#15: Days that Try a Man’s Soul

Since I last wrote in my blog I had a lot of deep thought about what brought me to Taiwan. Yes, I’m here for the experience in and of itself and to work as an English teacher, but why am I really here? Simple, I’m here to travel and gain firsthand experience of a culture much different from my own. Such a simple missive can and was initially forgotten.

When I first arrived I spent a lot of time touring the city and then travelling throughout Japan. Then I got burnt out from constantly pushing myself to explore for 12-16 hours a day and lost sight of things. I settled into a seemingly cozy and secure job and got used to everyday life.

Days became weeks and weeks became months, and soon I found myself questioning why I came here and wondering whether I had made a terrible mistake. Thoughts of returning to Canada to continue my education or to work (under the jurisdiction of Canadian labour laws) flooded my mind and I spent several nights unable to sleep.

Without getting into too much detail (out of respect for some of the people it involves): I was in a bad situation, through little fault of my own, and needed to get out.

Every nerve in my body pushed me toward the exit sign.

In the daze of everything I reached out to some close friends and family and was given guidance. The biggest question of all became “Is it sustainable?”. A few questionable encounters followed by one final “boulder that broke the camel’s back” later, I had my answer.

Now days are much less stressful. Though I currently lack a certain measure of security, the feeling of liberation from a horrible situation is immense. I find renewed purpose in my presence here and have my eye keenly focused on why I’m really here.

Tomorrow I’m off to Hong Kong for five days for a visa run and to get some much needed R&R. The trip is mostly free thanks to AsiaMiles and credit, so I’ll be able to enjoy myself despite the city’s high costs.

Bon Voyage!

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Travel Blog #10: Travelling Alone

The last few days have by far been the best of my trip.

A lot of people ask me how it is travelling alone. Is it fun? Lonely? Scary?

Yes to all.

It’s unlikely you’ll be able to find friends who will 1) want to travel to all the destinations on your list and 2) have all the same interests as you when it comes to those destinations. Travelling with people can be fun, but there’s often lots of compromise. This might be fine when you’re spending $200 on a trip to Montreal, but when it’s $2,000+ on a trip to the other side of the world, the compromises will add up fast.

With independence comes making your own decisions and having control over everything you do. That said, you also get lonely – even if, like me, you’re used to keeping in touch with friends every day through various social networking sites.

Guesthouses are a MUST. You need to make sure you’re staying in one that has common areas and is known for having lots of friendly people visit. English-friendliness always help too; sure, you’re visitng another country and want to immerse yourself, but when you just want to relax, it’s great to have that familiarity.

The guesthouse I stayed at in Osaka was secluded, dirty, and without a common room. It made me feel secluded and doubt my conviction, even causing me to be homesick(?) for Taipei.

On the other hand, the place I stayed in near Hakone (in a town called Yugawara) was spectacular. It had a very friendly host who treated me like family and made home cooked dinners (which I joined every night for ¥500), English-speaking staff (with whom I quickly became friends), the nearby availability of snacks and booze, and a gorgeous view. Here, I wished the trip would never end.

And finally yes, travelling alone can be absolutely terrifying at times. You can get lost and have to ask several locals for directions, you can get delayed for hours due to poor signage, you can be overcharged, scammed, and more. Even if you’re in a safe country like Japan, you need to be careful (i.e. no getting blackout drunk alone at a bar). In time you learn not to panic and how to work yourself out of different situations. Oh, and always buy a local SIM card with Internet (it can be a literal life saver).