The article, "NZ scientists track penguins' marathon winter travels," reveals the15,000km migration routes of rockhopper and Snares crested penguins during the souther hemisphere's winter that might be a key to understanding the reasons behind the decline of the population. (2016)
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My Yes/No question is:
Is it better to travel around, or stay in one place?
My answer is:
Yes, it is better to travelling around than staying in one place.
Let's take a break from the serious issues and pondering where would your future self be in the next five years. Would you be in the same place, doing the same things? Or would you be travelling around and experience the world?
Living in one place is an acceptable option for me. Growing up in a middle class suburban area, I had lived in a close-knit community for most of my life. We have a buzzing market and a department store close by, a park full of energetic kids, and a refreshing river that serves as the Moo Ban's backbone. I would enjoy Ngaan Wat festival, riding a merry-go-round, or eating from the food stands. Peaceful. Quiet. It never get boring. Moreover, the neighbours are kind. They would give us home-cooked foods, or look after our house when we were not home. We support each other. We are quite self-sufficient and independent. It could be said that I can live here forever.
However, last year was the first time I travelled far from home. I attended a school in the United States. This trip to the United States was a life-changing experience. I began my first class knowing nothing at all about this country. The smell of freshly cut grass drifted along the wind as I walked from the dorm to the dining hall in the morning. The colors and viscosity of maple syrup that I put on my pancakes are known by the local that they indicate the quality, taste, and smell of the syrup. Talking about the syrup makes me think of how fortunate I am to study in the northern part of the United States because it gave me the opportunities to learn the process of harvesting the syrup since the beginning from my teacher who own maple farm. The first day of school was a delightful morning followed by the classes. It is quite interesting that students can choose their own classes. Whatever they want to study is up to their decisions unlike Thai education where everything was shoved into your head. I always heard about the obesity problems in America through media. However, the information may not be accurate when I experience it myself. In Thailand, we would generally have an hour of physical education per week. In the United States, however, I had to do sports of my choices up to three hours a day after classes. So I took this chance to learn skiing, snowboarding, skating, baseball, and a little bit of mountain biking. In the winter, skating on the frozen river, I could see fish under clear ice while enjoying the stunning picturesque views of snow mountains. In the spring I learn baseball for the first time. It was quite a joyous moment to see your effort paid off when you hit the ball for the first time. It is beyond words to explain these experiences. I went beyond my comfort zone to learn new things and make new friends. I saw how they think. I compare the cultures to see what we need to improve. This trip to the United States broaden my horizon in many different ways.
Staying in one place has its own benefits. It is peaceful and predictable. Life goes on stably and slowly. However, travelling gives you more than that. It teaches you important lessons. It makes you wiser. Life is too short to staying in one place. My next destination is California. Where do you, the readers, see yourselves in the next five years?
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Reference
NZ scientists track penguins' marathon winter travels. (2016, August 12). BBC News. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-news-from-elsewhere-37058422
Reading your article makes me smile. Actually I have been asking the same question over the past few months even I already know the answer. And my answer is the same as yours. Roaming around the world sounds like a kind of ideal plan which most of us dream of. But life is not that easy. When it comes to life, I think changing is one of the most common problems which human need to handle. I find it hard to handle as well. I think we all like the condition in which you feel at ease or we can take control over the situation without much effort. That's what we called a comfort zone. Living in the comfort zone is easy and stress-free, yet truly dangerous. The most difficult part is fighting against yourself to overcome your fear and to break your limit. Quitting a job and go study aboard was my recent fight. The decision was made so whether or not it's the best decision, I have to live with it anyway. So life is just that. In order to get something, it costs you something.
ReplyDeleteAfter I read this post, It reminded me of my times in the US. I was around your age and I knew that it isn’t easy to live in a foreign country, but I want to step outside and give it a try. The day I arrived at Fort Worth Airport, I felt totally awkward since everything is new to me. My host family came with a “Welcome to Texas” board and pick me up at the airport. That was my first time at a stranger's house in my life and I couldn’t sleep at all. In my head I literally questions myself; what should I do?, How can I talk to them?, Do I gonna have friends?. Many questions went through my head but as times passed by, I gradually understand, accepted and learned many things. I went to church every Sunday even I’m Buddhist, I went to Thai restaurant and talked to the guy in Thai and he said sorry I’m not Thai, my teacher was very dedicated and it become one of the reason why I studied education. I faced many problems and I learned to solve it by myself. I experienced things that made me a better person. I don’t know what’s going to happen in the next five years but after I finish AEP, I'm looking forward to begin my journey again soon.
ReplyDelete"The smell of freshly cut grass" reminded me first of mowing the lawns at my family home in Australia when I was a child. I didn't love that job, but the smell is a powerful reminder when I come across it today. I didn't realise until much later how lucky I was to grow up on a large farm in a beautiful natural setting. And my father had set a few areas aside to keep as virgin scrub: we loved exploring there, worrying about snakes and deadly spiders as we pushed through the trees and bushes. Since high school, I've preferred living in the centre of large cities, but my rural upbringing helped make me who I am.
