Travel Weary

Do I like traveling? Sure I do – as long as the itinerary includes good accommodation meaning clean bed and bath rooms and culinary ventures. The problem is I’m not a good traveler. I got sea sick, car sick, train sick, and air sick. As if those are not enough, I’m afraid of height and have a small case of claustrophobia.

Perhaps I wasn’t meant for this era wherein we have to constantly put our faith in aircrafts, elevators and sky scrapers, but neither could I imagine myself living in the dark ages with its limited conveniences.

I think I deserved few pats in the back for traveling to Makassar and Kendari in two weeks especially with the kind of weather we’re having at the moment. Not to mention the fact that I was also under the weather right before the trip to Makassar, and I had a small misgiving when I got Kendari’s flight schedule, which was proven to be correct. The flight was delayed for few hours.

The only consolation was that I got wonderful companions that made time flew.

Feeling the Pinch

Despite what seemingly to be a global concern for the economy, I was fortunate enough not to have to worry about tightening my belt. Not because I’m outrageously wealthy for I’m definitely not, nor would I ever be being a civil servant that I am.

The secret lies in the fact that I was one of few people who live their life free of debts. I strongly feel that if you don’t have money, you don’t go out looking around for something to buy. And I hate insurance and credit card with a passion so I try as much as I could not to give them my hard earned money. Too bad one can’t really have a comfortable, free of worry life without them.

However, believing how evil and unfair a credit could be, I finally join the rest of human kinds who buy things on credit. I hate the fact that I’m subjugating myself to the very system which I passionately detest. I hate the fact that I’m forcing myself to buy thing which is beyond my means to pay in cash.

But everyone else around me – that translates as my family and my close friends – told me that that’s exactly how things are done. If they expect that to make it easier for me to swallow the fact that I’m now in debt, it doesn’t work.

I’m so used to spend my limited money as I wish. I’m so used to indulge my small vices without having to worry about setting some money aside to pay bills or credit. Although I’m far from rich, I always feel that I am simply because I’m able to buy pretty much whatever I want whenever I want it.

Now, thanks to the new debt I put myself into I can no longer do that. I should start counting every penny. From now on I must become a miser. How I hate a miser! I keep telling myself that in a few years I won’t regret it, that it’s a good move, a good investment. Perhaps if I keep saying it I’ll start to believe it.