My thoughts after 6 months of solo travel across Asia

Quit my job to travel, here are 6 lessons that I have learned

Introduction

I thought I’d kick off my first post with a pretty pivotal year in my life. As of writing this piece, I’m 25 years old and after graduating college in the summer of 2022, I moved back to the U.S. from Canada to start my professional career. Like many of my peers, I was excited for this new chapter of life: making money and stepping into world of adulthood. I spent the next 18-months working hard, but the results were not as rewarding as I had thought.

The months, which used to feel long, started flying by, and I could barely remember what I did the previous weekend. Time seemed to lose its meaning. I craved adventure and new experiences, but the "live for the weekend" culture of going out and drinking left me with no time for myself. Weekends were a blur, and was too exhausted after work to do anything meaningful. I felt drained and was demoralized about making an impact on the world. I finally understood what older adults meant by "young and naive." This was the grueling transformative process that turned precious youthful energy into a homogenized slop of disillusionment.

In the new year of 2024, I wanted to do something dramatic & desperately wanted to regain control of my life, so I quit my job to solo travel Asia. Here were some realizations I had along the way:

1: Designing a Life Anywhere

We are all born into a unique set of conditions, some within our control, and some beyond it, that ultimately shapes how we are. One of these conditions is geographic location. So why limit yourself to just your immediate surroundings when there are wide variety different ways of life around the world that may be better suited to your unique set of traits?

Growing up in the West, the expectation and progression of life is to go to school, graduate college, get a job, move out, and start your own family.

However, in many Asian cultures, there’s an emphasis on legacy and the collective. The idea of success isn’t just about individual achievements but about contributing to the larger fabric of family and society. While Western ideals often prioritize independence and personal milestones, many parts of Asia value the interdependence of relationships. This contrast opened my eyes to different ways of living and succeeding. It made me question: What if the life I’m meant to lead doesn’t fit into the neat, pre-packaged narrative that I’ve been told to follow?

I realized that you don’t have to live your life according to the script handed to you. There’s a freedom in designing a life that resonates with your core values, no matter where that life is based.

2: The Value of Solitude

Leaving behind a life that I knew allowed me to confront a lot of things that I was pushing off. I realized that I was not comfortable being alone with my thoughts, but it forced me to face the things in my life I was repressing for so long.

True solitude, especially in a place where you know no one, strips away all the distractions. You can’t drown your thoughts in mindless entertainment or seek comfort in the presence of friends. Instead, you’re left with only yourself, and that can be terrifying. But it’s also incredibly enlightening. You start to see the patterns in your thinking, the habits you’ve developed to avoid discomfort, and the vices you’ve been clinging to.

Solitude became a mirror, reflecting parts of myself that I had neglected. It was uncomfortable, yes, but it was also a necessary step in my journey toward self-realization and growth. It’s in those moments of solitude that you start to understand who you really are, and learn to trust your inner voice.

3: Perception of Time

As I alluded to earlier, working in a routine renders time meaningless. However, with traveling, there was always a sequence of planned events to look forward to. Every transition was like a new chapter in a novel. Time no longer became this continuous stream of distorted, un-recallable events but instead a neatly packaged collection of short stories, each with its own set of characters and plots. And stories are easy to remember.

In my routine life, days would blur together, weeks would pass, and I’d struggle to recall what I’d done or what had mattered. But on the road, every day felt distinct, every experience vivid. The change in scenery, the new faces, the unfamiliar sounds and smell, they all contributed to a sense of being fully present in each moment. Time became tangible again, something I could feel and hold onto, rather than something slipping away unnoticed.

4: Goodness of People

Contrary to what the media makes us believe that the world is a dangerous and scary place, everywhere I went, I was met with smiles and awesome stories. Fear is the mind-killer, as the saying goes. It’s easy to be paralyzed by the constant barrage of negative news, to believe that the world is full of threats.

But stepping out into an unknown country, meeting people from different walks of life, shattered that illusion for me. I learned that most people, no matter where they’re from, are just trying to live their lives, get by, find happiness, and connect with others. The goodness in people is real, and it’s something that can be found everywhere.

5: Enjoying the little things

Amidst the grand adventures, I found that some of the most profound moments came from the simplest pleasures. A quiet sunrise over a rice field, a shared meal with strangers, the feeling of sand between my toes and a warm salty breeze over my fact, these were the moments that reminded me of the beauty in the everyday.

In my previous life, I was always chasing the next big thing, the next achievement, the next milestone. But this experience taught me to slow down, to savor the little things, to find joy in the present moment. It’s easy to overlook these small pleasures when you’re focused on the bigger picture, but they’re the moments that truly color your life.

6: Embracing Risk and Adventure

Risk and adventure are two sides of the same coin. You can’t have one without the other. The very nature of adventure involves stepping into the unknown, taking a leap of faith, and embracing the possibility of failure or discomfort. But that’s what makes it so exhilarating, so rewarding.

I know these are cliche realizations and have been told many times, but they’re cliche for a reason, you hear them often, but never truly internalize them until you experience them yourself. So go out and explore life; life does not happen to you but for you, it has so much to offer, and you'll find that those "cliche" truths are the ones that will ultimately shape your journey.