Does travel ever scare you? 5 thoughts on finding security as a nomad.

About a week and a half ago my train pulled up to the platform in Tundla, India where a sea of Indian military men were waiting for it. There was a rush of commotion as we all pushed towards the doors- a commotion which only grew when we discovered all the doors were locked. The train sat there with its locked doors for 5 minutes while the military men grew angrier and angrier, beginning to bang on the doors with their fists, sticks, muskets, anything. I kept thinking that surely someone would open the door. We’d paid for tickets after all. We’d reserved cots for the overnight train.

Then, the train started to pull away without us. Hardly thinking, we rushed through the crowds to the one door that someone had managed to open a few yards away and with our heavy bags in hand, we jumped onto the moving train. The rush of frantic soldiers crowding behind us carried us like the current of the river onto the train.

I laid in my cot and felt what would have been homesickness if I had a home.

So my question is this: what do you do when this whole “travel thing” scares you, exhausts you, bewilders you in a way that leaves you in need of something secure? What gives a nomad security?

In attempt to wrestle with this question, I’ve come up with a list of 5 things that help me cope with the moments that scare me.

1.) Writing.

Writing is not only a great way to process your thoughts, it’s also a way to record the feelings that may likely evolve over time. At one point in time I did this by keeping a travel journal, but my laptop has since replaced it. I have documents upon documents that I may never read again, but the act of formulating my thoughts was all I needed at the time. Not to mention, it helps me to see the experience as the story it will be tomorrow, when I’ll feel it less dramatically and see it more logically.

2.) These are the times I’ll make sure I can find a more secluded hotel with an environment I can really find relaxing.

tranqilhotel

Getting a hotel right in the center of activity can be wonderful when you’ve got the energy for it. But the exhausting moments leave me wanting space and quiet. As much of a clean slate as I can get. This has been especially true in a place like India. For this reason it’s a great idea to have some kind of rainy-day fund of either money or hotel points.

3.) Something from home, even if it’s McDonalds or Pizza Hut!

Never again will I judge a traveler for eating at McDonalds. (Is it sad that the McChicken is my home away from home sometimes?)

4.) Good Internet.

These days internet is the most basic necessity for contacting loved ones back home. The days of calling cards and pay phones are on the way out. This involves point number 2- finding a hotel you can relax in means, in my case, finding a hotel with good internet. Preferably this is in-room internet I can use while curled up in bed in my own space.

5.) A few days of nothing.

Sometimes the main attraction in any given destination is just not worth pushing your nerves past what they can handle. In our case, we found a quiet place in Katra where there happened to be a popular mountain temple. It was a very popular spot for Indian tourism… but we let it go. And I don’t regret that. I needed some time to clean the slate and regroup.

 

Conclusion

These are some things that helped me get back on my feet and face the vibrant and intense world that is India again, despite the fear I felt at the thought of all the things that could have gone wrong in our impromptu train-hopping experience.

But I’m curious, what are the things that help you feel secure?

Nomads and vagabonds, and all long-term travelers are in a unique position of transient-ness with an almost ephemeral concept of home rather than a permanent one. This is at least the case for myself as well as a few other travelers I know. So we’re faced with an interesting challenge when we need the kind of comfort a different person may find in their stationary routines and their permanent homes. So I’d like to learn from the creative ways other travelers have found comfort in moments of fear.

Posted by | Comments (4)  | May 8, 2014
Category: Adventure Travel, Travel Health, Travel Safety


4 Responses to “Does travel ever scare you? 5 thoughts on finding security as a nomad.”

  1. Benjamin Bridgeford Says:

    I’ve pretty much accepted that people cannot ever really be completely secure in life and am less afraid of it the longer I’m on the road, but maybe being comfortable helps to feel more secure for a little while. Whenever I’m asleep or with friends I’ve met from travelling.

  2. Roger Says:

    The internet wasn’t around when I started traveling abroad in the early 1980s, and telephoning my parents in the USA was too expensive and pretty much out-of-the-question most of the time. Staying focused on my main purpose, being true to my spiritual bearings and values, of course, and bonding with fellow travelers, was a must. Being thankful for having the opportunity to be on this journey, and not dwelling on what people were doing back home, were important, too.

  3. Caroline Says:

    Great thoughts. Maybe those scary moments are good moments to refocus on what’s valuable, why we travel, and who we enjoy.

  4. SLioy Says:

    Music and writing are my two – preferably both somewhere with more of nature and less of city. Even at my ‘home base’ I find myself needing to get out of town at least once every couple of weeks to head up into the mountains to just let myself totally relax.