Everything you want

Since my last post I've done a bit of traveling, but I haven't done any writing. In fact, now I'm in a hotel in Amsterdam.

I've struggled long and hard about writing negative things on this blog, mostly because I believe they will pass. What is the point of dwelling on the unhappiness in your life? If it is something you truly regret, you will remember it anyway.

One of my fellow travelers on this trip said something that made a lot of sense though. There are some character defining moments, and these can be good or bad. But it is important to remember them in order to see how you have developed as a person.

It's a pity that she can say something so profound and yet be one of the bugbears of this trip.

I never realised how different my travelling style was from everyone else until this trip. Usually I have no trouble meeting various timings and requirements. I leave as soon as the sun is shining. I believe you should maximise every minute you are overseas.

These girls that I'm travelling with aren't like that. They believe everything and everyone should wait for them, and then complain about the bad experience that they had by the end of it.

Yesterday, they complained about the shuttle bus being inefficient  when the timings were clearly started and easy to meet. In fact, we missed the bus because one girl insisted that she had to make a bank payment that she was already late in making. If you are late in one thing, there is no need to make everyone late for everything else.

Because of that, everyone was cranky when they boarded the public bus, which was crowded as it was time to go home. As a result, they also think the bus is inefficient and would rather drive! They also preferred a 50 euro taxi ride to a 16 euro for 4 taxi ride!

And now I'm starving because they would rather sleep or surf the computer rather than go on time to meet the shuttle that will bring us to the farmers market to eat proper Holland food!

This is a such a sharp contrast to my trip in Manchester, which wasn't the best but I was willing to give up on some things. For one, we were on time for things, and when schedules were shifted they were shifted up. Even though all we ate was Chinese food, it was good and cheap, and we didn't hesitate to walk into good bars with great decor when we had to. We even managed an impromptu trip to Liverpool.

Now the sun is shining and gorgeous and I'm not out in it. There are more things to do here, and yet I'm not enjoying myself as much as Manchester.

My travel buddies this time do have great taste in music though.

Still, it's not what I want to be. I want to make the most of my overseas experiences. I can't live my life the way they do. This is a line I can't cross.