WHAT BEING HIT WITH THE "TRAVEL BUG" REALLY MEANS

Being hit with the “travel bug” is more than simply going to as many countries as possible. It is continuing your never-ending search for knowledge about yourself and the world. In addition, it is also to sustain the knowledge you’ve gained and new being that you have grown into through your travels. Being hit with the travel bug, then, is not so much about your physical location, but a state of mind that thrives off curiosity and perpetual self-growth. For me, being hit with the travel bug has led to many new friendships, incredibly insightful conversations, reading a ton of books, and great life changing experiences. In this way, I will always be traveling, and you can too.

by Jason Lam

WHY I WANT TO MOVE TO TAIWAN

When you live in a foreign country, it doesn’t matter what you do, you will always feel like you’re learning something new, conquering a new challenge, and ending the day with a sense of accomplishment. I’m guessing the same goes for foreigners who move to the United States. It must be exciting for them to tackle life in full English and adapt to the American lifestyle. For foreigners, getting to the grocery store or finding the closest bus stop is a huge achievement. Having a conversation with a local and only misunderstanding a few words can feel unbelievably satisfying. Not having to check the dictionary every time you order food – a milestone.

However, let’s consider if you just stayed in your home country. You speak the language. You fully understand the culture. Hmm… there really aren’t any daily challenges that you can tackle and make you feel like you accomplished something at the end of the day. Crap, that must mean you have to find some sort of high paying job, start your own company, or win the lottery. Notice how high the standard suddenly got? Funny how much your surroundings affect the way you live, the way you think, and the way you view yourself.

When I lived in Taiwan, even if all I did was walk around the park and ate lunch, I’d feel like I accomplished something because I managed to survive in a foreign environment. If I did that in the States? I’d be a loser who should go and get a job. In Taiwan, if I found my way to the department store, deciphered all the Chinese characters, and purchased a blender, I’d be an open-minded person who wasn’t afraid of new experiences and new challenges. If I did that in the States? I’d just be a regular Joe who went to the department store.

Point being, the secret to happiness is living a lifestyle that allows you to feel like you’ve accomplished something every day, no matter how big or small. Subtle annoyances, even if it is just a language barrier, actually keep life fun. A life that’s too comfortable is boring, a life that’s too difficult is undesirable – You just want enough to feel accomplished by the time you go to bed at night. I think the funniest thing is how when I’m in Taiwan, I consider going out and talking to my friend in Chinese as having done something. But in San Francisco, all of the sudden, I feel like I have to create the next Facebook. Jeez.

Maybe what you should be asking yourself is not, “What’s my passion?” but “What are the subtle annoyances I enjoy working through on the daily basis?” Finding something as colossal as a lifelong passion is too daunting of a task, which often results in grown men and women weeping into their pillows at night. Maybe you can try creating a lifestyle that provides just the right amount of hiccups on a daily basis that will eventually lead you to where you’ve wanted to go all along.

In my case, I communicate with my Chinese-speaking friends, write, take pictures and exercise daily. Each activity has a challenge of its own that I enjoy. By doing this every day, my Chinese, writing, photography, and health will keep improving, and I get to end each day with a sense of accomplishment. While being a fluent Chinese speaker and an accomplished writer and photographer is my ultimate goal, I do not let the idea of my perfect life in the future get in the way of what I can do today.

So while I would still love to move to Taiwan, I know that what I really want is to feel a little sense of accomplishment when I go to bed every night. This is something that each and every single one of us can recreate for ourselves just by taking note of the little problems we enjoy fixing.

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” - Lao Tzu

by Jason Lam

20 JET LAGGED THOUGHTS YOU DON'T CARE ABOUT BUT I WILL TELL YOU ANYWAY

It’s Day 4 since returning to the States after spending two wonderful months in Taiwan. It’s currently 10:47 at night here in San Francisco. 1:47 in the afternoon over in Taipei. Here are some jet-lagged thoughts you absolutely don’t care about, but I will tell you anyway:

1. No one is coming to save you, so you can stop waiting.
   

2. I usually read a ton of books, but I’m reading drastically less this year. It’s okay though. Better to properly digest all this new information than to keep cramming things into my brain.
   

