It’s 1pm and I’m sitting in Danny’s parents kitchen looking out at the backyard. The air conditioning is on, the fridge is fully stocked, the bathrooms have ultra-soft toilet paper,and the toilets are guaranteed to flush. These may sound totally normal to you, but these small conveniences don’t really exist in my world. Every few days we pick ourselves up and move to a new location. Sometimes the electricity doesn’t work for hours, sometimes the water will go out all day, often there isn’t a shred of toilet paper to be found in a public bathroom. Travel is all very exiting, but after 16 months we needed a vacation from our travels.
Vacation means freedom from something: work, duty or responsibility. Some may call this trip around the world a vacation. Sure, its freedom from the 9-5, but in many ways we haven’t been freed from our responsibilities. In fact, we are more responsible to each other and ourselves聽then ever before and we’re more responsible for our happiness than ever before so in many way’s its not a vacation. Travel has become our life and life is not a vacation.
So if you travel for a living, what constitutes a vacation? A vacation for us is not having to decide where to sleep tonight, not having to plan our itinerary, not having to research transportation times or options. Vacation for us is not having to make those decisions: it’s knowing that I’ll find the food I’m looking for at the grocery store. That I can go to the store and find the brand of toothpaste I like. It’s waking up in the morning and knowing exactly where I am without having to pause for a moment. It’s knowing every creak or squeak in the house. It’s knowing what will happen tomorrow: cheerios for breakfast, a long run, a short trip to the grocery store. Ok I’ll even admit it, I miss doing dishes. It may sound boring, but for us that’s vacation.
This isn’t the first time we’ve written about needing a break from our adventures, but perhaps it will be the last. Our short breaks at home have always reinvigorated us for travel, sparked our desire to go back out and given us a chance to recoop and relax. From here we head to Turkey and overland into Asia. From there it’s anyone’s guess what happens, but the fact remains that once we get to Beijing we’ll have completed a trip around the world. Pretty soon taking a vacation from travel won’t sound so relaxing anymore. Double ply toilet paper won’t be a novelty and I’m sure in the first few weeks we’ll get annoyed at the monotony of it all.
Lauren says
You are right, Jill, it will take some getting used to when all is said and done! But gosh, just think of all the amazing stories you will have to tell at the ensuing stuffy dinner parties 馃檪
Bon Voyage on your last leg of the journey…
Catherine says
I certainly understand your need for a vacation from your travels. Your adventures are exhausting! However, I would like to point out that luxuriating at your parent’s house at 1pm on a weekday, with a stocked fridge, not doing work, not checking a blackberry, with the freedom to go for a run in the middle of the day sounds like a vacation to some of us “regular” folks too! (I admit, though, that I take for granted the soft double-ply toilet paper and Crest toothpaste :))
silvia.priv.at says
I loved to read your report – and although we were only travelling 1 month – I understand what you mean ;-). I guess vacation just means a break from something. And as for most people live is not very adventurous – an adventure is the perfect vacation. But for you it’s the other way round. I hope you can feel happy about that fact. 馃檪 I think it’s great to manage to do a holiday in a way, that you can enjoy your every day life better 馃檪
Jillian says
@Silvia- Exactly. It’s just like we said about the grocery store, sometimes you just want vanilla sugar! “normal” is right now the perfect vacation. That’s why I love hearing from friends who aren’t traveling, their stories from home are an interesting window into our old lives. 馃檪 staying with you guys was wonderful, we felt “normal” again. 馃檪 miss you three!!!
@Catherine- I fear for you- “not checking a blackberry” haha 馃檪 For sure that’s a vacation for other people as well, especially when I mention it was overlooking a pool! A lot of people have asked us what we’ll do for vacation after this trip. The stay-cation sounds perfect right now, but I’m sure after a few weeks at home we’ll be itching for some adventure again. Maybe this time we’ll convince you guys to come with us!
@Lauren- Stuffy dinner parties here I come! What I like most about telling our stories now is the way people relate. Even though it was 1/2 a world away, our stories always seem to remind people of something at home, which makes it all worth the while. The jungle of commuting on public transportation, the negotiations in the office, it’s all applicable to what we’ve done. 馃檪 Can’t wait to meet Cutter and here your stories when we’re home for good!
Sean says
It was great to see you guys, and I’m looking forward to showing you part of my “normal,” something that’d make most Americans mouth “omg!”
This trip for me has definitely been something of a re-invigoration for my return to China, and I’m really glad I had the opportunity to just take a break from it all and return for a “stay-cation” in the parental unit’s abode.
Danny says
@ Sean – Glad your stay-cation was good as well! Looking forward to catching up with you again in China. Soak up the burgers and heinz 57 while you can!!!