Live Life : Looking at my generation.
Some of my friends are going to travel the world this summer , some of them have told me that I should Live Life. They backpack and they travel…. They want to see the world. The few friends, some are have just graduated, some of them have a long ways before they are done school, some are halfway there…
I know the reason why my friends chose to backpack and travel. What I do not know and do not understand is why a few of them use money from their student loans to travel ? Student Loans sounds like to me money and a loan to study. An investment, the government is willing to put into you for education. If you are in debt, should one be further in debt to life life? Its not pretty graduating with a $30,000 debt. I think I like to start my career knowing that my money can go into savings or a high-yield investments, not worrying paying back a debt. I heard a lot of reasons why they chose to backpack
1 ) This is my chance to travel because when I start working, I will be too busy.
2 ) I will pay my parents back
3 ) I am young and I want to do it when I am young
I constantly complain about the younger generation and how I think they are spoiled and how they lack respect for the elders. I see the problem with my generation and I see what it is. Majority of my friends, lack a certain drive, a lack of motivation to excel and most of all, they lack a focus.. Too many of them don’t know what they want to do in life, they say they do not want to embark on a ‘wrong’ career. They are afraid that they will not like the job they have. There is a fear, keeping them from stepping into the real world. There is a fear of making a mistake because we have been so pampered all our lives. Of the millions of twenty-somethings around the world, most of us have parents that worked really hard all their lives to provide for their children. Be it a boom in economy, industrial world.. or growth in the world’s economy today. But I come from a country where kids of my generation enjoy high standards of living, never been through war, have not lived through the aftermath of war. We lived in a world protected by our own fantasies, a place where we think that our opinions matter and that we can have the right to chose our own life paths and also the things that we want. Some of us just get caught on with the moving masses and forget our identity, some of us forgot to have a focus and goal in life and the responsibilities towards our families. The problem lies, we always say that we will pay back we will take care of our parents, we will blah blah blah… we belong to NATO ( No Action, Talk Only ) organization until we prove ourselves right and we work. Sure, I can enjoy a few more years of ‘seeing the world and finding myself’ but I think I will skip that and save my parents some grief. I will be the filial daughter..... ha ha ha ha ha
I understand the need to be young but I also understand Responsibilities. Between being young, having fun and stepping up to responsibilities. My friends tell me that I need to Live my Life not be a geek. They tell me that I am missing out on life… Maybe… maybe they are right but Rome, Paris or London will always be there. My values refuse to let me burden my family because I want to Live Life I hope to grow up and contribute to my family income. I want to see my dad retire, not help me with a debt. I want to Live Life in the real world. I am 23. I think its time for me to Live Life. responsibilities. Live Life, the Celine’s way.. finding a job trial and error is ok because I am young. To contribute to the family and using my savings to travel and have fun.
I can understand the passion of traveling and I do have a travel bug in me too but today I know why I said no to the groups of ‘backpacking friends’. This is me, saying no with REGRESTS but I know I am happier and I will feel better when I say No. To Each his / her own. I respect and understand their choices and I appreciate their youthfulness but I can’t do that. So enjoy the trips my friends…Live Life your way or mine.
This post is not in any way meant to make my friends feel bad.
I know the reason why my friends chose to backpack and travel. What I do not know and do not understand is why a few of them use money from their student loans to travel ? Student Loans sounds like to me money and a loan to study. An investment, the government is willing to put into you for education. If you are in debt, should one be further in debt to life life? Its not pretty graduating with a $30,000 debt. I think I like to start my career knowing that my money can go into savings or a high-yield investments, not worrying paying back a debt. I heard a lot of reasons why they chose to backpack
1 ) This is my chance to travel because when I start working, I will be too busy.
2 ) I will pay my parents back
3 ) I am young and I want to do it when I am young
I constantly complain about the younger generation and how I think they are spoiled and how they lack respect for the elders. I see the problem with my generation and I see what it is. Majority of my friends, lack a certain drive, a lack of motivation to excel and most of all, they lack a focus.. Too many of them don’t know what they want to do in life, they say they do not want to embark on a ‘wrong’ career. They are afraid that they will not like the job they have. There is a fear, keeping them from stepping into the real world. There is a fear of making a mistake because we have been so pampered all our lives. Of the millions of twenty-somethings around the world, most of us have parents that worked really hard all their lives to provide for their children. Be it a boom in economy, industrial world.. or growth in the world’s economy today. But I come from a country where kids of my generation enjoy high standards of living, never been through war, have not lived through the aftermath of war. We lived in a world protected by our own fantasies, a place where we think that our opinions matter and that we can have the right to chose our own life paths and also the things that we want. Some of us just get caught on with the moving masses and forget our identity, some of us forgot to have a focus and goal in life and the responsibilities towards our families. The problem lies, we always say that we will pay back we will take care of our parents, we will blah blah blah… we belong to NATO ( No Action, Talk Only ) organization until we prove ourselves right and we work. Sure, I can enjoy a few more years of ‘seeing the world and finding myself’ but I think I will skip that and save my parents some grief. I will be the filial daughter..... ha ha ha ha ha
I understand the need to be young but I also understand Responsibilities. Between being young, having fun and stepping up to responsibilities. My friends tell me that I need to Live my Life not be a geek. They tell me that I am missing out on life… Maybe… maybe they are right but Rome, Paris or London will always be there. My values refuse to let me burden my family because I want to Live Life I hope to grow up and contribute to my family income. I want to see my dad retire, not help me with a debt. I want to Live Life in the real world. I am 23. I think its time for me to Live Life. responsibilities. Live Life, the Celine’s way.. finding a job trial and error is ok because I am young. To contribute to the family and using my savings to travel and have fun.
