De-Africanised

Have you ever known me to not whinge about long haul? Well here's another. Left Bamako Mali on the 28th Dec, arrived Sydney 31st Dec. 15 hours layover in Paris IN the terminal because I didn't have an exit visa, then Dubai - Bangkok - Sydney. Thank God for cheap Valium...

Well, I'm back. Back in the Anywhere But. I'm sure there are many books, many shelves even written about the curiosities of reverse culture shock but here's my two cents.

When one gets a chance to travel the world, to see life from the eyes of people whose values, beliefs and lives are so different from their own, often they have a hard time integrating back into the society they've just come from.
Be it developing a broader sense of one's self. Be it an understanding of where their lives fit in the world, sometimes coming back home is as foreign as the places they go.

Usually, when I get back, I sleep, sleep and do absolutely nothing for about 5-7 days. I don't call anyone, don't see anyone, just a) re-adjust the bio clock and b) let my body and mind switch off and to a reboot. It's necessary to do this because the operating mode that I have abroad, particularly at work, it’s completely different to and out of place back in Sydney. There's no one to bribe, there's no logistics to think about, there's no one shooting at you (not on an ongoing basis anyway). This switch over is my "De-Africanisation Process" but it might as well be called the "De-Travel Process"
I'm due to catch up with a friend who initially struggled with this idea and how I was so withdrawn sometimes when I returned home. But having just done a few months of free willed travel herself, she understands the effects of coming back to Sydney.
The thing is it's not about elitism, it's not about I’m better than you because "I've been there seen the world and you haven't", it really just comes down to the things that one finds significant.
I found living in Sydney things like lifestyle, appearance, friends and belongings made the list of things to be thinking about. Where to live, how do I look (actually I’ve never really care too much about that), what’s the next toy and ALWAYS “What’s the next upgrade”
One other thing, to go anywhere of significant culture change from Sydney, to go somewhere where the culture is really different (Mt Isa doesn’t count but some would argue that) it takes at least 6-8 hours of flying time and at least $1000AUD. Considering there are a heck of a lot of Sydneysiders who haven't even crossed a state border, it’s not surprising that their list of important things looks a bit different to mine.

For right now anyway. That’s where I’m getting to. This year is open and free. It’s always been in the back of my head that I’ll be coming back to Sydney to think about all the above, I just didn’t know when and I wanted a stack of cash to be in the piggy bank as well. It’s expensive to live nicely in Sydney. Simple as that. So what to do? Savings are ok, not as flash as they should be considering what I’ve had coming in, but travel does cost and I have been spending most of it on that. Life education in a way.

So what’s next? More of the same? But maybe with less travel, more saving? Maybe settle back in now with what I have?

Well I don’t know. I do know that by the end of March I’ll have an answer. One that’s going to be what I stick with for the next few years. I’m getting old and farting around for years on end can only last so long.

So, my next entry is going to be a little while. No longer than usual I guess though. Most of you who are reading this though I’ll see in the coming months and for those that I don’t, I’ll be thinking about you. I’ve got my TESOL course in Feb, got to wait for my Aussie papers to come through and then we’ll see.

Adios til then.