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Reasons |
Kirk's:
So why
have we decided to quit our jobs, pack everything up get up, give up the
security that most human beings strive for and go travel around the world?
To steal a quote from George Mallory,
"Because it's there!" (1).
That is actually the question I get the most.
For the last 8 years I have often dreamed about taking a trip around the
world, never truly believing I would ever do it.
This last year I was discussing my future plans with my better half, Maren and I jokingly
told her, “lets travel around the
world”. The longer we started
thinking about this crazy idea, the more serious it got. After lengthy discussions with friends and family we
came to the conclusion that we would just do it.
But why! The main reasons is
that Maren and I have this tremendous urge to see the world,
experience other cultures. I
have worked for the last eight years Germany,
moving my self through the ranks, but
always feeling that I was missing out on seeing the world.
So I have decided to put my career on hold for a while till I get back.
I have traveled in my life for short periods of time
but never to the extent which we are planning now.
One
often hears the sentence “One only lives once”,
well that is true! We
believe that if one has the possibility to live out a dream, one should do it.
One will always look back otherwise and ask “what if”?
We do not want to ask this question.
Most people have viewed this tour very positively,
all saying they would love to do it also.
We are both in a situation where we have no children,
(hopefully though in a few years), saved
our dimes and nickels, and have no major responsibility for others.
So why not do something that we have been dreaming of for a while.
We both realize the risks and the negative aspect of our trip.
The main one is that after a year of traveling around the world, you
have to go back to find a job and start all over again.
Of course the other issue is safety,
the third world is a little different than what we are used to.
We
(Maren Stoltenberg and Kirk Melcher) live in Cologne Germany.
I, Kirk an American has been
living there for about 8 years, Maren
has lived in the Cologne area here whole life, except for a couple of years in
Berlin and one year as a Au-pair in Australia.
I (Kirk) have been working for a German Piping company in charge of the
computer system and working as a financial manager in two small subsidiaries.
I love almost all sports, watching
and playing. In
1999 I climbed Mount Kilimanjaro with my two brothers and spent time
traveling through Tanzania and Kenya.
I have been together with Maren for
a couple of years. Maren has been
studying Art History since last year. Before she worked as a travel agent. She loves jogging, rollerblading and just
being in the outdoors. Just
for people’s information, this
trip is not to find ourselves, or find the secretes of life,
we just have the urge to experience something new and adventures.
At thirty one I am not going through a midlife crises or postponing
having kids as long as possible. I
just want to see and experience the world and other cultures.
Our 12 month journey will just skim the surface of what is to be seen.
(1) George Mallory was a British mountain
climber who was the first to attempt Everest. Though he perished in 1924,
over a 1000 feet from the top, it took almost 30 years after him for the first
person to climb it.
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