3. I like this version of me. I can more or less communicate, read, and write in Chinese. I can communicate with my friends in Taiwan. I can make new friends. I can even fall in love. I like this version of me. Do you like this version of you?

4. 宋冬野

5. Voice lessons

6. Should I move to Taiwan?

7. Knowing that I will most definitely fall asleep before 12 a.m. is comforting and very efficient in a way. It forces me to get everything done before then. I know I’ll fall asleep. No sleepless nights rolling around for no reason. 12 a.m. Shop is closed. Efficient.

8. What does a couple do after they’re past the fun and exciting “Getting to know you phase?” How do you keep the flame alive? Figure that out, and you’ll be a millionaire.

9. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.

10. As long as you have people by your side that care about you, anything is possible. I truly believe that.

11. How much suffering should one endure before they call it quits? When is the pain no longer worth it?

12. People like to be the “type” that can handle a long-distance relationship. Unfortunately, most people are just that.

13. When you like something, you don’t always have to know why.

14. Eat slowly.

15. I dance hustle just for fun. A hobby. I don’t do it for the money, for the fame, nothing. Funny enough, when you expect nothing, you get everything.

16. Don’t look back.

17. I barely spent anytime on social media during my two months in Taiwan. I think time spent scrolling through your Facebook or Instagram feed can equate to how little quality time you are actually spending with your friends, family, or even yourself. Because if you were actually spending quality time with them, you wouldn’t be wasting it on social media looking at what everybody else is doing. I’ve only been back for 4 days, and I’ve already spent way more time scrolling through my Facebook newsfeed than I should have. Terrible. But is it also because all my friends and family are also doing the same? Sigh.

18. American culture is a bit absurd. Why must we drink so much protein and work out so much? Doesn’t make any sense to me. Sure, I guess it looks good if you’re part of the American audience – though to the rest of the world, you just look fat.

19. After all my travels, I find it quite hard to define anything or have a standard way of viewing life based on any one country’s way of thinking. Diet, muscles, clothing, dating, alcohol, art, dancing, the freakin’ weather. While everyone sees it like that, I, on the contrary, can only see it as, “Yeah, sure, I can see why you may think that way.” If I was an element, I’d be water. If I was a martial art, I’d be Jeet Kune Do. Style of no style. Form of formlessness.

20. Life is so much better in love.

by Jason Lam

HOW TO FIND OUT WHO YOU REALLY ARE

On the last day of class of my final year in college, my screenwriting teacher, Kris Young, (who I swear is the reincarnation of Confucius because of his wisdom) takes a breast pump out from his bag and places it on the table. Now, I don't really know how those things work, but he instructs us to be quiet as he hits the 'ON' switch, which then fills the room with a low mechanical hum. After a confused couple of minutes, he turns it off and tells us to say what we heard. 

The actual answers didn't matter. What mattered was that WE ALL HEARD SOMETHING DIFFERENT.

And so the last thing I learned in college, which I still remember to this day, was not about all the technicalities of creativity. It was the fact that WE ALREADY HAVE A UNIQUE VOICE, and the best thing we can do as artists is to stay true to it.

The problem is we don't realize or forget that we already have what it takes, and I admit it is easy to forget when you're constantly being critiqued by those around you.

So how do we re-discover our voice among all this noise?

The first thing that comes to my mind is to tell you to immediately turn off your computer, buy a plane ticket, and go somewhere you've never been before, but I know that wouldn't work, at least not yet. Before I start offering suggestions, let's talk about why "finding yourself" is so difficult in the first place.

We are social beings. Our identities are formed not just by the DNA that has been passed onto us, but also by the environment that we grew up in. Now, we know that we are individuals and we can differentiate between “I” and “You,” but much of our identity is actually a reflection of other people. Think about it, we play basketball because our friends play basketball, and we find a job, get married and have children because that's what everybody else is doing. "If they are this way, then I should be this way." We go with the flow because human beings naturally take the path of least resistance. Plus, it feels good to have a sense of belonging. Why cause a ruckus by quitting your job and telling all your friends that you're sick of capitalism and would rather live on a farm out in some remote location in Europe? (ahem*)

It can become difficult to live in a community and maintain a sense of individuality. This issue is precisely why fashion is so popular. It's the easiest way to appear different (despite the fact that in reality, we all know you bought that sweater at American Apparel, hipster!). But I digress… 

We already have a unique voice, but when we're trying to find the balance between fitting in and still being an individual, our voice can often get misplaced. There are usually millions of different voices swimming inside our heads telling us what we should and should not do. When this happens, we must relocate it by removing all other voices by... you guessed it, changing your surroundings (don't buy your plane ticket yet, but start thinking about where to go).

