Too Much of a Good Thing

"Have you guys been to Wanaka?"
Rob and I were at the information center looking for a map of town when a young guy approached us.
Yep, we had been there.
"Is there anything to do there?"
Oh, TONS we replied...we did this awesome hike, and you can bike here and there and...
"No, I mean things that don't involve walking or anything. I am so sick of walking. All I've done in this country is walk, walk, walk. There is nothing to do here, it's so boring"

That set off a reaction in my head like the ones in the movies...you know, when everything screetches to halt with that burning rubber sound effect?

This guy was in trouble. Nothing to do? Bored? Travelling in New Zealand?!?


Turned out he was staying at the same campground/hostel as us.
It also turned out that he was conducting a poll of worthwhile things to do in New Zealand. Or at least that was his front. That's how he would get people talking, but what he really wanted to do was complain about all the travelling he had done in the last year.
He was sick of hiking...too much in New Zealand. Sick of beaches...too many in the South Pacific. Sick of buses. Sick of rice. Sick of sun. Sick of rain. Sick of just about everything.
This guy was sick. He was disillusioned, bitter and cranky.

I was blown away that someone travelling the world could feel this way, but I think this guy was legitimately travelled out. He was no longer seeing the beauty in things, no longer getting excited and no longer enjoying himself.

At first I was really annoyed by him, but the more I overheard, my annoyance turned to pity. This poor guy had had too much of a good thing. He was done for.
I thought I should give him a flyer for the nearest travel agent and tell him that the best thing to do in this town was book a plane ticket home.
Instead, Rob and I finished our rice, and went for a walk on the beach in the rain.