10 lessons of a

wanderlust


Amelia Earhart once said "The more one does and sees and feels, the more one is able to do, and the more genuine may be one's appreciation of fundamental things like home and love, and understanding companionship." And like this phenomenal woman, I am consumed by wanderlust — traveling within the mind, my soul and my outter world far,
deep and wide.

As I satisfy my itch and ache to travel and explore, these experiences give me a better understanding myself, others, God and the world as a whole.

And these are a few of my personal lessons in life through traveling to various ends of the world...


take chances & make big leaps

I once heard, “In the end, we only regret the chances we didn’t take” than the ones we did take. Even if it was the wrong decision, we'll always appreaciate what we've learn from them.

And one day, when we are old with silver hair and wrinkles on our faces, we'll have stories to tell our children's children -- of the lessons we've learned, the adventures we've dared to take, the battles we fought, the people we met and the places we've conquered. So do yourself a favor, get off your butt and go out there to vivre la vie.*

*Not neccessary "YOLO", but if you have dreams you want to attain, go forth and snatch them.


redefine yourself until you find yourself

The best way to discover yourself and be yourself is to do it when you're navigating away from home. Do it when and where no one is looking. No one is there to expect you to act a certain way, talk a certain way, dress a certain way.

You'll have the opportunity to find yourself, redefine yourself and simply, be yourself in the new places and with new faces. Let loose and uncover who you really are and what you're meant to be.


age is really just a number

You could be twenty-one years old and have the attitude of a seventy; and vice versa. In my personal journeys, I have met many retired folks who has the heart of a high school student. And their attitude and hunger for life is simply contagious and quite inspirational.

Your attitude is very important; stay positive to maintain your age and well-being. And the more positive you are, the more of those people and energy you'll attract in life.


we are all ambassadors

Every one of us is an ambassador to our own country, so be polite and respectful to our visitors and the places you visit. Leave a mark on their hearts with a charming and memorable impression of the people in our country, so that we are welcomed to their home with hospitality and open arms.


strangers teach us so many things

Everyone has an interesting story to tell, hear and share. You'll be in awe of how much you can learn and be inspired from a stranger in 2 minutes when you engage with them and spark up a conversation. And at times, you'll never know if it's an angel stopping by to lead you in the right direction and send friendly reminders of things like morals, values and ethics.

Also, be that stranger who shares one or two life's lessons whether in the elevator, the hotel gym, the metro, or café. So engage with others to exchange your thoughts and wisdom.*

*At your own risk of not getting abducted.


relationships matter

Your brand named items, your luxury cars, your degree, your status, the number of followers you have on Twitter are pretty much junk that fills your life, your home and your mind.

From living out of a carry-on for a week or months, you'll realize the things that truly matters is your health, food and water, a shelter over your head and your relationships with your friends, your family, yourself and God.

Which brings me to...


home is in your heart

No matter where you are, whether in a palace of luxury and wealth or a land of misfortuned and poverty, you'll find yourself at home when you are with the ones you love and and doing the things you love. So whoever you love and whatever your passion is, start pursuing.


the grass is greener where you water it

Traveling may not always sync well with relationships, specifically long-term romantic relationships. At times, it's both a headache and heartache to both parties. There will be struggles of communications and trust, as you will on different time zones and will meet many attractive and charming people of the opposite sex along the way.

But no matter what, if he or she is the one, do whatever it takes to maintain that spark. Make the effort to facetime each other and drop a a few messages throughout the day to validate your relationship. And remember, the grass is only greener where you water and maintain it. Maintain that trust and communication because it could really lead you somewhere even special together.


there's more to life
than your job

In the birthplace of thousands of high-tech innovations, all created "to make the world a better place" known as the great Silicon Valley, it's so easy to forget that there's more to life than your job. And though it's definitely a privilege, it's at the cost of your quality of life. You punch in over 70 hours a week to tackle an endless list of to-dos and milestones, but for what?

Traveling outside of this bubble and vortex of creativity and innovation helps me come back rejuvenated. I am reminded that there's more to life - like my family, my friends, my dreams, my passions. So, if you live in one of those bubbles like the Silicon Valley, stop and get out there and hit the road.


everyone needs a whole lot of courage

Traveling to the various ends of the world rewards you many things. You'll be gifted with new experiences, new friends, new stories, but the best gift is
the gift of courage.

It has given me courage - live my dreams, let go of my many fears and has helped me feel resilient and invincible.


fin

And one last thing, get a passport or start using it.

Collected thoughts from
A Designerd, Wanderlust & Self-professed Philosopher
@ohjphan