Change your surroundings. Travel. It is only through traveling and deliberately placing yourself in an unfamiliar environment that allows you to finally see yourself clearly. A cat among a pack of dogs. Because you are in a new environment, free from the pressure and expectations from before, you can do what you want. You can have a fresh start. The interesting part that then helps you re-discover who you are is what you hold onto in this new environment, and what you let go. Finally, through spending time in a different place, and “trying on” new identities like how you try on a new sweater, you get to look back and see how far you've come. By making the effort to find yourself, you can now compare your new self with the old. 

Our identity can then be thought of as pieces of luggage. What do I need? What can I leave? What did I think I need but actually didn't? What made my trip worse? What did I forget to bring that would've made my trip better? And lastly, what are the things I absolutely could not live without?

Through this long journey that can last for an entire lifetime, we can finally return home with what is most important to our essential self, which is, of course, our true self.

by Jason Lam

EUROTRIP DIARIES - 9: GIVING THANKS

June 12th, 2013 - Rosenhill Farm, Sweden

Thank you UCLA Film School - My classmates and Kris young.

Thank you Steel Horse - I will never forget our late night cycling shenanigans.

Thank you Tokyo to Osaka - What an unforgettable cycling trip through the rain and the mountains.

Thank you Cherng Loong Lion Dance Troupe - I grew up with you guys and I consider you my family.

Thank you High School Band - Especially Mr. Pleasure, you instilled in me my deep love for music, nurtured me, and believed in me.

Thank you High School Student Government - You really helped me break out of my shell.

Thank you High School Volleyball - I was just a benchwarmer, but I had the time of my life!

Thank you LA Street Dance Collective - You introduced me to the street dance world that has made my life so full and rich even up to this day.

Thank you Mark Kuroda - You started this entire photography thing for me.

Thank you 2b Management - You gave me the opportunity of a lifetime in the Big Apple and I am forever grateful.

Thank you Alumi - For being so encouraging in dance and in life to be myself.

Thank you Jeff Selby and Robyn - I wouldn't be a HUSTLA without ya!

Thank you family for being so supportive in all this running around that I've been doing.

Thank you friends for the laughs and all the good times.

Thank you life.

by Jason Lam

EUROTRIP DIARIES - 8: LESSON FROM A ROSE BUSH

June 8th, 2013 - Rosenhill Farm, Sweden

The farm here is most well known for apple juice pressing and its huge apple orchard. A common problem with apple orchards is that rose bushes often grow around the tree trunk, which can be harmful to the apple tree. So today, I was responsible for cutting the rose bushes.

I was doing it wrong at first. I was chopping off the individual branches one by one. It was easier, but it was slow. It took me a while to realize that this was actually much more time consuming, and much less effective. It didn't matter how many branches I cut. Because the root still remained intact underground, the rose bushes can always grow back. I realized it was more effective to work a bit harder, risk getting cut by the thorns, and dig deeper into the ground and get to the root. Once I was able to locate the root and chop it off, the entire rose bush would come off easily. Not only did this eliminate problem, it also prevented future rose bushes from growing.

When dealing with problems, get to the root of the matter.

by Jason Lam

EUROTRIP DIARIES - 7: LESSON FROM THE GOAT MAN

June 5th, 2013 - Rosenhill Farm, Sweden

Every once in a while the Goat Man comes along and I help him feed his goats. He is 48 years old, and we call him the Goat Man because nobody knows his real name. Today he asked me what my interests are in life. I said to learn as much as I can, to be a good person, and to be a positive role model. I then asked him the same question. He responded by saying he is still trying to figure out the meaning of life.

