Hello to the sheer thrill of it all.
“You live a rich life. You love life.” A former boss told me once, he taught me a tremendous amount about entrepreneurship. I was twenty-four years old at the time, and his words have forever ingrained in my mind. Through later years, some friends got married, some continue to have babies and even the single ones have progressed to find mates. Progressive, however, has been the kind of life I seem to lead. Completely unattached, yearning to tackle the world. Unprepared to settle for anything less than what tomorrow has to offer.
As many times as I’ve picked up my bags and left, a tiny ounce of uneasiness still lingers in the act of leaving, even with goals in mind. At twenty-seven, I left to pursue a lifelong dream of becoming fluent in five languages before turning thirty. I came back to the States when the personal mission was accomplished. It took three years. This time, I’m leaving to see the world. What exactly does that entail, I’m not too certain. But such uncertainty is the sheer thrill of it all.
In my native Asian culture, I am very well aware that such a life which I lead is unfortunately considered unconventional. Rules, however, bore me to death. To me, playing it safe is a bland concept. So even if it means I’m perceived as an oddball, I prefer to live a life full of stories that would require multiple lifetimes to tell. There’s no bucket list. The motivation is deep rooted in the unpredictability of life. My family is in Asia, the house I bought is in San Francisco but my heart resides in Paris, so that’s where I’m headed first. Afterwards, who knows what kinds of colorful stories will blossom in Prague, Budapest, Cayman Islands…the list goes on.
But fun stories to store as memories are not enough. Life lessons applied to my own life collected from different parts of the world are key treasures as they invigorate changes from within. In Cape Town, I realized that pure love wasn’t enough as my relationship at the time was on the brink of residue. Camping in the Sahara Desert, the material world appeared almost as a joke. Thrown in the face of extreme poverty in India, I came home to never let food go to waste, even if it means becoming the queen of doggie bags. While observing placid wildlife in Kenya, the mindset that our planet is truly in peril finally settled in. Every trip has not made me a better person than anyone else but a better version of myself.
Yesterday, I met a beautiful and kind woman who soon became a fan of Jetset Times after five minutes of our conversation. Today, I discovered a lovely card tucked on top of my car window. Besides giving me beautiful advice about traveling to Laos, she also wrote: My wish for your journey is that you are touched by as much goodness and grace as you give to others. Feeling undeserving of her gracious gesture, I opened another unexpected card in the mailbox, sent by one of our very own Jetset Times interns who is about to embark on a journey in Southeast Asia. Tonight, I received a charming hello from Europe by another former intern. Hello to a magnificent ride it has been already, knowing that this platform continues to inspire the next generation to venture outside of themselves.
Yes, I do love life. But I love my freedom even more. It has sustained my hunger for meeting a taxi driver in Portugal who turned into a dear friend (see photo, right), sharing meals with strangers who exposed journeys in cities I’ve never been to, connecting with street performers who live on dimes but tirelessly entertain those passing by without giving acknowledgement. Completely unattached, thus it’s another perfect opportunity to seek for more. More of life awaits with unpredictable storm and peace. So goodbye for now, San Francisco.
Hello, world.
Love,
xxx
