This Is It

Alright! This is it. 

Passport checked. Visa checked. Everything else checked. Time to call cab and head to the airport. 

If you're here for the first time, wondering what the hell i'm talking about, let me share with you my story and plans :)

In August 2016, I had a moment of dilemma and decided that I want to travel in 2017. So I quit my job and figured out a plan. 

I'm aware that over the past few years I've gotten lazier and ran out of creative ideas. Felt like it's time to leave my comfort zone and figure out the next step. 

Something that I've always wanted to try was to stay at a host's place and help out in exchange for accommodation. This was something I've heard about and was very intrigued by the idea. So for this trip! I'll be heading to Taiwan Hualien for 2 months, and spending another 2 months in Korea Jeju thereafter. The rest of the plans are still undecided as I hope to have room for flexibility. 

Used to dread it when we plan for a holiday and have to wake up early with a packed itinerary each day. Even though it felt fruitful and accomplished, holidays like these tend to make me feel more tired than rested. A typical backpacking trip would be to move around places after a few days and explore as many destinations as possible. But for this trip, I've decided to stay at a spot for long to really experience and live like the locals, as I believe in cherishing bonds formed with genuine interests over a longer period of time. 

So rather than taking it as a holiday or a backpacking trip, I'd prefer to see this as a "getting to know oneself" trip, with the time, comfort and space for me to sort out my thoughts and ideas. 

The photo at the top was taken in 2015 on my sister's birthday trip to Korea (that's her hand), and I've always wanted to use it on a travelling post on instagram. Who knew it'd have a special spot right now on this blog. YAY time to take more photos!

This seems like a very narcissistic post, with "I"s and "Me"s scattered over every paragraph. I won't deny that this was a selfish decision I've made, but I also hope to get your understanding and support. I'd probably regret this when the consequence of my decision catches up, but figured I'd probably regret even more if I hadn't had the courage to go ahead with this plan.

Today, I set off with a heart numb with nervousness yet packed with excitement~ wish me luck!

loves,
marilyn