I can't believe how quickly this life became normal for me.
Of course I wanted to write. Of course I had things to say about what I did. However, being surrounded by others who share the same interests--that have travelled just as much if not more than me--convinced me that what I was doing was average. Not worth sharing. Normal. As if staying on a private island surrounded by untouched jungle and no electricity with a group of friendly locals helping you fish for breakfast was normal (Higatangan Island, Philippines). As if attempting to hitch-hike on a thin strip of road with a wall of stone on one side and a rushing river in the gorge hundreds of feet down was average (Taroko Gorge, Taiwan). Almost as if staying in an ancient temple on palace grounds before it is opened for tourists, waking up with the monks for a Buddhist service that has been happening at sunrise for hundreds and hundreds of years was an uninteresting day (Kyoto, Japan).
I realized in Japan that if I really wanted to travel--and continue for some time--I would have to find new ways of discovery. I was glad to see Tokyo, but it had the same Starbucks that Seoul and New York did. It had McDonald's and Wi-Fi and movie theaters. It had a subway and set prices and imported food. I love these things (I really do), but ultimately it is detrimental to learning what the essence of a culture is and meeting those from that culture. Strangers are less likely to help you in a city where the signs are in English. They're less likely to talk to you, and probably won't even notice you. You're more likely to know exactly what you've ordered at a restaurant. And you're able to figure out exactly how to flush the toilet.
I am slowly but surely going around the world, meeting interesting people and learning where I belong in the whole colorful, adventerous mess. My travels may not be easy, but they are a rewarding challenge for the true back-packers out there. I want to let others interested in these things know when, where, and how to travel as best as I can. I want to make it easier to get to Sokcho, or Maokong, or Kyoto and save the traveller after me some precious time on their trip. I also realized that where I plan on going, you need all the help you can get. My stories can help travellers who believe that tanning on a beach in Boracay is not a true Filipino experience, or that Seoul shouldn't be all that one experiences in Korea.
And I've had adventures that, if nothing else, I would like to write down and remember and look back on.
So, this is my own little manifesto. I have three months to really dig deep and discover more of Korea from Gyeongju to Jeju Island. I have a couple of months to document my trips through southeast Asia this summer. I have a lifetime of new places, people, and discoveries to find. You're welcome to follow me.