HOLD UP

While the famous quote from Souza states that, "Happiness is a journey, not a destination," I also believe that finding meaning in life is a journey and not a destination. The author, Alain de Botton, pointed out that people are so willing to go to the gym to strengthen their muscles, to the doctors to heal their illnesses, but so unwilling to train their mind and go to therapists for psychological health. I have been priding myself over the fact that I've been willing to face my fears and take time to discover my true self. However, not unlike the Goat Man, I may have taken this a bit too far, and it has prevented me from simply living life. Who wants to spend their entire life at the doctors? At the gym? At the therapist? They should only be pitstops along the road of living an enriching life, not the goal itself. 

Life doesn't suddenly have meaning after a certain number of hours you spend thinking about it, after a certain number of trips around the world, or after a certain number of self-help books you read. Life is an ongoing process in which we have to work with what we have. It's okay if you don't know if you're on the right path. Find comfort in simply knowing that you're at least heading towards the right direction. Don't waste your life away spending all this time trying to find meaning in life, because before you know it, life has passed you by. 

The Goat Man will be having twins and moving in with a woman he no longer likes. He bought goats to raise thinking that it will help him find the meaning of life.

To each their own, but enough with the moments of utter confusion, relentless questioning, doubt, and fear. 

Stop being so intent on arriving, and GET LIVING.

by Jason Lam

EUROTRIP DIARIES - 6: A DAY AT THE ROSENHILL FARM

June 2nd, 2013 - Rosenhill Farm, Sweden

A beautiful Sunday at the Rosenhill Farm. 

So my morning routine goes like this. I wake up at 8am, we have breakfast at 8:30, which usually consists of Muesli + Yogurt + Knakebrod + Kaviar (a swedish shrimp/fish paste) + Lingonberry Jam (the best thing ever), and Soft Boiled Eggs. How have I never had these before? They're absolutely delicious!

After breakfast, I go with Laura, a Finnish lady, and her 3 year old son to go feed the Pigs, Chicken, and Rabbit. This is my favorite part of the day. We take the buckets filled with all the leftover food from the day before, wheel it down to the pigs, and soon as they see us coming, they come running towards us. They are very cute, just about 4 months old, and they are always hanging out with each other. They eat only the grass available in their field and the vegetables that we give them. We make sure they never eat any meat. The chicken also have their own little field, with a ROOSTER, very important, as the eggs they produce actually have the ability to produce offspring. Chicken are omnivores so they are allowed to eat meat, they don't seem to be a big fan of dairy products though. They also have a little hut within their field where they can lay their eggs. Every morning we can go in and collect some fresh eggs, making sure we always leave at least 2 eggs behind so they know where to lay their eggs in the future. We also feed the rabbit, though I feel a bit sorry for it because it is all alone.

Before coming to this farm, terms like "organic" and "free range" were just words to me, but now they make sense. This is what traveling is about, being able to link up the words that we speak with actual life experiences, after all, words are just metaphors/symbols for reality. But back to the subject of food; when I see these pigs and chickens, I'm actually happy for them, they have space to roam and good food to eat. All the eggs, pork, vegetables that we eat here are locally grown and it feels so good to know that what we are eating are not filled with pesticides. I can't even imagine how terrible the quality of our food is in America. Stuck in cages, never allowed to move around, forced to eat only corn and soy, injected with dozens of hormones, this isn't the type of food we should be feeding people.

Another thing I like about feeding the animals in the morning is actually the conversations I get to have with Laura. She is a single mother with her first child. So we talk about how some people don't want children because they feel it may be limiting to their own lives, but in many ways, having children can also be the best thing to do because raising a child is the most selfless act. We talk about how fast children learn, and the different phases they go through. The ability for children to learn languages still blows my mind. This kid speaks finnish but has been picking up Swedish and he even learned ENGLISH today. Haha. His first words? "LET'S GO!". After feeding the pigs, we always go and wash the buckets. He learned this phrase because he likes holding the water hose spraying them down. Whenever I need extra water, I say, "Let's Go!" Haha. I think he might even know what the words, “Thank you” means now, because he knows to stop when I say it. Sometimes he holds my hand when we walk, and sometimes he just wants me to watch him play. It's quite a peculiar feeling. It feels nice because all of the sudden it feels like family, like I'm his older brother.

