Life As Nomad

2017-04 Czech Republic

Travel burnout just kicked in!

Travel burnout is a feeling that hits after you have been on the road for a while. Some people experience it within weeks of traveling, while for others it may take months; I was well aware of it – I just didn’t know that it would arrive so soon.

Last year when I did my 8-week solo backpacking in Asia, I never experienced travel burnout, because the countries I visited were very different. There was no way, for instance, I would have mixed up Japan with Myanmar – The people, food, culture, everything was totally different; but when I came to Central Europe (Slovenia, Slovakia, Austria, Hungary), the countries seemed so similar and I wasn’t able to easily tell them apart. When you pack your bag and move to a different country, just to find out that you are now in a country just like the previous one – That is when travel burnout generally kicks in.

Fortunately, there are ways to deal with this: For me, I would simply chill and go slow. Instead of going out all day to see places, I would allocate half a day of free time every now and then and let spontaneity take over. Maybe I would just chill and read, or maybe I would make some new friends to create unfamiliar experience in these familiar places – Having no plan is oftentimes the best plan, and seems to be the best way to combat travel burnout.

#Hungary #CzechRepublic

Cesky Krumlov is a small city in the South Bohemian Region of Czech Republic. The city is so small that you can walk the entire city in half a day (although I decided to stay two days here). This is also a famous destination for Asian tourists: Everywhere I went I saw tourists from Japan, Korea, and China.
@CeskyKrumlov
Cesky Krumlov is a small city in the South Bohemian Region of Czech Republic. The city is so small that you can walk the entire city in half a day (although I decided to stay two days here). This is also a famous destination for Asian tourists: Everywhere I went I saw tourists from Japan, Korea, and China.
@CeskyKrumlov
My hostel dorm room in Cesky Krumlov that I stayed two nights at. There were 10 beds on this floor but I was the only one sleeping there and had the entire floor for myself. My new friend from Korea slept upstairs and had the entire loft for himself.
@CeskyKrumlov
The hostel is centrally located by the river and is minutes away from the main square in town.
@CeskyKrumlov
My new friend from Korea, currently studying in Germany.

Every time I meet someone who lives in Germany, we almost always talk about their education system: Germany has free collage education for everyone, including foreign students. Tuition is free, and living cost is surprisingly affordable. So here comes the question: How come many college students in the US are each racking up tens of thousands of student loan, without considering getting their degree abroad? Sure universities in Germany might not be as resourceful as those in the US, in terms of things like clubs and sports. But aren’t they still high-quality institutions fulfilling the purpose of getting a degree in the first place, which is to prepare you for your career?

When $1.3 trillion of student loan debt becomes the single biggest asset on the US government’s balance sheet, with students taking years to pay off their student loans, I think it makes sense for most people to at least consider looking for alternatives.
@CeskyKrumlov
Traditional Bohemian food: Roasted duck, red cabbage, and potato dumplings.
@CeskyKrumlov
Traditional Bohemian food: Beef cheeks, garlic, and puree.
@CeskyKrumlov
Cesky Krumlov is a small city in the South Bohemian Region of Czech Republic. The city is so small that you can walk the entire city in half a day (although I decided to stay two days here). This is also a famous destination for Asian tourists: Everywhere I went I saw tourists from Japan, Korea, and China.
@CeskyKrumlov
Cesky Krumlov is a small city in the South Bohemian Region of Czech Republic. The city is so small that you can walk the entire city in half a day (although I decided to stay two days here). This is also a famous destination for Asian tourists: Everywhere I went I saw tourists from Japan, Korea, and China.
@CeskyKrumlov
Cesky Krumlov is a small city in the South Bohemian Region of Czech Republic. The city is so small that you can walk the entire city in half a day (although I decided to stay two days here). This is also a famous destination for Asian tourists: Everywhere I went I saw tourists from Japan, Korea, and China.
@CeskyKrumlov
At the main square there is a market with all sorts of interesting booths: This one turned a potato into potato chips and fry them in front of you.
@CeskyKrumlov
Hand-made leather belt.
@CeskyKrumlov
When I walked around town, I noticed a lot of walls have paintings that look like “wallpapers with fake bricks”. I was wondering why they did this instead of using real bricks (Wasn’t that cheating!?). Then I joined the free walking tour and learned that these paintings were done on purpose during the renaissance reconstructions of Cesky Krumlov Castle.
@CeskyKrumlov
Friend-making 101: Find someone that you connect with, ask them to do things with you, rinse and repeat.

New friends from Korea currently studying in Germany, and from Hong Kong currently studying in UK. We met in Cesky Krumlov and decided to regroup in Prague.

We wanted to find a local eatery that serves traditional Czech Bohemian food, but wanted to avoid eating at the touristy and overpriced restaurants in Old Town Prague. We ended up hopping onto a random tram, hoping that it would take us somewhere interesting. Two hours later we found this Czech restaurant: We saw some local Czechs eating there, and the price was reasonable – Both were good signs.

On the way back to our hostels, we spent some time at a live Jazz bar, and played some do-you-think-he-is-Chinese-Korean-Japanese games every time we saw a group of Asians walking toward us.
@Prague
Astronomical clock. First installed in 1410, making it the world’s oldest astronomical clock still operating.
@Prague
The gothic Church of Our Lady before Tyn.
@Prague
Charles Bridge.
@Prague
Some of the 18 bridges that span across Vltava River.
@Prague
Chimney cake (trdelnik) with ice-cream. Trdelnik has a long tradition in Czech Republic and Slovakia and is very popular among tourists in Prague.
@Prague
On top of St. Vitus Cathedral, located within Prague Castle.
@Prague
Walking along Vltava River.
@Prague
Charles Bridge, Prague Castle, and Vltava River.
@Prague

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