prepare” for their up coming vacation. This is amusing as a “vacation” that requires the working of extra hours before taking and extra hours upon returning seems misnamed (perhaps it should be called recovery). Needless to say, the high stress working lifestyle many Americans “survive” in order to chase the American Dream causes the first several days of a vacation to fall into the resting category (i.e. sitting by the pool or on the beach sleeping and sipping on drinks with little umbrellas in them). This usually transitions into a frantic period of several days to a week where the American worker attempts to cram as much vacationing as possible into a small amount of time (i.e. “experiencing” all Europe has to offer in 7 days). As a result, even our vacations are stressful. To alleviate some of the stress, the typical vacation takes place on a cruise ship or at a nice resort where the American worker does not need to worry about encountering other cultures or experiencing new people or ideas. This feels too much like work and only adds stress to the ever dwindling vacation days the American worker has left.

Although not ideal, I am not mocking the cruise ship vacation or the high class resort. Both of these vacation options are luxurious, relaxing, and safe. The very things the average American worker needs to hold them over to the next vacation. What I am questioning is a culture that necessitates the creation of the “recovery” vacation in the first place.

Conclusion

Natalie and I are going to spend a year traveling the world simply because we want to. Underlying our desire to see the world and experience different cultures is the idea that perhaps the American Dream is not the only way to live and perhaps the very ideas that have made The United States a great country could be instrumental in its slow decline (think Roman Empire). It is possible that we will return state side with more questions and a sadly lacking dearth of answers. Either way a part of me, a part of us, is compelled to go experience the world and to see what we can learn along the way. If the whole experience is a complete bust, the American Dream will always be here, welcoming us home….to the workplace