Note: The kid might be mistaking the word "Let's Go" for my name, haha, or maybe that's just the phrase he uses to get my attention.

Lesson: She said the most important thing about raising a child is educating yourself, because the person you are is the person your child will become.

by Jason Lam

EUROTRIP DIARIES - 5: IT'S NOT ABOUT THE PLACE

June 1st, 2013 - Rosenhill Farm, Sweden

I just had a conversation with an Australian lady here, who's name I believe is Lexi. She mentioned how she doesn't enjoy aimless traveling, which is what she did during her 2010 Eurotrip, but is enjoying her time here now because she is traveling with her boyfriend and has someone to accompany her. I find it quite coincidental because what she is saying is exactly what I've been going through. 

I came to Europe thinking that as long as I was traveling and seeing cool things, I would be happy, but upon arriving in Europe I was a bit surprised with myself. I wasn't having that much fun. So as our conversation continued on, we both agreed that it really comes down to WHO we are with. 

I couldn't agree more because I've been on the road for over two months now, and I'm over traveling alone. I'm no longer motivated. What keeps me going is knowing that I have friends that I can meet in Stockholm or Helsinki. What keeps me going is knowing that I will grow as an individual. The initial reason that brought me to Europe (just going solo and seeing the world) no longer holds any weight, it no longer pushes me forward, — if anything, it makes me want to go home because I miss my family and friends.

Initially, the most memorable parts of my trip were those fleeting moments when I was hiking in the Isle of Skye in Scotland, or when I was able to enjoy the Glacial Lagoon in Iceland by myself. Then again, those were quickly overshadowed by moments spent with people — be it a nice conversation, a shared laugh, or just a feeling of being connected with others in a “same wavelength” type way. I can easily list them out: being with Anna in Finland, seeing Sophie in Zurich, visiting Nalita in Lausanne, and getting along so well with the staff at the Interlaken Hostel I stayed at in Switzerland.

So then why do we travel? Yes, it is to learn about other lifestyles and cultures, to get out of our comfort zone, to see and do things that you otherwise wouldn't be able to do in your “bubble.” However, I feel that in its essence, travel is a very long-winded, roundabout way of teaching us a very important lesson. Though we all have differing customs, traditions, values, and beliefs, when all is said and done, we all want the same things, and we're all searching for the same feeling. What is this feeling? We want to feel like we belong, we want to feel appreciated, desired, admired, wanted, and when we are away, that we are missed. We want friends and family that care about us. We want to be happy, and more specifically we want to be happy through the company of others. What we want is companionship.

We search for so many things in life. We want to get fit, buy a shiny new car, buy a big house, and get a high-paying job to pay for it all. Money and status all seem to be surefire ways of attaining true happiness, but if we were to get down to the root cause of unhappiness, it would come down to the issue of companionship. The root cause of unhappiness is due to our misjudgment in thinking that the quality of our relationships, whether good or bad, are of little matter as long as we have money. This is what we have been brainwashed into thinking, forgetting that it is through the people around us that we can attain happiness.

It's no longer a surprise as to why it was so difficult leaving California now, and it's no longer a surprise as to why I was so willing to leave all of the other "amazing" European landmarks I've come across. I’d rather be with the people I care about. I’ll take companionship over the Swiss Alps (or any other European landmark) any day.

Alain de Botton put it perfectly in his book, The Art of Travel, when he states that this is a "logic that we ignore at our peril when we encounter a picture of a beautiful land and imagine that happiness must naturally accompany such magnificence.” 12 different countries, and half a year later, it all makes sense. To me, this was no longer a theory, as I have become a living example of this miscalculated logic:

"Our capacity to draw happiness from aesthetic objects or material goods in fact seems critically dependent on our first satisfying a more important range of emotional or psychological needs, among them the need for understanding, for love, expression and respect. Thus we will not enjoy - we are not able to enjoy - sumptuous tropical gardens and attractive wooden beach huts when a relationship to which we are committed abruptly reveals itself to be suffused with incomprehension and resentment."

My unhappiness, and shock at my unhappiness despite having the pleasure of traveling the world was, as Alain de Botton puts it, "because we misunderstand what holds up our moods. We are sad at home and blame the weather and the ugliness of the buildings, but on the tropical island we learn that the state of the skies and appearance of our dwellings can never on their own either underwrite our joy or condemn us to misery."

