I Was Wrong and That's Okay
- Anthony
- Jun 27, 2018
- 4 min read
4 years ago, I made a huge leap in my life and moved to South Korea to teach English. I have done some travelling in between including a move home in 2016 for 9 months only to see myself back in South Korea.
Once I decided to go back, I had a plan in mind. “Go back for 1 year. Save as much as I can. Backpack Southeast Asia until I run out of money, Move to Australia to do a working holiday for 1 year.” That was the plan.
Fast forward to today. June 27, 2018 is when I am writing this. I am currently in Bangkok after 3 months of travel. I finished my 1 year contract in South Korea just like I said I would. I began my travel in Taiwan to visit my friend Jaymie. After that I spent 1 month in Vietnam biking down the coast from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh. I had an awesome travel buddy Justin who I shared incredible memories with. After that, Thailand for 2 weeks where I met up with my friend Ethan and where Justin inevitably left. I was somewhat on my own as I did continue to travel with a friend I met in Hanoi, Ian. From there I went to Myanmar where I found a solid travel buddy Chase.
Near the end of travels of Myanmar I started to feel a way I have never felt before. This was the first time in my travels, and more recent part of my life I hadn’t had a close friend or travel buddy. (PS. Shout out to all my homies in South Korea and Canada). But I told myself to “stick to the plan. This is what you saved to do!” From Myanmar I flew over to Cambodia where I got really sick from some bad water. I am sure you know my diarrhea story by now. Mentally, physically, emotionally, I was exhausted.
I made a decision for the first time in that 2 and half month window to go against my plan. I flew back to South Korea to be with my friends. The best decision I could have made at that time. After those 2 weeks, reluctant to leave, I flew back to Canada to visit my family and to enjoy a family wedding as well as my brother’s and nephew’s birthday.
During this time at home and maybe a few weeks before, I really got to reflect on my journey thus far. I remember saying to myself, “Maybe this long term travel thing isn’t for you. Maybe the backpack life, from hostel to hostel, meeting hundreds of new people and having the same conversation isn’t for me.” This was the first time I had to tell myself… I was wrong.
I really thought and more importantly, told SO MANY people that “ TRAVEL MAKES ME HAPPY. ALL I WANT TO DO I TRAVEL FOR FOREVER.” But for the first time in my adult life, my thoughts changed. I started thinking to myself. “Maybe I don’t want to travel like this for forever. Maybe travelling for 1 or 2 weeks or 1 month is okay. Maybe I should start to invest more time to seeking a partner who I could enjoy my travels with. Maybe I should start re-think my plan.” Once I came to grip with these thoughts, I was able to tell myself and now others, that I was wrong and you know what, that’s okay.
Opinions change. Thoughts change. Feelings change. And guess what… THAT’S OKAY. Maybe today you really love what you do but in a few weeks, months, years, you figure out that it’s time for change. Don't be embarrassed or ashamed to admit that.
Change is good.
Change is normal.
Change is CONSTANT.
I am now cutting back what I had planned as a 6 months (until I run out of money) adventure to move to Australia early and begin working again. I want to develop relationships with people who I hope to continue to see again in the future and have time to reflect on those moments. And, if it doesn’t work out (although the Visa was really expensive), I am not ashamed to admit that I would be wrong and move onto try something new. Because, because,
What’s the alternative?
If you never try, then you never know. And if you never try, then you’d be in the exact same spot as you were before.
If you are going through a similar experience and are scared to ashamed to admit, especially if you are as public about your life as I am, just remember that the only person’s opinion of you that you should care about is your own. If you start to factor in what others think, you may be living a life being scared and never reaching your full potential.
And remember this if you really care about what others think… When Anthony Bourdain died, people mourned for a day. When PRINCE died, people mourned for a day. When the Royal Wedding happened, people cared for a day.
So as much as other “care” about what you are doing, they really don’t.
Take chances and be wrong. Learn from those mistakes to make your best life possible.
I am currently the happiest I have been in the past month or so after an amazing refresher at home in Canada with my family and friends. I am ready to embark on the second half of travels and move to Australia for my working holiday.
Comments