Being on the road is quite a life-changing journey, and from the responses I’ve found here, it seems like most of you are aware to some extent. As I came back into my version of reality, I’d introspect to understand what skills and experiences I really got from this. What was it all for ? What has this traveling experience taught me ?

For starters, I’ve realized that I’m not privileged enough to do this full time. Don’t get me wrong, I am incredibly grateful to have this opportunity. I worked hard for it, I saved for it, I fought for it. But as I met other travelers on the road, mostly those in their early 20’s living casually, I realized that at the current state of my life, I don’t really have the privilege to drop everything and tour the world.

I would love to, but its something that I’m not granted the luxury to just do. I need to work for it, I need to set aside time for it, I need to plan for it. I don’t have much of a safety net if things go south. And I was thankful enough to do it in my own country, as opposed to outside of it.

Traveling gave me a good sense of purpose and direction on what I need to do next. While I really did enjoy the first few weeks, towards the end of my trip I was eager to come back. I had ideas, notions and things that I wanted to do, and I couldn’t wait. It showed me how important timing is. 10 weeks of freedom, free will and exploration sounds like bliss in your early 20’s. In your late 20’s, it feels like you’re wasting too much time. Now granted, I still attained plenty of life experience that I’m thankful for. But I also realized that I was deviating from my life path and needed to find my way back before I get lost forever.

Speaking of getting lost, backpacking truly showed me how to be comfortable with it. Not just on the road, but in life. Through most of my life, and especially right now, I feel very lost. I immigrated to a new country, left my old career behind to build something for myself from scratch, and have dreams and goals in an industry that is superficially competitive yet subconsciously demoralizing. And I don’t really have anyone around who can understand the depths of this.

So a lot of my life right now, resonates with the feeling of being lost at sea. Sometimes I paddle in one direction, sometimes I let the wind and waves guide me, sometimes I just lie still hoping to touch land. It’s oftentimes lonely and could leave you dejected.

Traveling alone, has taught me to be okay with this feeling. Being lost is not a bad thing; its genuinely human. Some of my wildest travel stories have happened when I was lost. I’d like to apply this principle in life as well. The notion that, you can be lost in life, but overall, it has a wonderful way of taking you where you need to go. You trust yourself, and you trust the process, and gradually, you learn to accept that you’re exactly where you need to be.

Traveling taught me not to live in finalities. Life is long, and the things you do across your life take time to manifest. I made a lot of mistakes in my life, and I had to routinely remind myself, that even though I’m in motion, most of my actions are still in their early stages. I will get better at it with practice. Repetition is key, and learning from mistakes cuts deeper. I don’t need to choose one path and stick to it; I can learn to be more fluid with where I’m going.

As much as I like to cling on to the notion that I can brave this world alone, I came to the realization that it’s a very selfish mindset. ‘No man is an island’ is a phrase that started becoming more apparent in its meaning. I have my family to think about, who worked hard to get me where I am today. I have responsibilities to stick to. I learnt that as much as you can take yourself out of the world, you are not wealthy enough to rise about it. I still need a proper job, a regular income flow and an integration into society. Building from scratch in a new country, involves a reset, but starting your own brand takes years. and you need safety nets. You need to feel home somewhere.

So all in all, a lot of appreciation and epiphanies that have come from my time away. I learnt about what I can do, and what I can’t do. I found where I need to focus my priorities, and also to take my time with them. There’s no rush, eventually you will get to a consistent pace. And Solo Travel, a challenging endeavor, really does beat a lot of sense into you, that you didn’t think you needed.