So in conclusion, it's not that going on an epic Eurotrip isn't fun (solo or not), it's just that this “secondary” source of happiness cannot be enjoyed unless our primary needs are first met, as with most things in life.

Before traveling the world, one should first tend to their relationships at home.

by Jason Lam

EUROTRIP DIARIES - 4: WHY AM I TRAVELING?

Apr 26th, 2013 - London, England

I’ve been asking myself this question since day one, and ever since reading Alain de Botton’s The Consolations of Philosophy, I’ve been trying to figure out a puzzle. In his book, he divides happiness into three sections:

• Natural and Necessary: Friends, Freedom, Thought, Food, Shelter, Security
• Natural but Unnecessary: Big house, Private baths, Banquets, Servants
• Un-natural and Unnecessary: Fame, Power, Material Possessions 

We have a natural hierarchy of needs, but because we are such suggestible creatures, our hierarchies have been skewed (ehm* advertising). So he offers these examples:

• It may be a Jeep we end up buying, but it was… freedom we were looking for
• It may be the Apertif we purchase, but it was… friendship we were after
• It may be fine bathing accoutrements we acquire, but it was… thought that would have brought us calm

And so I created a puzzle for myself:

It may be the plane ticket that I bought, but it was (fill in the blank) that I was looking for.

I was trying to get away from the city life and naively assumed that immediately jumping onto a plane would solve everything, but soon as I touched down in Iceland, I wasn’t jumping for joy like I expected. Then I realized, that ESCAPE is not the solution, it is only part of the solution. 

So what is this BLANK?

A multitude of things. FREEDOM, THOUGHT, CLARITY. Sometimes you just have to take a step back to see things clearly, even if that means having to leave the comforts of home.

Before I went on this trip, I was feeling stuck. I was feeling like I wasn’t reaching my fullest potential in life, that I still had so much to see, so much to learn, and so much more I needed to grow. Most importantly, I felt like what I was doing was not helping the world in anyway.

At the end of the day, this is about living a fulfilling life. How would I define a fulfilling life? One that revolves around delivering happiness by doing what you love, which brings me to some insightful quotes:

"There’s nothing more important that you’ll ever do than spread positive, upbeat, energetic, passionate vibes. You’ll feel better for it. And, crucially, those around you will respond in a positive manner." - Andy Cope

"To receive trust, you must give trust. To receive love, you must give love. To receive happiness, you must give happiness." - Unknown

And so it may be the plane ticket that I bought, but it was FREEDOM, THOUGHT, and CLARITY that I was looking for… in order to answer an even more profound question...

"How many people can we influence in a positive way? How many can we inspire?"

I think we have it all backwards. We place so much emphasis on the ACT of pursuing our dreams, instead of taking a step back and first figuring out the POSITIVE IMPACT we would like to have on the world, and then finding the ACTION most appropriate in achieving that result. Because our thinking is backwards, we have generations of talented young people doing a lot, but achieving very little. We are lost.

I’ve been spending my days thinking about what it is I can pursue professionally that can also benefit those around me. We all have that ONE THING that we’re supposed to be really good at right? The reality is, I don’t have that ONE THING that I absolutely must do, because that ONE THING that I care about isn’t so much WHAT I’m doing. 

"It’s about the journey - mine and yours - and the lives we can touch, the legacy we can leave, and the world we can change for the better" - Tony Dungy

I love music, I love dance, I love photography. I can choose to do any one of these things and call it "following my dreams," but the ACTION is only part of the dream. Ultimately, it’s not about what we’re doing, but about how what it is that we do is a means of doing more.

I think the question to ask our children is not, “What do you want to be or do when you grow up?” but “What positive influence would you like to have on the world?”

In this way, we have direction and a higher purpose that goes beyond the self.

If I chose to pursue photography, it wouldn’t be so much about the act of photography, but about how photography can be a means of doing more. That somehow, the photos that I take wouldn’t just provide individual fulfillment, but would transcend all boundaries, and despite our differences, somehow bring us all closer together.

