Jars of Thoughts

Tag: single

  • Preparing for the road ahead

    And so the journey begins… the preparation part that is.

    Managed to settle my exit permit after a flurry of calls (they didn’t have a direct line) because the online registration failed me totally. None of the options within the registration said “vagabonding” and I had no choice but to apply for it directly but oh, thank God it is done.

    The insurance part was icky but will be settled soon nevertheless. Leaving my job was easier than I thought as my boss was super understanding about it so that’s all and good. Meanwhile, I am still easing my way into telling all my friends (family all settled) that I am leaving Singapore indefinitely, as I have to answer so many questions like why I am doing this and whether I had thought it through properly… basically all the motions of psycho-analyzing from people who simply could not believe I would leave everything behind to travel alone RTW.  But for the very first time, telling people “I don’t know” feels exceptionally liberating  because I realised that I don’t have to know the answer all the time. I am finally at a stage where I am ready to expect the unexpected. Knowing that nothing anyone else can say will sway my conviction to do this makes me feel even more confident that I am actually ready for this, Beautiful world, here I come. 🙂

    Now all that’s left is planning my general route (which is quite a feat considering my limited budget and all the uncertainties ahead) and doing a great load of research before going so I don’t end up trudging around aimlessly and utterly lost in the wilderness somehow. Of course, I am approaching this with flexibility to make sure the journey is more about the experience and the people, and not all about plans and rushing from one place to another.

    The biggest concern however, is about the money and my intentions to work along the way seems superbly daunting. Will I be able to really get a job? what can I do? Where can I work? How much will I earn? How long will have to work? (There’s various options like WWOOFing and TEFL but all of them seems kind of contrived right now) All these are uncertain but as always, I am determined to see it through. There is no turning back now.

    If you asked me a few months ago if I would be doing this, I would have thought it was crazy. Now? It is slowly becoming a reality.

    The countdown begins… =)

  • Learning more about Vagabonding, I am

    Bought myself two books from Amazon to accompany me on my journey this coming December! Highly recommended by fellow traveler friends who does the same thing, it supposedly gives a lot of inspirations as well as practical and useful tips on long term travel!

    Really looking forward to pouring through all the pages (yes, aside from traveling, my other love is reading!). Check out the titles below and if you are embarking on the same type of journey as I am, geddit!

    vagabonding-bookcover

    Vagabonding: An Uncommon Guide to the Art of Long-Term World Travel by Rolf Potts

    9781409363828

    The Rough Guide to First-Time Around The World

  • Changing my life, one country at a time

    Certain events happened in my life recently that had got me thinking. 

    I have been chasing after the ‘ideals’ (according to societal standards) for the most part of my life and have not stopped to think what I really wanted to do. Sure, I have stuff that I thought I wanted to achieve like starting a business, having a stable relationship etc but heck, after a while, it became an endless pursuit of dreams and aspirations so far off that I have forgotten about the ‘now’. 

    Am I happy now? Am I living my life to the fullest now? Now I just feel like I have lost myself along the way, even getting hurt along the process, trying to conform to these ‘ideals’ that tires me so. I wasn’t living life spontaneously enough to enjoy the moment, but really just endlessly planning and working for a future that drags my days so much so that they don’t even seem all that appealing anymore.

    So this is where I am and I have made a decision to change it. I have decided to quit my job and have already bought myself a one way ticket to a journey of self-discovery and adventure. It’s scary but exciting at the same time but I feel like I have nothing to lose. I’m 26 years old, single, no house nor car to save up for and my career hasn’t even taken off yet (so cash flow is limited) but I have just one desire to see the world and experience and celebrate life to the fullest.

    I will be quitting my job by the start of December to travel for a year or so to do just that. I have just enough money to go to one country but I have read of people who worked their way from one foreign country to another, doing temporary jobs at the place they travel to, saving up for the next destination. I want to try that. Living life by the dollar but truly experience every moment of it in more ways than one.

    I’m starting from Taiwan where I already have an existing pool of friends and see where the tide takes me after.

    Wish me luck! =D