Outside
the primary drug related objectives as outlined in the preface, I would always
encourage people to travel as widely as possible. Why? Essentially, for the
same reasons frequently cited by other travellers, including: the adventure, the excitement of the
challenge, the inevitability of learning, and the pleasure of interacting with
those from different cultures.
Spinning
from these are a range of health (and mental health) related benefits,
including an increased or different
exercise regime, a boost to the immune system, a break from the stresses and
worries of normal routine and an increase in personal reliance and self-esteem.
Without even realising it you are liable to enhance your communication skills,
learn more about yourself and increase your overall confidence.
This,
collectively, tends to bring a wider and more balanced perspective, and a
broadening of horizons. You may well find that you develop a greater sense of
empathy and maturate a kinder more gentle set of moral principles.
The Dalai
Lama is famously quoted as follows: “Once
a year go somewhere you have never been before”. I absolutely agree with
him, and would generally go along with the old tenet that the best things you
can spend your money on are experiences, saving time, and of course
giving.
At this
juncture I would also throw in my theory of time deceleration, or specifically,
how to stop your own life experience from accelerating as you age. Travel is
one mechanism to introduce the pre-requisite novelty into this equation. See Section
4.6.2 of The Drug Users Bible for
information on this.
Thus, I
don’t regret spending my savings on these expeditions for a single moment.
Indeed, I wish I had started earlier.
Unfortunately,
I fear that in the medium term such extravagance of travel will not be
possible. Currently, the walls do seem to be closing in for most of us, not
least via political and social oppression. We will also have to adjust our
activities to reflect the situation with respect to climate change. If you are
driven to embark upon your own adventures, I would therefore suggest that you
take the earliest opportunity, and that you do not leave it too late.
Finally, I
hope that you found this album to be interesting and/or useful, and perhaps
that it does indeed inspire some of you to embark upon your own journeys. If
you do travel, be it short haul or long haul, please do take care. Do re-visit
the first section to check the safety tips.
Perhaps one last word regarding drugs themselves: the last thing you need in your life is to be addicted (to anything) or to overdose in some way. Please do understand this and take all the words in The Drug Users Bible seriously. Download it without charge if you don’t already have a copy: ignorance really does kill and it is incumbent upon yourself not to become a victim. Hopefully I am preaching to the converted here.