I just stumbled across a charming little blog, LL World Tour. LL or Lisa Lubin has just gotten back from a trip around the world. While browsing through her posts I noticed a comment a reader had left. Here it is:
“You are on such an awesome adventure. I plan on living vicariously through you!”
This comment tells me that LLs reader would like to travel as well, but hadn’t quite realized that herself yet. That comment was made end of 2006, so maybe she’s bumming around on a beach as I write this. I’d like to think so. You should never live vicariously through someone else. You’d miss too much of your own life. You should just live.
What do you think?
Tags: Living, Vicariously
Most of the time Boris can be found swimming with the big fish or chilling in his hammock in some far-away region of earth. Once he chewed some betel nut...
Posted in Miscellaneous on 8 June 2008 | Comments Feed
Christine Gilbert - 8 June 2008 @ 1:08 PM
I actually get that comment a lot through my blog. I think it depends on the person. There are people who say that who are perfectly happy with their lives, but like the idea of travel. Not enough to actually do it, but enough to read my blog. I’m okay with that. I’m interested in all kinds of things that I will read about or watch someone else do, but I know that I won’t pursue them personally, because I’m more interested in other things.
Then there are the people who do break my heart, because it seems from their comments that the really do want to travel, but they have these “roadblocks” they have put up for themselves. One woman told me she would like to move from Boston to California, but knows she would never do it. I was a little surprised, because a cross country move is not so difficult. She said, “I wouldn’t even know where to start researching”. I get something similar from younger people too: “I wish someone would just give me a step by step.” I even tried to help her with some concrete steps she could take, but in the end her internal resistance was too high.
It’s an interesting question you’ve asked, because I’m not sure how (even for myself) to go from enjoying the “idea” of doing something, to realizing that I could do it.
traveljunkie - 8 June 2008 @ 1:36 PM
Maybe this is a language thing, Christine. I’m not a native english speaker, but I would never say I’d like to live vicariously through you if I’m only interested in something. To me that sounds more like there’s a deep longing there.
Maybe even fear, now that I think more about it. There’s someone else doing it, so I don’t have to. They can kind of experience it from the sidelines without any risks involved.
Priyank - 9 June 2008 @ 3:50 AM
First, I checked what the word means
experienced or realized through imaginative participation in the experience of another (okay, complicated)
But I have got many such comments too. Usually I just smile but deep down inside I feel bad. If anything, my blog should encourage people to travel, and not the opposite :D
llworldtour - 11 June 2008 @ 7:18 AM
Hey Boris-
Now that I’m home in the US, I guess i will have to live vicariously through YOU until i set off again… which I plan to be soon!! Thanks for finding my site and flattering me!!
Happy Travels!
:)
LL
traveljunkie - 11 June 2008 @ 8:27 AM
Touché, mademoiselle :) Good luck with your future travels…