Hi Ana – I’m glad this resonates with you! Your little Korean dwelling sounds like a paradise all its own.
Since renting this place I describe above, I moved over to a close friend’s home (a much bigger one, in which we both have ample space to co-exist), and have been staying with her for almost a month now. Sometimes the work-life balance is easier than other times; I’ve learned that it’s a matter of sequestering myself somewhere that I’m not accessible for easy interruptions (eg: don’t set up in the living room), and explicit communication that I need to work like a full-time job has helped. But we all falter at times as well…

So, I go for renting my own apartment and paying the higher cost which ends up costing me less in lost work time and overall stress. Right now I’m renting an unfurnished apartment in the middle of a medium-sized Korean town … and sleeping on the floor in a sleeping bag. I have my own internet connection, control over my own schedule and bought the basics for cooking. It’s me, my sleeping bag and my computer. And we are getting along like long-lost best friends. Ahhhhhhh! What a relief.

Hi Gregory – You have spent a lifetime traveling in various aspects, and I very much respect your opinion on such matters…and thus your support is all the more appreciated.

You’re right – my words do come from the heart and soul; although somewhat selfishly I must admit, since putting these thoughts into black & white seems to help me understand – and own – my state of affairs.
I’m simply glad that other people can relate to and learn from my own reflections.

PS – Happy New Year to you as well!

Hi Jo,
I so love to hear from you as the years roll by and to see how your own travels are evolving.

Very interesting about the change of circumstances with your friend with whom you used to room with in Wellington. In my experience, when I stay with old friends (and even new friends), it’s generally considered a time of celebration and a special event. Thus, the need to “entertain” as you say; which if I’m to interpret it correctly (given my own experience with it), is simply a desire to get quality time in together. And when you’re a traveler – your hosts want to show you the best of their home town.

But sometimes I don’t think hosts understand when all you want is to simply “let it all hang out” and just be with your friends/hosts. I find blunt communication is the best way to get everybody on the same page – although that doesn’t always work either. 😉

Great observations, Isabella!
Indeed travel is so very different for everybody, and it’s also an evolution. The more places you see, the less it is about seeing places, and the more it is about BEING there. (At least that’s the way it has evolved for me, as well as you).

As for having lost a little piece of myself, I find when you are constantly flexing and bending and generally being a chameleon to your surroundings (as I often have), the less I remember what it is to just be me – whatever that is.
I’m still working on this theory, so it’s a little messy to describe…. 😉

Sorry for typos. Should do all posts in Word when no editing is allowed..

Happy belated New Year!

I am happy to see you doing so well.

Your willingness to share reflections on the evolution of your views on travel is truly unique and clearly comes the heart and soul.

Depending upon your personality, and the time you have available, time alone is often as important as cultural immersion, seeing new things, learning a new language, eating new food. Your mind and imagination needs to take all these experiences in, as you certainly cannot give if you do not have a certain peace of mind. I loved nothing more than drinking a glass of wine in France or Italy while looking out at the countryside, deep in daydream, not stressed by any upcoming “schedule,” perhaps reading a great book or listening to music that connected.

Slow travel, slow food, good life…

Just ask the great writers and artists of the past centuries who eased into life in inspiring but relaxing environments. Matisse, Cezanne, D.H. Lawrence, and on and on. Life you, we are all artists, some, like me, lacking the formative skills, but able to appreciate…

You instincts are clearly right, in my book.

As for me, I really do not like “travel” in the sense that I am over, and have been for a long time, running around to sights. I prefer to “move in” to an area – stay there for months on end, and just “live” like a local. I skip all the touristy parts, find a few awesome places that speak to me personally (even if they are not something that would “wow” a typical tourist), and just soak them up until they become like the back of my hand.

I prefer to get to know a place at my own slow pace, rather than “visit” it. Otherwise I start to feel drained, tired, and worn out. I know one person who sometimes goes into a dreamy speech about how great it would be if right now we were traveling around a foreign country, heading from town to town, and sipping drinks in cafes in famous locales, and I just groan inside and think, “no.” Been there, done that. I have no desire to constantly be on the move like a tourist anymore.

Some of my best travel memories are hanging out for days on end in secluded places that no tourist would ever think to be worth their time – and that is fine with me. 🙂 Sometimes the best type of travel is the type where you no longer have to travel. 🙂

Rob – I think this is a good thing to ponder, and I also believe we need to cut ourselves some slack on our definition of home, which we should be allowed to change as our life outlooks and priorities change.
You may have been used to a lifestyle of movement in your earlier years, but after 9 years in one spot maybe your own definition of home is due for an update. And that’s totally okay! 🙂