I’m not a morning person, sometimes it amazes me that I spent five years working at a job where I woke up at 2am. Even though I can work and function properly any time before 10am feels like a sleepy haze. Except when I travel. I’m different when I travel. I don’t become a different person, but travel changes me. I am different when I travel. Suddenly mornings when I travel are not a problem. I can wake up at 6am or 7am and feel fine.
It isn’t just that though. In my regular life I can get kind of lazy. I am addicted to sleep, some days 10 hours of sleep doesn’t seem like enough. And there are many times where I’ll come home and just watch television or just browse on the computer for hours. But when I travel I like to go out and do something. I don’t feel compelled to stay inside my hotel room and watch tv. I want to explore, meet new people.
A picture I took while paragliding in Austria. I’m afraid of heights, yet when I travel this seems fine.
Travelling alone is the one time I feel like I can really be myself. Where I’m not influenced, consciously or subconsciously by those around me. I can just be. I don’t purposely worry about trying to impress others, but I often find myself going along to places I wouldn’t care to on my own. This isn’t always a bad thing, because sometimes you can be surprised by going somewhere you didn’t expect.
It makes me wonder why I can’t seem to bring my travel self, with my regular self? Why is there even a difference at all? I should be able to wake up at 7am and go out and see new things. I should be able to not let everyone else around me influence my life without taking off somewhere new. Is travel an escape from the ordinary, or an embrace of the extraordinary?
I’m the same way when it comes to the morning/night person differentiation. When I’m travelling, I can’t leap out of bed fast enough. I have a whole world to explore! But when I’m working in an office, I roll out of bed at the last possible minute and down 3 cups of coffee just to survive the commute. Hmm. The first way is better.
Odysseus recently posted..Cherry Blossoms in Korea
I understand what you mean.When you travel, it’s time you have free time to relax and you can find myyself.You realize that you need to live a meaningful life,you need to refresh yourself and you feel you’re different.
I know what you mean. I feel like I’m much more active when I travel, I get out and do things more–but then, that’s why I’m there. At home, I’m like “Meh. Whatever. I can’t be bothered to go out.” I’m also much more extroverted when I travel than at home.
If it helps, I think it’s always easier to get up early in the morning when you’re about to do something fun than when you’re about to go to work.
Gray recently posted..Dipping into the Archives
Thanks Gray. Waking up early for travel is a lot more fun than work.
I know what you mean too. The excitement that travel brings does wonder to those who travel, I think. The feeling that there’s so much out there to see and do – that can’t be taken for granted since you don’t know when the next time you’ll be there gets me up and running early in the morning.
jill- Jack and Jill Travel The World recently posted..Unexpected Travel Challenges In Colombia
Thanks for the comment. I definitely agree, not knowing when or if you’ll be back some place is a big motivator for waking up early.
I know exactly what you are talking about here. I find it frustrating too: Why is my travel self different (more adventurous, more outgoing, more fun) than regular home me? How so I get them to be the same person?
I think it’s one of travel’s great mysteries.
Thanks for the comment. I’m glad I’m not the only one who is different when I travel.