Becoming voluntarily lost.
Happy Wednesday everyone! Right now I am in Northern California visiting my soon-to-be husband for a couple of weeks. I hope you enjoy this guest post from Jarhow Kai and that you can learn from his experiences.
Tell us a little about you…where are you currently living and what are you doing there, any background info that you would like to tell us about?
I was born in Taiwan but raised in the States from the age of 2 and I call both San Francisco and Los Angeles home, as different and polarizing as they might be. Currently living in Hong Kong after years of dreaming of living aboard in a place completely different than where I’m used to. Moved here without a job and without really knowing anybody, only with a desire to fulfill this lifelong goal. I spend most of my time exploring, seeking employment, and also writing in my blog Voluntarily Lost, which will hopefully be a humorous and realistic account of the highs and lows of my year in Hong Kong.
What is your favorite place that you’ve been?
I think my stereotypical answer would be Paris. I spent years studying French, so my experience there might be a little different than the average American’s. I think it’s a gorgeous city – a mix of old and modern, charm and grit. I also have a deep personal connection with my birth city, Taipei. It’s a hugely underrated destination, great for food, culture, and relaxation in a bustling city setting.
When did you get the travel bug?
Ever since I was a kid, I have loved to travel. I remember always being so excited going to LAX when I was younger, knowing all the amazing places you could go. I think growing up in a place as diverse as Los Angeles, you more readily understand there’s a big world out there, full of different people, cultures, languages – and yet through these differences, there are always underlying themes that connect us all to the human experience. Traveling has given me the opportunity to learn more about others, but maybe more importantly, it has taught me a lot about myself.
Any travel or living abroad advice?
My advice would be to go with flow. Seriously. Especially if you’re traveling with a lot of people. You should have an idea of the things you absolutely must see and be sure to get the information on prices, hours, etc. But the rest of the time, take it easy. If you don’t get to see everything in your guidebook, it’s okay. One of the great things about traveling is that everybody’s experience is different; it’s personal. If you miss something, it’s fine, because moments and experiences are abound.
Any funny/interesting stories or people you’ve met along the way?
It’s funny because even though there are so many places to go, sometimes the world does seem kind of small. There have been many times I’ve run into people I know while traveling, with neither one of us knowing the other person was vacationing in the same place. I’ve run into an old flame in a hotel lobby in Bangkok, bumped into an acquaintance at a bar in Shanghai, even made some friends on a short plane ride from Athens to Mykonos only to find out we all live less than a mile from each other in San Francisco! It’s all part of the fun and beauty of traveling.
If you enjoyed this post, feel free to leave a comment or send me an email at betsy.ramser@gmail.com. Or, do you have a story that you would like to share with our readers? I would love to hear about that too.
