Dear Dealchecker…
Dissatisfaction; it happens to the best of us. At one stage or another everyone you and pretty much everyone you know will have felt some sense of at best, discontent and at worst, misery. Whether you’ve lost your job, broken up with your beloved or just hit an invisible wall in your life, sometimes you just need to do something drastic to dramatically change your reality – and that’s where the beautiful art of travel comes in! Tried (and failed) at therapy? Given up on drowning your sorrows? Never fear, your dealchecker travel agony aunt is here to prescribe you some much needed advice. Here is the place that we help you combat some of those universal problems we all face – just because we care.
Dear dealchecker,
I have been with my boyfriend for eight years now, and I’ve been angling after a marriage proposal now for at least seven and a half of those years. Last week, my man and I were enjoying a bottle of wine of an evening on our annual ‘romantic lovers retreat’ in Devon and I felt sure that I would have something shiny on my finger before the night was out. We took an evening stroll, the stars twinkled in the sky, his eyes shimmered with unshed tears (of joy?!) and I just knew it – this would be the moment. He told me that he had something to give me; my heart raced, I couldn’t breath. He reached into his jacket and pulled out…a frisbee. Apparently this would be a fun thing for us to do at 9pm on a Saturday night. I knew then that I had to finish it. I cannot marry a man who chooses to frisbee rather than propose. I am heartbroken, single and alone once again. Dealchecker, how can I get myself out of this miserable love rut?
Yours disappointedly,
Anon
Dear Anon,
Even though you’re in pain right now, think of the positives – now is your chance to enjoy all the wonderful things (and people!) this big wide world has to offer. You have two options – you can either wallow in misery, eating biscuits fermented in red wine and crying in front of Eastenders or you can be brave and make a change. You might be familiar with the old saying – the best way to get over someone is to get under someone else. Now whilst we don’t advise wanton promiscuity as a means of healing your broken heart, we have composed a travel prescription that we think might be just right for you. Firstly, visit Sweden and Denmark. You might not think you’re ready to move on yet – but you will change your mind when you see the calibre of male strolling down the average Scandinavian street. Flirt your way to a cheerful mood! Scandinavians are generally quite a matter-of-fact kind of people, which will keep self-pitying doldrums to a minimum – and both countries have the added bonus of being unpopular honeymoon destinations – thus helping you to avoid unnecesary emotional black holes caused by smug newlyweds. Amazing nightlife and gorgeous people are a match made in heartbreak heaven. We also suggest Italy – Italian men are notoriously, shall we say, liberal with their appreciation of the female form – and this will be the perfect antidote to your shattered self esteem.
Good luck, and go forth and flirt, international style!
Love, dealchecker
Source: Flo_p
Dear dealchecker,
My soul is troubled. I constantly look around at the world and wonder where my place is in it. I find myself surrounded by corrupt, money-grabbing social climbers and find myself wondering – where did it all go wrong? I constantly think there must be more to life than this. I feel a sense of hopelessness when I read the papers or turn on the TV at the state of our once beautiful world. I actively participated in creating this life for myself, the ‘good job’, ‘stable partner’, ‘nice home’ but I find myself not wanting any of it. It might be a mid life crisis, it could be a spiritual funk, I’m just not sure. Please help!
Yours spiritually troubled,
Anon
Dear Anon,
There’s only one prescription I have for you: get yourself to India, and fast. It’s become a bit of a cliche of late, but it really is one of the best places to change your mindset and your opinion of the world we live in. Sometimes you need to remove yourself, if only for a bit, from your day to day reality in order to look at your life objectively. You could even go the whole hog and spend some time in an Ashram! Meditation can be a great way of stilling your mind and reinvigorating your mental attitude and gives you the chance for some much needed self reflection. If you don’t want to go that far, just experiencing India itself can be a spiritual journey. Viewing a more simple way of life and immersing yourself in a completely different culture is like food for the soul; we can’t recommend it highly enough. Travel as a whole has a way of broadening your outlook, and India specifically is the perfect place to explore your options and take time out from the stressful Western world!
We hope this helps!
Love, dealchecker
Source: Traveljournals.net
Are you plagued by doubt, frazzled by hassle, down in the dumps? Leave us a comment with your most worrying of problems and next month we’ll provide a nomadic solution to your woes!
