I paid you Brendon. $160 makes you a better person.

Travelling made you a fatter person.

I guess I'm full of memories then.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bism

Travelling made you a fatter person.

Ink erect.

You close one door…

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marshwah

I paid you Brendon. $160 makes you a better person.

But he was expecting a bag of dicks.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bism

Best.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mickstah

You close one door…

And then you break in through the window!

... right?

Quote:

Originally Posted by B_e_de

And then you break in through the window!

... right?

In Marshys case it is through the backdoor.

Something something tranny.

Amiriteguise?!

*watches likes stream in* Awwww yeeeeeeeah!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kellyboop

I'm all for travelling overseas and experiencing new cultures but what's wrong with exploring your home country? Lots of people do this and learn quite a lot about who they are, etc. etc.

It gives us an appreciation of where we call home. Nothing wrong with that!

Well said. Also, just because you have done the mileage, it doesn't automatically mean you have gained anything or 'furthered' yourself. I believe travelling 'teaches' you about yourself in very limited ways - and often those ways are unchallenged or indulgent. Sure they are facets of being well-rounded I guess but escapism isn't enlightenment.

I'm sitting here in China and don't feel like a better person. Infact, I feel like worse of a person because all I can think about is how much this place smells and how people need to not blow their noses into invisible tissues.

Oh and I'm pretty sure I saw a pile of human shit on the side of the footpath today.

Immerse yourself in the shit.

Embrace the shit.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bizzy

My two years away changed me. I think in a good way. Can't really explain exactly how but you really learn what is important and what isn't. I think everyone should travel. You just won't get it until you do it.

'Get' what though? I agree that you won't have first hand experience but there are plenty of intelligent, empathic people who 'get' things without first hand experience. I suppose it is the same for all things outside of travel as well - the conversion from information to knowledge. Not having first hand experience does not make people ignorant by default. You could travel the world and still be an ignorant ****.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SpaceMonkey

I think they're equally important personally- I kinda laugh at the people who go overseas for a bit and act all worldly and well rounded yet they've never been more than 100km from Sydney/Melbourne apart from maybe a trip up to Cairns or the Gold Coast. I think seeing a bit of rural Australia gives you a lot more perspective on where you're from, that sid I'[m not saying everyone has to do a road trip through the red centre or across the Nullabor.

Exactly! How is something far removed from your own experiences going to necessarily teach you more about yourself or your roots?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marshwah

Embrace the shit.

You would say that.

Quote:

Originally Posted by KingWicked

You could travel the world and still be an ignorant ****.

So very true. Some of the expats I've met while living overseas have lived/travelled in quite a few foreign countries and have been the most ignorant people I've met in my life.

Travelling does not make you a better person if you're a shit **** to begin with.

Quote:

Originally Posted by KingWicked

'Get' what though? I agree that you won't have first hand experience but there are plenty of intelligent, empathic people who 'get' things without first hand experience. I suppose it is the same for all things outside of travel as well - the conversion from information to knowledge. Not having first hand experience does not make people ignorant by default. You could travel the world and still be an ignorant ****.

Not disputing that good sir.

I will say there is propensity for people who don't travel, to be more ignorant ****s, than the group that choose to. Seems more abundant in the former group. Just saying.

Quote:

Originally Posted by KingWicked

Exactly! How is something far removed from your own experiences going to necessarily teach you more about yourself or your roots?

I can't speak for anyone but myself, but until I only owned what I had on my back, had no idea where I was sleeping the next night and had no idea where my next paycheque was coming from - I thought I knew myself. I had to quickly dismiss fear and doubt and just fuckin' relax while planning my next move to make sure I wasn't homeless or in trouble.

Sleeping in hostels, working there for 3 hours just for board and then spending the rest of the day doing temp labour jobs with crackheads just to feed/booze myself and then jobseeking that night really opened my eyes to a lot of things I take for granted. Working in hospitality instead of IT taught me to appreciate my job and the fantastic wages (AND leave/award) Australians receive, as well as a newfound respect for people in general. Having the sun only be a rare occurrence and have beaches that don't have waves made me appreciate our territories and our geographical treasures.

In general, I kinda feel that my perspective also changed in that what I used to consider a 'big problem' just no longer was when you compare it to being lost, alone and with nothing. I found myself more at ease and more calmer with everything also because of influence.. Y'see Canadians themselves are also amazingly tolerant and polite. When you're surrounded by people like that, you find yourself becoming very similar. Instead of being irritated at what I'd normally be irritated with, I'd learned to either ignore it, live with it or learn to metaphorically hi-5 it.

