The Gringo Trail: a path beaten, bashed, flogged and stampeded

When I mention to people that I am going travelling in places like Mexico, Guatemala and Belize, their reactions are usually something of shock and awe. "Wow!" they coo, "how dangerous and exotic, be careful" (obviously those who have done a bit of backpacking outside of Europe realise that this is totally not the case), however for some reason this part of the world still holds some mystery and danger for many. If only they knew! Southern Mexico, Belize and Guatemala are some of the easiest places to travel I have ever been to. Between not needing to know a word of Spanish, nor even meet a local or have any idea of how to get around, it seems that even the most unadventurous, culturally retarded and completely lacking in common sense are able to see all there is to see without lifting a finger thanks to a quick swipe of the credit card and a network of (often foreign owned) travel agencies, shuttle companies and hostels (many of which double as bars, restaurants and everything else one could possibly need) so that one need not even step foot outside the hostel. Even since being away I have rarely found myself speaking Spanish, despite being in a Spanish speaking country.

Far from being a pretentious indie traveller, lazy Gabby has certainly been enjoying the late mornings, direct buses (let me just say that 11 hours, 7 different chicken buses and a boat are not at all preferable to a cosy direct shuttle) and self indulgence that a well established tourist trail (granted I have also been away for 14 months and travel fatigue is beginning to set it). Having been stuck to the tourist trail for the most part, I doubt I can really say that I know Southern Mexico, Belize nor Guatemala beyond the pretty attractions and a number of hostels and bars (and hostel bars), nor can I really claim that I have 'done' any of those places (what a retarded term that backpackers use, how does one 'do' a country I wonder).

In addition, something that I have noticed quite a bit is that the people I have encountered seem to repeat themselves. Not just the same actual people, rather the types of travellers I seem to encounter seem to make everyday feel like groundhog day. Almost every hostel or town or bar seem to feature at least one of the following stereotypes:

• The partiers: they are already drinking by midday and are the last ones to bed at night. Cheering, yelling and whooping can be heard from large distances and they don't seem to notice or care whether they are in Guatemala, Bali or Sydney.
• The hippies: long hippie pants, long hair (sometimes with dreadlocks) and often a lot of piercings all over. They tend to be travelling on a tight budget and are usually the travellers in the kitchen or complaining about the high prices of food in the hostel or talking about the evils of corporate greed.
• The indie traveller: Almost all speak spanish and have a number of tales of foreign lands to rant about. Everything about them screams 'I am a better traveller than you because I get off the beaten track,' even though they are curiously cooped up in the same hostel as the partiers. Constantly trying to one up everyone else with their amazing travel tales, their disdain for the partiers is somewhat hypocritical.
• The Dazza (or the Shazza): surprisingly not the most irritating traveller, these Australians tend to gravitate towards one another to share tales of common bars back in Melbourne, their love of vegemite and the state of the Australian dollar.
• The hostel worker: these people usually either find themselves working in a hostel because they have run out of money or they enjoyed their first night there and thought it would be a great place to stay. They are cheery and enthusiastic (too much so?) and have an incredible talent for learning guest's names.
• The laptopper: takes advantage of the free wifi almost everywhere and spends hours sitting on youtube, stumbleupon, facebook and anything else to keep their interest online. Why? Who knows. Perhaps its just the narcissists that are blogging away...

So there you have it, Central America is no longer under the travel radar. There are times I find myself asking myself where am I again? Maybe I am cynical, or maybe I just need to go home already. I am however not dissing the people who I have met along the way (many have been awesome) nor am I suggesting that tourism has eaten and consumed any trace of local culture. However, such a tourist trail has been established in these parts that local interaction, nor the discomforts or difficulty of travelling have been almost eliminated from the experience. One can only hope now that word doesn't get out and that Belize and Guatemala become the new Cancun or Bali... oops.

This 2012 I resolutely resolve to keep every one of my resolutions

It's that time of year, the January 1 hangover has worn off (almost) and the new year is up and running. While the new year is always the time to reflect on a great year gone, I think we can all agree that the past year has been pretty darn cool and 2012 has a lot to live up to. Why people make their resolutions to change their lives at the end of December? Who knows. Maybe the throbbing headache and killer hangover of January 1 is the point at which people re-evaluate (why did I drink so much? why is there vomit in my bed?), and the plans are laid for the new year. As I am no exception, I have resolved to iron out a few creases in my life (not all... certain promises like drinking less and not partying are futile and just not worth the hassle). So 2012... hit me with your best shot.

Study harder

As I am getting to the pointy end of my studies (pointier than before at least) I figure this is the year to really invigorate my GPA and start getting at least a little bit serious about school. Having somehow managed to pass after pissing around for the past 3 years is anything short of a miracle and the fact that I am a law student who is still yet to read an entire case or textbook is enough to make one wonder what is wrong with the education system (and what kind of professionals are being pushed through Australia's universities). Considering that uni is my primary activity (I don't work nor do anything else particularly of importance), I should at least be able to dedicate myself to studying hard and giving some meaning to my life. And that includes not getting too distracted by my new poi during swotvac and messing up my exams. Doh!

For the remainder of my time at uni, this resolution swung back and forth like a pendulum. In the end I had a pretty mediocre GPA that got me nowhere, but I did have moments where I tried.

Find some kind of purpose to my life

Seeing friends go off to do internships, dream jobs or something good for the world (or at least their self interest) has made me realise that (despite being incredibly fun and interesting) travelling around, meeting cool people and not having a worry in the world isnt very productive or useful. And while travel and relaxation is good for the soul, it does become overly indulgent after a while, and when I see old people who have travelled the world for their entire lives and achieved very little in the meantime, I cringe and swear to myself I will make my mark on society/the world one day (and as something more than the girl at the hostel bar). So despite not knowing what I want to do with my life yet (that's what a year of self indulgence does, it erodes ambition enormously), it is time I do something to at least find out, perhaps with an internship or some volunteering or working on some kind of idea. There comes a time for everyone to grow up, and even though I dont intend to give up my drinking or silliness, I do need to get off my ass.

I tried, I failed. I continue to search. Purpose isn't an internship though. It's enjoying the drinking and silliness. This is the wisdom I have acquired in my time.

Get a job

After almost 2 years of unemployment (fun-employment as I put it), it may be time to remind the workforce that I have not slipped off the radar completely and find myself some extra pocket money. Over the past year (well... 2.5 years) Centrelink and scholarships have been very generous to me, and considering that living costs in Mexico are so low, have allowed me to live quite a comfortable life. However, big gaping holes in resumes aren't all that attractive to potential employers, and before I become well and truly unemployable I should find something pronto. Ideally the job would be fun, well paying, flexible and not impinge on my life too much, although since I am no longer the cream of the low income unskilled labour force anymore (was I ever?) those conditions may be negotiable. Ideally also, I would not have to remove my nose ring nor dye my hair a normal colour, although again it may be unavoidable. While Centrelink is still my safety net, it will be nice to not have to live on mi goreng noodles and drink goon again, although until I graduate and find a real job, the good days of Mexican living may just be over for now.

IT'S A TRAP!!!

So essentially these are the big 3 for the year. Of course theres be happy, achieve self actualisation, be healthy, have great friendships, become a clown, learn to play the guitar etc are all inevitably on there somewhere, the main focus is the big things. Will I keep all of the resolutions? I certainly hope so. When do I begin? Well the normal grace period for New Years resolutions is a few days until the vacations have ended, although for me, my life isn't normal and vacations aren't over until well into February. So I resolutely resolve then to start on these resolutions after I get back to Brisbane.