I can understand the passion of traveling and I do have a travel bug in me too but today I know why I said no to the groups of ‘backpacking friends’. This is me, saying no with REGRESTS but I know I am happier and I will feel better when I say No. To Each his / her own. I respect and understand their choices and I appreciate their youthfulness but I can’t do that. So enjoy the trips my friends…Live Life your way or mine.
This post is not in any way meant to make my friends feel bad.
posted by Celine at
4:41 AM
9 Comments:
Had the discussion about the student loan too. I agree. I was really happy that I HAD money to travel like I did in Canada, and didnt have to bug my parents for it. Now I wonder if the job in Korea is paid, cause otherwise I have to make a similar decision: Miss out on a dream or use the money my grandparents have saved for my future...how do we know whats right?
hmmm, I ended up writing a HUGE post about the topic on my blog...yet I am not sure if it makes 100% sense, cause I have been working on my thesis the last 4 hours straight and I cant think anymore....
There's so much I want to comment on your post but I'll just say this:
Sure travelling might not be the purpose of student loans...but the purpose of student loans are to enable youth to get an education. I know personally I have learnt more from my short time abroad than I have from all my years of school. Why? Because I have lived life and experienced things. I didn't read about them in a text book and write a test about it. I'm sure that's one of the reasons people enjoy travelling so much once they do it. They discover their passion for experiencing things first hand. Learning by doing. Its the complete opposite of the education system which teaches sitting obediently and learning passively.
I'm one of those people you mentioned graduating with a $30,000 debt and I guess in some way, a small fraction of that is going towards my upcoming trip abroad but I view it as an investment. Just like post-secondary education.
For more information on the subject, you should read the article "Grow Up? Not So Fast" in the Jan. 24, 2005 edition of Time Magazine. You can access it through UVic Gateway.
And Celine, be careful about what you think of others and their faults. Goethe said "You don't see the world as it is but as you are."
Matt, you got it wrong, I am not talking about travelling as a traineeship/ work experience, I am talking about just travelling through different cities, just exploring.
Its not a fault, its different cultures. like I mentioned, to each his own.. and quite honestly I want to take a loan and travel too, but I know my situation does not allow me to do so.. and dont get me wrong, i totally understand the passion of travelling, experiencing.. I travel to Canada. didnt i ?
Oh yeah, there is a difference between using money that you already have ( parents/ savings) and being in debt to backpack.
Also if it is being in debt, who is eventually paying the debt... I cannot understand the concept of taking my parent's hard-earn money to travel and enjoy myself, if I am the one taking the loan and eventually I am the one paying it off. I would do it.
Yet nothing but another perspective - having spent my 2 years' student loans for
1) 6-weeks packpacking through Russia, Mongolia, China, Kazakhstan
2) Sustaining myself as a full-time AIESEC member (including majority of it going for the trip to Canada, IC..)
So, looking back, 2 main things that I am soooo grateful for from these experiences and wouldn't trade for ANYTHING in the world:
- Friends and networks, ideas and connections that I can also build my future on (already in process)
- My first incentive towards exploring Asia (the roots of why I am now here in Singapore : ) and getting the understanding of how it is possible to immerse yourself to the world, by different means (if that is what you want, of course)
Being aware of the amount of money I use now in loan, I have a plan on how I will earn it back in the future years that have been given to me with the loan contract. And I am totally aware of the responsibility I have taken with this.
I remember another quote (not sure where it comes but my dad has told me this) - you must not be afraid of great expenses, but low returns..
Celine, I do see your point too.
Lots of greetings!
see triin. you have a plan and you are aware of the responsibilities and you are the one that is finacing yourself and you will be the one paying it back so to me, that is ok and that is respectable and amirable. I am glad you took the loan and travelled or I wont have meet you !
wow...seems like this is a topic well worth discussing! :)
Thanks dear babe.. I am very glad for taking this chance, too, and getting to know you and your country! : )So, the fault might not lie in backpacking per se, but rather in the ways of doing it - as it often is also for many other things..
Take care!
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