The Upside of Not Travelling

 

There is certainly an upside to not being able to jump on a flight and go explore the countries left on my list in Asia. My plan was to visit the Philippines for Christmas, go to Taiwan on a long weekend, a quick visit to Shanghai then a stop in Japan before heading home next summer. Will any of these trips happen? Unlikely but I feel there are positives to not exploring. Let’s find out what they are.

 

Not travelling the last 6 and half months has really helped me save more money. As focused as I am on saving money, when it comes to travel vs saving, saving doesn’t stand a chance. Being an adult means I can essentially do whatever I want. This pandemic is basically a strict parent telling me to stay in my room. Even if we were allowed to travel, not having a passport would hurt my dreams of leaving the country.

Going on a trip is a lot of planning. What flight will you take? What time do you have to leave your house? How will you get there? What will you bring with you? What have you forgotten? What’s the currency exchange? Where will you stay? What language do they speak? What’s the food situation? What will you do once you get there? Who are you going to talk to? How much money will you need to bring? Will your flight get cancelled? How tired will you be if you arrive late on Sunday night and need to work on Monday morning? What if you lose something on your trip? What if you get framed for murder? What if someone planted drugs in your luggage and you spend the next 20 years in a Cambodian prison? The only thing I worry about now is if my Xbox controller has charged batteries or not. 

Going to new places can be wonderful and filled with pleasant surprises. It can also be a disappointment and expectations not met.

Oh, I thought the water wouldn’t be this polluted.

Man, it’s hard to get around this city.

I think that lady just stole my wallet.

It’s been raining since I landed here.

It’s too hot!

I don’t think I should have eaten the chicken from that taxi driver.

I’m lost; again!

That roof wasn't very solid. I think my wrist is broken.

Someone stole my hiking shoes.

I’m far too hungover to go to that museum.

I’m not sure that was a girl….

It takes so much time to get to the airport. Need to wait to check in. Wait to get your bags scanned. Wait at immigration. Find your gate. Wait for your section to be called. Wait to get on the airplane. Wait for take-off. Wait to get off the aircraft. Wait for your luggage. Wait for whatever form of transportation to get to your hotel. Then do all that again on the way back. No thank you.

 

Doesn’t travelling sound awful? Yeah let’s not go anywhere until 2022. Are you with me? Even if you aren’t, you might not really have the option so let’s all stay home but let’s try and get fit, read, save and rest. Goodbye and good luck.

“Just when you think it can’t get any worse, it can. And just when you think it can’t get any better, it can.” Nicholas Sparks

Bert October 2020 Update

 

 

You’ve missed me, haven’t you? We’ve been through a lot together since 2011. One of us has fallen through a roof while many of you have fallen in love and had kids. One of us has lost their passport during a pandemic while many of you are surrounded by people you know and love. I think I know who has won the last 9 years…

Do I have friends in Seoul? Not really unless you count the people at my school that feel sorry for me and ask to do things with me occasionally out of pity.  

Have I picked up a new sport or have I been playing basketball alone? No, I have not.

Do I have a fun girlfriend to spend my time with and explore Korea with? You obviously know the answer to that question.

Do I pay someone to clean my tiny apartment because I’m too lazy to? Absolutely.

Have I spent more than 216 hours playing Halo since March? Unfortunately the answer to that question is yes.

Do I go on lots of bike rides, read tons of books and gets lots of rest? Yes, yes and yes.

Is my first bamboo plant still alive? Surprisingly, yes!

Have I lost 15 pounds essentially by accident? Certainly.

Do I feel frustrated about the state of the world, the lies, misinformation, ignorance and general disregard for facts and the truth? Indeed.

Do I have anything interesting to pass on to you that would make reading this worthwhile? Of course not.

 

I have nothing exciting to write about. It’s been more than 2 months since I’ve written anything and usually as time passes, I try and come up with something worth writing about. Unfortunately, if I waited for something unique and exciting to happen, you might not hear from me until later in 2021. I am grateful that I am in a safe country where Covid has not affected my job or makes me worry about my safety. I am grateful to be alive, saving money and trying to help kids learn new things. I will leave you with this final question.

Do I want to move home? Yes.