I can't say that my experience is a universal thing, and it may just because I was a spoiled brat before I left - but I certainly fucking appreciate the fantastic privileges we have in Australia a lot more now after living without them.

Quote:

Originally Posted by B_e_de

I can't speak for anyone but myself, but until I only owned what I had on my back, had no idea where I was sleeping the next night and had no idea where my next paycheque was coming from - I thought I knew myself. I had to quickly dismiss fear and doubt and just fuckin' relax while planning my next move to make sure I wasn't homeless or in trouble.

Sleeping in hostels, working there for 3 hours just for board and then spending the rest of the day doing temp labour jobs with crackheads just to feed/booze myself and then jobseeking that night really opened my eyes to a lot of things I take for granted. Working in hospitality instead of IT taught me to appreciate my job and the fantastic wages (AND leave/award) Australians receive, as well as a newfound respect for people in general. Having the sun only be a rare occurrence and have beaches that don't have waves made me appreciate our territories and our geographical treasures.

In general, I kinda feel that my perspective also changed in that what I used to consider a 'big problem' just no longer was when you compare it to being lost, alone and with nothing. I found myself more at ease and more calmer with everything also because of influence.. Y'see Canadians themselves are also amazingly tolerant and polite. When you're surrounded by people like that, you find yourself becoming very similar. Instead of being irritated at what I'd normally be irritated with, I'd learned to either ignore it, live with it or learn to metaphorically hi-5 it.

I can't say that my experience is a universal thing, and it may just because I was a spoiled brat before I left - but I certainly fucking appreciate the fantastic privileges we have in Australia a lot more now after living without them.

Awesome post.

I'm looking forward to being back in Australia. And I didn't have half the trouble Bede seems to have had, and apart from pangs of homesickness, barely a shit moment.

But it did make me realise a few things:
1) Proximity is not a good indicator for who your friends are;
2) I really enjoy the shit out of travel;
3) I really miss Australian culture and the Australian way.

I did start this thread in partial, provocative jest. But there was a truism in there. And if it doesn't resonate with you, then it's fucking sad.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marshwah

Not disputing that good sir.

I will say there is propensity for people who don't travel, to be more ignorant ****s, than the group that choose to. Seems more abundant in the former group. Just saying.

I think on average thats true, given that a percentage of people who don't travel are the kind of insular sort of people who really don't give a shit about experiencing anything new/different, while people who travel often do it specifically to broaden their horizons. But it's far from being a universal rule. Some people don't travel due to personal circumstances rather than lack of curiosity, and some people who do travel do it without any attempt to broaden their horizons and come back just as ignorant, but more smug and annoying.

Turns out Willy Wonka was right all along.

Media Player

There's A Better Place - Crazy P - YouTube

once, i travelled to adelaide... i was definitely a worse person after that

Definitely makes you appreciate many things we have here. For one, every convenience store in Europe has those open-air shelf fridges and nothing is ever cold... and on those hot ass Mediterranean days you just want an ice cold can of coke. I'd reach to the very back but it'd only ever be at that just cold temperature

Another thing I've learnt to appreciate probably more than anything is our beach culture. Just about every country in the world has a commercialised beach culture, whereas it's engrained in Australian law to be the opposite of that and for all our beaches to be egalitarian places for everyone to come and use. That means nobody owns the sand and you can put your towel down wherever you want without any bars and deck chair businesses. We couldn't even put our towels down in front of a section of deck chairs on a beach in Tuscany even though we were in front of all the chairs and near the water, they own that whole fucking strip to the water apparently. They point you down to the free area at the ass end of the beach near the breakwall, but luckily the next place along didn't notice/care and we swam there. This beach went for kilometers and their were deckchairs along the whole thing. But it's made up for by what else you learn, like that Italian women are incredible and that Aussie girls aren't necessarily 'the hottest chicks in the world'.

This was the beach in Viareggio which is a great town everyone should go to when they're in Italy, there are the snowcapped Italian alps just inland. The clouds hang over them and don't move then you have this cut off of clear blue sky over the town.

Love the picture mate. Sounds like an amazing experience apart from the deck chairs fiasco.

