Greetings!

I feel like I’ve just been around the world and back.

My month of travel took me to Orage County, LA, Seoul, back to LA, Hawaii, then home.

I learned some valuable lessons along the way, which I’m excited to share below.

Let’s dive in!

🇰🇷 Seoul and my restless spirit

I recently returned from a two-week trip to Seoul, South Korea.

It was incredible.

It’s hard to pin down what I liked most about Seoul. Was it the delicious food, friendly people, electrifying nightlife, rich culture, or all of the above?

On this trip, I chose to open myself up to an extreme level of serendipity.

I wandered sleepless streets from nightfall to sunrise. Shared drinks with strangers who quickly became friends. Ate one of everything, and gave in to the intoxicating energy of the city.

However, as the trip neared an end, I found myself mourning the idea of leaving. I thought to myself, “Life is so exciting here. Will I feel depressed when I arrive back home to normal life in the US? Will it be so dull by comparison?”

I had fallen in love with a city I had only just met, and it was hard to say goodbye so soon.

Luckily, I spent five days on the remote Hawaiian island of Molokai before returning to Minnesota. The entirety of this time was offline and in nature. This quiet space helped me reflect on my life back home, and what message I wanted to take back from my travels.

In Seoul, my mind was constantly engaged with novelty and adventure. This brought great delight and kept my restless mind in the moment. But how could I create this feeling back home, in a place I already know so well, where all novelty seems gone?

Thus far, the answer I’ve found is to keep myself deeply engaged with my hobbies and passions. For these first two weeks back, I’m creating something new or trying something new every day. So far I’ve found a great deal of joy and excitement in this process. It’s an ethos I want to carry forward after these two weeks.

At the same time, I’ve remembered that travel is an integral part of my life and something that is essential to nourish my adventurous spirit. The COVID lockdowns made me forget the rejuvenating benefits of travel. I went from an average of 4 flights per month to 0 flights per year during the lockdown. This took a toll I hadn’t realized.

Going forward, I’m looking to find a balance between creating adventure in my daily routine, combined with frequent world travel.

I’m grateful to Seoul, and for all the lessons it taught me. I’ll be back soon.

Thanks for reading and talk to you next time.

Best,

Isaac