A life in the merde

When is the time to get off the bandwagon?

April 20th, 2007

Define irony: writing a post on when it is time to end the travelling life and settle down while sitting in an overfilled low-cost flight with some idiot in front of me who insists on leaning the seat as far back as it goes.

Yesterday I was out for a few drinks with my colleagues, some which have seen ten years of this life. A number of great experiences, meeting new people, doing interesting work, seeing new places, learning about new cultures all while earning a decent salary. However, the flipside is delayed flights in crammed airports, crying babies on a Monday morning while you try to get some sleep, the feeling of having no friends on a Friday night in a foreign city and trying to figure out what to call home. Which brings the great question we all ask, what is the escape plan and when to execute it?

I think this life is like a drug; extremely rewarding and interesting while you are high and devastatingly bad when you realize you never managed to quit in time (no, I am not into drugs, never tried any and never will).

For me I don’t know when and where to go, but after some time in the company and knowing a number of expats I think I know some of the things to look for.

The first one is the easiest, a friend and colleagues once said “You will travel until you find a woman that holds you so tight that you cannot travel anymore”. He is now settled down in London, at least almost settled down. And he is not the only one; I actually think that a considerable amount of attrition at our office is due to boys and girls holding their loved ones to tight for them to travel anymore.

The second sign is when you are no longer able to keep in touch with your friends and family. Keeping up with everyone requires a lot, sacrificing a quiet relaxing weekend at your project for 10 hours of travelling to attend a party takes some effort, but is necessary to have somewhere to return to when you finally jump off. I have seen the people that never left and if was not pretty. Being stuck on another continent with no friends, no family and nowhere to go except to work…

But some people manage both work and family, at an impressive pace. I think that one of my idols with respect to this must be the father of a friend of mine. He travelled on business every week, all over the world, but one thing was sacred, he always returned to be with the family for the weekend, regardless of the delayed flights and the early mornings.

And some people will never settle, they are not made for living in one city for years, they simply need to move. I have a friend who would be in a different country or even a different continent every time we speak, and I think it will take her ages to settle down. And some people could never do it, not even for two weeks. I travelled for one year in a suitcase several years ago with a group of young people, staying only days or weeks at the same location and never having any home base to return to. Some people coped with this life, some gave up after a month, some after half a year and most of them have now settled down for good.

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So, where am I? Well, life on the travelling drug has its highs and lows. I have still not found a girl to stop me from travelling and am still enjoying. But one day I know this life will end for me as well, but until then I will enjoy every day and every Monday morning at 5am.

Signing out from above the skies in Europe.

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