Alternative Magazine

Interview
When was the first time you decided to travel
abroad and why you decided to do so?
The first time I travelled abroad was when I was
19, just after I graduated high school. I was
invited by my state (Wisconsin) to play in a 300
person band in seven countries around Western
Europe. It was fun and I was gone 3 weeks.
Our respondent is David Benjamin from US,
whom I met during my Erasmus semester in Tallinn.
He is living the most amazing life, having visited 71 countries
at the age of 26.
And I can say that once you get to know him,
you know that he is not just another tourist
but a true traveler.
I know that after traveling for couple of
months you took a break and then on the
road once again, how do you feel when
you're home in US? Does it still feel like
home?
Travelling for a long time is hard. You change
a lot. When I got home I experienced reverse
culture shock. It means, essentially, that home
feels like a foreign place. This lasted for about
3 weeks, but work and Brazilian Jiu-jitsu
helped me bring me back home mentally. I
was so used to moving and new experiences
that when you have a normal routine it feels
strange. It does still feel like home, but for a
while you feel removed as if you are looking
in on it, rather than being a part of it.