And so here comes the possible answer to the BLANK… and thus the answer to why I am traveling:

It may be the plane ticket that I bought, but it was FREEDOM, THOUGHT, and CLARITY that I was looking for in order to gain enough SELF-KNOWLEDGE to know WHO I am, discover WHAT to pursue and HOW this can be a positive influence on the world.

--

"Vision without action is merely a dream. Action without vision just passes the time. Vision with action can change the world" - Joel A. Barker

by Jason Lam

EUROTRIP DIARIES - 3: IT'S BEEN ONE MONTH

April 19th, 2013 - Galway, Ireland

It’s been 1 month since I left home. I’ve been to 6 different countries, 15 cities, and slept in 20 different beds. My hair is getting longer than I usually allow. Jeans covered in dirt. The whites of my shoes no longer white.

Still, I’m okay. I’m getting proper rest each night. I have the privilege of hot showers to keep me clean, and I have a full stomach (despite some difficulty eating healthy). I haven't gotten sick or anything yet, so that's a plus.

It’s not easy huh? Constantly moving around like this… living out your backpack… looking in the mirror everyday and trying not to ask yourself that damn question, “What the hell are you doing here?”

The time zones change, the foods change, people, languages, accents, the taste of the water, the smell of the air. All that remains constant is the fact that I’m still me when I wake up in the morning. Human beings are superior because we are able to adapt, but it doesn’t mean it’s easy. Traveling isn’t easy… you’re constantly being tested, constantly getting lost, constantly having to trust complete strangers…

It’s true we don’t need much to survive, or even to live a happy life. I’m not bashing the privileges of having a large house and delicious food filling our stomaches, but I do like these “reference points”, so to speak. In this way, whenever I feel that I’m going through a hard time, I can remind myself, “Hey, I lived out of a backpack for half a year and did fine,” or “I took cold showers for an entire month in Africa,” or “I ate nothing but peanut butter, bread, and bananas at one point in my life”.

The more I travel, the more grateful and appreciative I am of the life I have.

by Jason Lam

EUROTRIP DIARIES - 1: SMALL WINS WHEN TRAVELING SOLO

(This is the beginning of a series of diary entries I wrote during my solo backpacking trip to Europe back in 2013. All posts are made in chronological order)

April 10th, 2013  - On the West Highland Railway, Scotland

While there are many perks to solo travel, sometimes it can also really suck, so here are just a few things that we can learn to cherish when we're out on the road.

1) You booked an awesome hostel. We never actually know what the hostel is going to be like. We've all stayed in terrible ones, but sometimes we arrive at the front doorstep and it's amazing!

2) Getting the best bed location. Bottom bunk in the corner right by the window?! And I have my own little personal space to be as sloppy as I want with all my stuff?! Perfect! Because otherwise you could’ve also gotten the worst placement AKA right by the main entrance/toilet with absolutely no privacy.

3) Getting seated right away at a restaurant.

4) Meeting an awesome new friend.

5) Finding free Wi-Fi!

6) Finding an outlet to charge all your electronics!

7) A lamp that works properly and is also situated right by your bed. Scrambling all over the place in the middle of the night looking for something is no fun.

8) A shower that isn't tiny. I've had to shower in some of the smallest shower stalls.

9) A shower with proper temperature control. Being able to take a nice hot shower at the end of a long day of travel is probably one of the most essential things a traveler needs.

10) Nobody snoring or drunk people stumbling into the room in the middle of the night? Score!

11) Having the whole hostel room to yourself. Awesome!

12) A proper lounge area in the hostel? Yes! 

13) A reception that's actually helpful and tells you exactly what you need to do, see, eat, and how to get from A to B. Thank you so much, you just saved me hours of confusing research.

14) A hostel bathroom that doesn't stink.

15 A hostel room that doesn't reek.

16) Complementary breakfast and dinner.

17) Finding a toilet just when you need it.

18) Any form of transportation that isn't packed.

19) Any form of transportation that runs frequently and on time.

20) Meeting fellow travelers open to help you and tell you everything you must know!

It's interesting how depending on the immediate circumstances we're in, our priorities can shift from camping out for the latest iPhone to simply wanting a nice hot shower. If there is any benefit from traveling, it must be how the road can jolt us back into appreciating the simpler things in life lest we ever forget.

by Jason Lam