Homesick in Brazil

I am not the worlds best traveller and no matter how many countries I visit or how long I stay away from home will not change that fact.

I do not enjoy sleeping alone, breakfasts that I cannot decribe or identify, trying to guide myself about using jedi force and blind luck, hopping on and off buses and metro stops because I am afraid that I will get lost if I chose to walk, music that I cannot sing along with, tv that is so wholy strange I cannot tell where the adverts end and the programs begins, restautants where flies buzzing over the food is just a daily thing to get past, showers that are either constantly hot or cold, sun that is so hot I am diving from shop to shop just to hide from the rays, time zones where everyone is asleep when I am awake and being so far away from my friends that I cannot share a joke or a thought with a familiar face.

It is no wonder that the armed forced enforce a strict busy daily routine, and it is little wonder than on their off hours many soliders just kill time before their next shift by gambling, drinking or searching for a bit of TLC.
I have a new liking for all inclusive package holidays where the reps do all the work for you and all you have to do is go from one amusement to the next and tip a little here and there to oil the wheels.

When I first thought of going travelling I liked the idea, but it was a bit like namedropping with Cities. If I was to mention that I saw Brad Pitt and had a long conversations with him then a lot of people would ask more about it, but other than the fact it was Brad Pitt it is unlikely that any of the conversation itself would be remarkable or worth retelling as a story.

So when I thought about travelling I chose lots of cities that seemed cool, that I had heard lots of good things about and a few that had people I knew of there, but not always good friends. I forgot to include that the people who went there did not do so on a shoestring budget, that they did not go alone, that they could speak a lot more of the local language than me and that they were only going for a couple of weeks as a break from their normal lives.

Whereas I am doing everything the opposite, and it would be nice to find a place that I fitted in and could stay for a week or two to escape from the hassle of travelling without it feeling like I am pulling my nails trying to get through the day without actually spending vast amounts of money or watching movie reruns.

A few people said that this trip was likely to get travelling out of my system and I would say that it has already, at least in countries where I can't converse with any of the locals, where I am alone and where I have nothing that I really want to see.

I can already say that I am looking forward to Peru only because I have an interest in Inca history and culture, but also because I have a few friends that I am sure will not let me down and we can share some good quality time just hanging out and socialising.

Looking at my itiniary I am getting a little nervous about various weeks in the trip when I can already see that I will have no one around to talk with and by the middle of the week I will be feeling a little sorry for myself.

I would not say that going travelling around the world was a mistake, as it was something that I did enjoy, and something that when it is done right I still do enjoy, but after this I think that I will be on the lookout for a new hobby that does not involve spending thousands of pounds and taking me so far out of my comfort zone.