The "deck chair fiasco" is all a load of shit though. They don't actually have proper permits, rather they pay off councillors to allow them to illegally claim public land. It's an epidemic on the Mediterranean coastline. If you're a local you can get away with telling them to piss off (like I do anywhere in Croatia) but good luck if you're a tourist.

Thanks and yeah it was, Italy's an amazing place. You haven't eaten until you've been there. I'm salivating.

Oh man. I should have revised my thread.

Travelling makes you a better person, but going to Europe (like I am in June) - makes you an awesome person.

Today is my last day of my trip and I am in Moscow, having spent 6 weeks in Europe. Travelling definitely gives you a new perspective on Australia and highlights the great (and shit) things about our country. I haven't even got home yet and already I wanna start planning my next trip, experiencing new cultures, places and people is an amazing thing.

Quote:

Originally Posted by chegoon

once, i travelled to adelaide... i was definitely a worse person after that

yep, Adelaide was worse for it too.

I remember the headline "another shit ignorant westie visits"

#memories

Quote:

Originally Posted by B_e_de

I can't speak for anyone but myself, but until I only owned what I had on my back, had no idea where I was sleeping the next night and had no idea where my next paycheque was coming from - I thought I knew myself. I had to quickly dismiss fear and doubt and just fuckin' relax while planning my next move to make sure I wasn't homeless or in trouble.

Sleeping in hostels, working there for 3 hours just for board and then spending the rest of the day doing temp labour jobs with crackheads just to feed/booze myself and then jobseeking that night really opened my eyes to a lot of things I take for granted. Working in hospitality instead of IT taught me to appreciate my job and the fantastic wages (AND leave/award) Australians receive, as well as a newfound respect for people in general. Having the sun only be a rare occurrence and have beaches that don't have waves made me appreciate our territories and our geographical treasures.

In general, I kinda feel that my perspective also changed in that what I used to consider a 'big problem' just no longer was when you compare it to being lost, alone and with nothing. I found myself more at ease and more calmer with everything also because of influence.. Y'see Canadians themselves are also amazingly tolerant and polite. When you're surrounded by people like that, you find yourself becoming very similar. Instead of being irritated at what I'd normally be irritated with, I'd learned to either ignore it, live with it or learn to metaphorically hi-5 it.

I can't say that my experience is a universal thing, and it may just because I was a spoiled brat before I left - but I certainly fucking appreciate the fantastic privileges we have in Australia a lot more now after living without them.

Great reply by the way and I largely agree with your sentiments but I guess vary on the interpretation of them.

Warning: this reply will most likely be meandering, waffley and possibly contradictory all at the same time

I think you have hit the nail on the head when you discuss perspective and things in your life that you take for granted but in my view these things are (arguably) external to your personality in as much as they are about attitude and reflect your outlook. Travel is often touted as being this great mystical interloper that converts anyone it touches, bestowing near magical insight on the recipient and injecting personal attributes that previously didn't exist and that is the intimation that I generally find the most distracting. What I believe does most definitely happen is as you have stated that you have a greater appreciation of (and affection for) certain aspects of life and you refine and sharpen your critical assessments. By willingly entering a new environment you put yourself outside your comfort zone and that will cause you to use aspects of your personality that may have been fairly dormant in the past.

In your first example - confidence and learning to roll with the punches... was that a new element of yourself or just one that you hadn't needed to utilise before? Maybe the 'brat' did learn he could be self-sufficent due to the distance involved. It sounds like you became more resourceful than you felt you would be.

Personally I feel that in most instances people have always had the capacity they end up drawing on - it's not like travelling gave them this anew; it's just they had not been pushed to that before. By going somewhere that is far from your previous experiences and placing yourself amongst strangers you can as someone else said in this thread present yourself as a blank slate. I kind of baulk at that a touch as it can often mean you actually become a mirror only reflecting the people you are around! BUT, in it's best sense it means you can adjust the proportions of your personality free of expectation, prejudice, familiarity or personal fear - you can be a bit quieter if you have a partymad**** reputation; you can be more compassionate than your cynical social group would normally express themselves; affectionate, more gregarious if you're normally quiet etc - it goes on and on.

Is that learning something new that you were ignorant of or are you just having the chance to express different facets of yourself? Maybe the learning is that you prefer that 'version' of yourself and you try and hold true to that when you return?

I reckon travel exacerbates and acts as a magnifying catalyst so that these traits can be honed faster and more solidly than if you were in usual surroundings but I don't feel it is the sole route for 'improving' yourself. I also agree that being absorbed in different cultures opens your eyes to a different way to approach the world.

