TRAVEL
FOREVER
It may be
hard to explain or even very difficult to describe the feelings, but when it
comes to traveling, exploring or going on a new expedition, I become one of
those little kids who jump up and down from happiness, joy and not being able
to hide expressions of my emotions. Yes, these are all sign of a happy kid,
independent adult or a person just can’t get enough of traveling who is
addicted to be on the move most of the year.
Yesterday I sat down at a café and just
looking out from a window to this huge avenue in New York made me think of past
decades and took me back to my childhood in 1960s. It’s very hard to compare
those years with present time. Quality of those decades, people, nature, food,
life and many other things are priceless. And I know it will never be the same
again! I think about my childhood a lot. And the main reason I love looking
back to those years in 1960s and 1970s while I was growing up, has a lot to do
with today. How I was, who I was and what I was doing those years while growing
up,(60s and 70s) are same as these years (2015) what I am doing now. I haven’t
changed at all!
I had one of the best parents anyone can
have. As strict as my parents were, they also made sure I grow up independent.
I was a happy child who smiled, laughed and played most of the day in our
neighborhood streets with other kids. Full of energy, full of motivation and
enthusiasm just never knew when to stop to rest. Yet, at the same time, the way
my parents brought us with high discipline, respect to others, amazing manners
and the type of behavior we had was exceptional. Up to this date, today, I
still have those manners, respect to others and the discipline my parents gave
me while I was a little boy. And funny thing about it: I never changed. I still
have the same character and personality as I had while 8 year old. Another
thing has never changed was: long range expeditions. Yes, it may or it would
shock or may surprise most people, but when I was 8 or 9 years old, with
friends from my street, we would go on an expedition 15 miles away from our
houses. This was in Izmir, Turkey which was situated by the Aegean Sea and we
all loved our seashore, cleanliness of the water and of course adventuring
around. Of course now these years, I do not believe any parents would allow
their 8 year old kids to walk 15 miles to the seashore to swim and play same
day.
Looking back
to those decades in 1960s and 1970s, there were hardly any crime and no one
dear to touch a little kid no matter what. Especially the culture I was coming
from. Those years, because we were always playing on the streets, running
around and being energetic really kept us in shape. Agility, endurance and
being active at all times gave us an amazing power to walk for long hours and
walk for long distance. Basically we were never tired. Of course most of the
time our parents really didn't know how far we were walking, but they were
aware of us walking to other sections and districts of this beautiful city. And
yes, there were times both my mother and father hit me physically to bring discipline
and make sure I was on the same page as they wanted me. I remember many times
being hit by my parents due to my late hours playing soccer and not being able
to make the dinner on time at the house. Eating dinner all together with the
entire family was important and my parents took this very seriously. If you
didn’t have a good excuse for not showing up to dinner at the house, they made
sure we get a good spanking. Almost every weekend I went on 15 miles
expeditions with friends to the seashore and to the beach to swim. And we were
only 9
years old. About a year later while we were in 4th and 5th
grade in elementary school, we became obsessed with world map, geography and
history. Between the friends we always talked about exploring the world in an
adventurous way. How amazing those conversations were! Here we were only 10 or
11 years old and we were discussing and making plans for traveling around the
world. We all knew traveling, exploring and going on to expedition, were
already in our blood, in our system, and we all knew being independent was one
of the best to become. And I knew a few years’ later (age 14- 15-16) my solo
traveling experiences in Europe during my teenage years; I would become an
addict for traveling. I was 18 when I was sent to the United States of America
for university education, but most of my teenage years while in High school,
every Summer school break, I explored the continent of Europe. Those were the
years; I knew I’ve become an extremely independent at a very young age.
Today, by
2015, since the 1960s, I've traveled, explored and visited 96 countries. And
some of these countries included more than twice. But, still, I can never get
enough of traveling. This is the reason I continue. Of course everyone is
different and everyone has different style of traveling which I respect every
type of traveling. Over the years, I've used every type of transportation to
complete my journey, but last 15 years, it has been all bicycling and
backpacking. I would say, it has been mostly and perhaps %90 of it bicycling
around the world.
In my own
opinion, if it wasn't for traveling around the world, seeing new places, getting to know the new cultures, meeting with others, making friends in all
over the world, going around the mountains, lakes, rivers, deserts, intriguing
cities, towns, villages, breath taking landscapes and meeting with the nature
head on, I do not believe neither I can enjoy myself nor I can live forever at
the same place staring at same streets and same buildings. I've nothing against
people who chooses to stay in the same city, same town or same village forever
all their life. I respect that! Whatever makes people happy. Everyone is
different and I wouldn't expect all of us having the same desires or same life
style. There are really great people around the world. Here,
I’m talking about myself. I’m addicted to traveling extremely and I do not know
how to stay at the same spot more than a year. It is very hard and difficult
for me to stand still in the same city or same place. Perhaps traveling and
exploring has become a disease for me that I can’t get rid of it. And funny
thing about is: I will never stop traveling until my death. I do not have an
answer where this intense desire or urge comes from, but this is the reason I
wanted to begin this blog about my childhood.
It has been long time since I wrote anything on
my traveling blog. And I decided to write more often, bringing my recent
expeditions front of everyone with photographs and videos. So expect many blogs
coming in your way soon. I’m going to get to the transportation and traveling
styles in later blog. I am also going to continue to this blog on Part-II about
the details of my teenage traveling years. And of course I will share this past
year in 2014-2015 my bicycle expedition in Europe and in South America which I
had the most fantastic time
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