Monika’s dirty blond hair dances as she sprints, leaps over a stone bench and snatches the Frisbee from the air. She’s on my Ultimate Frisbee team, she’s an amazing player, but the rest of our team are still learning the rules. We are behind three points. She darts her green eyes to me, she flicks them right. I run into the open and grab the Frisbee. We are down two points now.
Why did you decide to travel abroad? I was always interested in the world, other places, cultures, and customs. I started to travel some years ago, when I saw how cheat it can be. I joined a Non-Governmental Organization and took part in some projects abroad. The first time it was only for a week or two, but then I decided to be a volunteer in (former Soviet republic of) Georgia for two months.
How long have you been abroad, and where have you been? I have traveled across the European Union. Most of my trips have been for education.
What do you do when you travel? In Georgia I am a volunteer, but my life isn’t only about work. Every day is a new day, I meet new people, see new cultures, try new food .Travelling is an excellent way learn something new about the world and myself.
How do you fund your travels? While volunteering, the EU paid most of my travel expense. The rest, although it wasn’t much, was from my savings.
How has travel changed your life? Travel has changed my way of thinking, my priorities. I stopped thinking just about my career, work, and studies. I started to desire something more out of life, something not connected with daily routine. I learned that the world is really big, that it is full of amazing things and people, that I want to help others and that I should take as much from my life experience as possible.
Any problems with your travel? Not really.
How do you feel about the people you meet? They were just amazing. I met people from all over the world that I could talk with all night, and it wasn’t enough! Even people from far away have the same common interests, great senses of humor, and so many have such amazing plans. Travelers are the people who didn’t dwell on future possibilities but pay attention to the beauty of the present moment. They are the people who want to be just happy and don’t care about “normal” things such as money. They are people who will help you under any circumstances.
Do you plan to travel more? Of course! I have many plans. Once you start, you will never forget the feeling of freedom. One day I will be brave enough to take a backpack and became a globetrotter.
Want to know more about world travelers, check out The Travelers Project, http://www.yourworldyourhome.com/category/tp/ It is full of interviews with many kinds of world travelers.