ReplyDeleteThe Ngaan Wat reminded me of the excitement of the annual agricultural show at the town about 30 km away: rides, food, animals and handicrafts, horse races, shows and crowds of local people from the surrounding farms and villages. And lots of sweets.
But after trying it for a couple of years, I realised that I don't like travelling. On my weeks off, I usually stay happily in Bangkok. The only place I regularly travel to is my family home in Australia, with an enjoyable day in Sydney before the domestic flight north.
So my preference is definitely to stay in one place.
DeleteSounds like you enjoy your stay in the United State a lot. I like that you are open-minded and grab your chance to gain new experiences. The way you tell your story really makes me want to get away right now. I love traveling a lot. Exploring new places, learn something new ,and get to know the locals are what I love to do. Once I get out there, It makes me addicted to the happiness of traveling and makes it's difficult for me to just stay here.
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ReplyDeleteYour expirence is so awesome. I love travel and I think it's a one way to open my world. Travelling give you more travel; in addition, it's not only you will visit new places, but you may learn new culture, new custom, and may also have new friends. May I share my experience in Japan. Last year, I went to hokkaido for learning to be a farmer. That is one of great things in my life. I met new friends like Japanese farmer and Italian farmer. They told me many brilliant things in their farm and also gave me some tips to do farming. We shared what we get from travelling as well. As your story, You make me interested in travelling to The United Stated. I hope one day I can have a chance to go there or others places. I am still young with more energy to travel, but I think if I will get older than now, next 30-40 years, I maybe find a calm place and stay at there.
ReplyDeleteI like the way you write your blog post. I can feel and imagine what you have experienced. I feel like I read a novel.
ReplyDeleteLiving in one place with familiar faces surrounding make people feel safe and comfortable. I think people can also gain new experiences even they live in the same place because there are a lot of things waiting for us to learn. However, this cannot be compared with travelling around to several places. Meeting new people and being surrounded with new environment can help people gain some skills which can not acquire in their hometown like adjustment skill.
Your style of writing is very engaging. I like it very much because it make me can see your story like it is shown in 4D theatre.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I love to travel around, I still want to stay in one place when the time to settle down has come. After I had graduated a bachelor of pharmacy degree, I chose to sway from being an ordinary pharmacist to be a flight attendant. This gave me infinite valuable experience. I had a chance to see new places, meet new people, try exotic foods, and learn to grow up. I have never felt sorrow that I made this decision. However, it is the time that my plane has to land. My next stop is to get a higher educational degree. For next 5 years, I think that should be the proper time for me to settle down with a happy life.
I think it's okay that we should have more experiences with the outside world than staying only in the houses. I also like travelling and I would like to visit many places which I never visit before. I think Thailand has a lot of places which wait everyone to discover. I don't often travel outside the country but I would like to go out as much as possible. I hope you will enjoy and be happy with your next destination.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that it is better to travelling around than staying in one place. Generally, travelling around the world would bring more benefits to our life rather than staying in the same place. You may gain communication skills and the way to be survival by yourself during your journey. Thus, these could bring you being more mature and more patient when you force to severe problem in the future.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you! I really like to go out and travel to another places. However, I don't have a chance to visit anywhere in the past one year because I got to do an A-level exam and IGCSE exam.
ReplyDeleteI would like to share some of my experience. Last Songkran break, I went to United State with my family. We went to Washington DC, New York and Boston. I got a chance to visit Massachusetts Institute of Technology's(MIT) Electrical Engineering & Computer Science(EECS) department.It is my dream to go to MIT. The weather in Boston is quite colder than New York and Washington DC.
Without travelling, I cannot find any motivation and unexpected experience.
I agree with you! I really like to go out and travel to another places. However, I don't have a chance to visit anywhere in the past one year because I got to do an A-level exam and IGCSE exam.
ReplyDeleteI would like to share some of my experience. Last Songkran break, I went to United State with my family. We went to Washington DC, New York and Boston. I got a chance to visit Massachusetts Institute of Technology's(MIT) Electrical Engineering & Computer Science(EECS) department.It is my dream to go to MIT. The weather in Boston is quite colder than New York and Washington DC.
Without travelling, I cannot find any motivation and unexpected experience.
Ugh! Cold weather. When I visited my family in Australia last month, it was the first time I'd been back in winter for more than two decades. It was an experience, but added greatly to the cost of my visit: I had to buy a new wardrobe, including a solid overcoat, for the five day trip. Maybe I'll go again next winter to get more value out of the new set of clothes in my wardrobe!
DeleteI usually visit over Songkran, which is the end of summer to mid-spring in Australia. The weather is cool, clear and generally beautiful. And much as I love hot weather, Songkran isn't a bad time to skip Bangkok for a week.
If you are going to study in Boston, I hope you like cold weather.