I remember thinking the opposite when a friend I met during my stay in Beijing and I decided to go backpack in Yunnan China during our break. We stayed in charming towns such as Lijiang or Shangri-La. We also hiked the Tiger Leaping Gorge which was one of the most beautiful hikes I have done. During our trip we met this French family, a women with her son and her boyfriend. They saved up and decided to go travel around for two years staying mostly in hostels here and there. They took the Transsiberia train from Russia and stopped in Mongolia. There they bought camping equipment, two horses and camp there for two months. During rough weather a nomadic group took them in and the french kid played with the other nomadic children. How crazy the bond you can make with a culture so different from yours and people who don't even speak the same language. The french woman showed us picture it looked amazing what a priceless experience. They were next heading to Thailand and Vietnam. I remember when we were in Shangri La, we went to a local bar and some local Tibetans invited us to their table and offered us drinks and were so welcoming even though I could not understand a thing they were saying. Those are the experience that no money can never buy. I remember thinking : why would anyone want to live in a metropol, get a mondane job do the same thing everyday when they could experience something like this? Sure this french family was traveling on a small budget, but I felt like it was much more fulfilling to be able to bond with locals than to travel in a five start hotel visiting touristic sites.
The lovely town of Lijiang, China
How can one mind change so quickly from one year to the next? You tell me if I am crazy or not, possibly. One's environment can be a strong influence. I just feel like staying in LA deteriorates my previous values. Becoming obsess with success, wealth and look.
Also the major problem I have is making new friendships. It has been so difficult. And very sad since ever S moved back. I had the perfect roommate and perfect trio with J and S. But other than that I have made no real friendship. Mostly people pretending to be your friends and flanking on you or ditching you whenever. I don't do one way friendship. I don't feel it so much except this weekend, I have done absolutely nothing because J left town and Cris is in camp somewhere in the desert and I only get one call from a satellite phone once a night.
I have been ditched by supposedly friend from college. What can I say I don't even wanna keep trying after I get ditched like that or get unanswered text. But what a sad 4th of July weekend. Makes me realized how many friends I don't have. Which is odd, because I have always been very social and make friends wherever I go because I moved so much. Only took me 6 weeks to make good friends in Beijing and four months in Hong Kong. Even made friends for the two days I went to Shanghai. Got great friends from college and my friends in Paris are still my close friend I still keep in touch with.
So what's wrong here.
I am not depressed and miserable with my life, but I think it's worth questioning it. Am I crazy for having my values switching from on year to the next? Possible. If I stay here, five years from now will I become that typical materialistic money driven person from LA?