The beauty of the internet is timeless. After jet-returning from China and lay-overing in Los Angeles, Denny (my hubby) and I visited his immediate family in his hometown, Red Bud, Illinois. There were so many reverse cultural shocks that were experienced. The first night in Los Angeles I thought it’s population felt like a ghost town comparative to China’s. Red Bud puts population and the environment on a completely new scale. Red Bud has a population of about 3,700. When Denny and I went to a local Mexican restaurant it felt like we were on a stranded island. The few people who were there were so distracting because I could understand their conversations. AH…

One evening Denny and I went for a stroll with one of Denny’s childhood friends. On that walk we encountered an acquaintance that spoke of how he liked living the small town life and preferred doing stay-cations versus traveling. He said he rather had done in Honeymoon at home versus celebrating it in the Caribbean. I was floored. It was a good reminder that there are people who are content doing life locally and others who have passions to see the world.

Here are some pictures in Red Bud’s downtown. 

Meeting this guy made me reflect on why I like traveling.

 

7 Reasons Why I Have a Passion to Travel the World:

 

1) Being Uncomfortable

Yes, I said that for the first reason why I like traveling. It’s not fun but it’s good for you. Being out of my comfort shell allows me to grow and it forces me to think creatively. I want to be a better me.

2) Learning

I love people watching. I like watching people live life differently. I love meeting people who are different. The “weirder” the better, not psychotic, but just different, people that stick out from the mainstream. I also love how traveling and/or living abroad forces you to recognize joy differently. Many of your comforts are gone. When you are stripped of what you know and how you live, it forces you to either find thanksgiving in what you have or be ungrateful.

3) Simplicity

Before living in China for a year I brought a lot of “stuff” into my marriage. Moving abroad forced me to eliminate the extra things. It was so freeing to live with less. Now that I am currently experiencing reverse culture shock, the things we do have feel overwhelming. I sometimes miss the slower pace of life while living abroad. I also miss practicing my charade skills. Having the language barrier removes distractions and brings entertainment.

4) Inspiration

Everything is new, exotic and different. Walking down the street in a foreign country is captivating. If I were to live in China for many years I would still be surprised or memorized by the cultural behaviors.

5) Adventures

Life is about living, and traveling is definitely a road that makes the journey of life interesting. To be in a foreign land and to be enthralled by just walking down a cultural street is awesome. When I walk down these unfamiliar environments I almost feel like I am transported to a child like dream of make-believe. Some things you witness are that shocking. My favorite days in China were when we didn’t have tasks and that I could trust my faithful navigator Denny while getting lost in an authentic Chinese neighborhood. Exploration is stirring. My curiosity is always met and stories are made.

6) Another’s View

You experience someone else’s view. Traveling in person allows me to experience and see first hand how another culture sees life.  My eyes are opened to how lifestyles can be lived differently.

7) Forced Reflection

When you’re in an uncomfortable environment you are forced and have feelings that you never knew were there. You have the time to ponder who and what makes you  “YOU” when a place and things are unfamiliar.

If you like traveling abroad what ignites your passion? If you like staying home and have no desire to travel abroad, what are your reasons? I would love to hear your thoughts. Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comment box below.  

It’s a beautiful town. In China they would call it a village.

Yes, Denny and I are currently residing in Arizona but the travel bug persist to live within us. This family will be doing some future adventures abroad.

The picturesque of Red Bud makes a person feel like they went on a mini vacation. This city girl witnessed wide open corn fields as far as the horizon, unlimited clean blue skies (no smog, can you believe it?) and diamond nightygale skies.

What I was reminded of in the conversation with the local Red Bud was that if and when I get my internet based income I could live anywhere: Krabi, Thailand or Red Bud, Illinois. I am dreaming BIG.

If you had internet based income where would you choose to live?

I personally would like to spend time time around the Greek Islands.

You can see the slideshow here of our stroll through Red Bud.

 

10,000 Smiles

10,000 Smiles is a photography project that I am doing for the year 2013. Read more about why I am doing this project. Below are some more guest pictures from Bill and Kelci’s wedding. You can vote for the picture that makes you smile by listing the number of the picture in the comment box at the end of the post.

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