I think I have been lucky in some of the people I have met both at home and overseas; there are several people who have been truly inspiring and are doing incredible things to further others lives who have never 'travelled' and yet are remarkable spirits and sure as fuck are devoid of anything due to having invested in their own experiences in their own countries. It's a fuck sight harder to achieve that personal equilibrium at 'home' and I admire people who can do it with all of the resident pressures we all have (work/other people etc) rather than in the relative freedom of anonymity and freedom of responsibility that most travel imbues.





tl;dr?

Travelling should not will give you a better outlook on life and a greater perspective

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kellyboop

Travelling does not make you a better person if you're a shit **** to begin with.

correct.

Some of my friends who travel alot are selfish shit****s.

They are all going to BOOM festival and then Outlook fesitval, so JELLY !

But yeah, i don't get how you can try to make the argument that something only a few privaleged people can afford makes them better people than those who can't !

Unless this whole thread is a parody of itself, it seems obvious that the only person who is ignorant is the TS insinuating that such a broad term like "travelling" makes everyone automatically better (the ignorance obv relating to the points king wicked raised)

but yeah, i'm going overseas again for 6 months in 3 months time, so i can tell you all about the world when i get back again anyway

Quote:

Originally Posted by pEAkeR_hAT

it seems obvious that the only person who is ignorant is the TS insinuating that such a broad term like "travelling" makes everyone automatically better

It's fucking sad.

Way to take the thread title so literally people. Gaining perspective from travel is a good thing, it doesn't mean someone that can't afford it is a worse person or that it magically converts dickheads to saints.

Quote:

magically converts dickheads to saints

like Moses

Quote:

Originally Posted by pEAkeR_hAT

But yeah, i don't get how you can try to make the argument that something only a few privaleged people can afford makes them better people than those who can't !

Travel is long beyond the times of it being a reserved experience for the upper classes; go overseas and see the proof that any **** can get a plane ticket. Travel is ludicrously cheap these days - sure it's all relative but most people with a bit of discipline could save the funds to do a decent trip if they really wanted to.

What type of travel are we talking about? USA? Europe? South Africa? Iraq? Too general a thread. Doesn't deserve an answer. But anyway... I'd imagine travelling to Iraq and risking your life would be more life-changing than staying in a few hostels and going from temp job to temp job to feed your alcoholism. I'd also imagine space travel would be the most liberating since only a small group of people in the world have done it. But going to first world countries to party it up? No.

Whatever you want it to be mr cynical, why don't you regale us with one of your life threatening intrepid adventures?

Shanghai is neat and all but I don't think I could come back here and really don't know how the fuck I lived here for three years. It's so polluted I haven't seen a blue sky or the sun since I got here. Everywhere is dirty and the sound that people make to hoark up whatever it is they've breathed in before they spit is cringeworthy. Also having to dodge people spitting as they don't really look to see who it might land on is another thing you have to keep in mind when walking around here. People use the bathroom in the middle of the sidewalk and I even saw a woman holding her son up while he pooped in the middle of the floor in the grocery store. Really cannot wait to get back to Australia, where people keep their body noises somewhat quieter in public and go to the bathroom in bathrooms (except on Chapel Street on a Friday night).

No it doesn't. Being a better person makes you a better person.

Deep, huh?

Quote:

Originally Posted by walkdogz

Whatever you want it to be mr cynical, why don't you regale us with one of your life threatening intrepid adventures?

I know that was directed at me but I have one...
Go to googlemaps, search for "4 Irlavas iela, Rīga, Rīga galvaspilsēta, Latvija" swivel to the right and thats me in the adidas and granny bag, getting beeped at and called a **** for walking in the middle of the road, by a google car driver.

True story, that makes me like a super cool person yeah?

there was a perfectly adequate foothpath there

I think travelling humbles you...breaks down your prejudices and preconcieved notions..teaching you how to adapt.

My recent adventure overseas made me realise the people I went with are fucktards and I dont have time for their shit, and that I am more awesome than them.

and you make a hotter Power Ranger.

I'm going to Europe all September, then the US later, then probably cruising around South America.

Then I'm going to Africa on Safari next year, Macau and maybe Japan and Korea.

I should be the most awesomest **** who ever dared to awesome by the time I come back

You're trying to hard.