A Place to Call Home

Traveling has been a great experience – I’ve spent some time living in some different states in the US, I’ve travelled to different countries, and have now lived in Korea for about 4 years. I’ve had some very strange, lucky, funny, and life-changing experiences through my various adventures.

While it’s been great to have the freedom to go wherever you want, meet new people, and go out to explore, there’s almost a certain kind of emptiness that’s felt when your friends are always changing, coming, and going. Life, memories, and experiences are best shared when it’s done with others. It’s hard to find balance when inconsistency is apart of daily life.

One of the less enjoyable vacations I took was when I went to Kauai by myself. The gorgeous views and sense of being so free brought on a profound feeling of loneliness that I didn’t expect. There are times when it’s refreshing to be alone, but when I’m on vacation, I want to share experiences. All I have are some photographs to show my friends and family how beautiful it was. But sometimes, photographs don’t hold as much value as the shared memory of actually being there with someone.

It was more exciting for me to move to Korea with a one-year teaching contract. I was reestablishing myself somewhere else – it was a fresh new start. It was an adventure that was set to be longer than a short, vacation-like experience. I had the opportunity to build up new relationships, even though most of my friends eventually moved away or now live in different cities, the connection that I have with them is stronger than any brief encounter I may have had with fellow travelers while on vacation.

Eventually, it’s comforting to have a place to call home. Not just an apartment or home to come back to at the end of the day, but a place to share with someone you love and care about. My wife has been a great source of happiness for me. I love coming home in the evenings and enjoying regular time chatting and relaxing together in the evenings. Perhaps I’m getting older now or maybe it’s just that I’ve lived in over 25 different homes, apartments, dorms, and various places. I’ve had my fair share of times coming back to cold, empty, or minimally furnished apartments and rooms.

It’s great to create an opportunity to travel with someone you have a deep relationship with. It keeps life and the relationship fresh. The benefit of having familiarity and adventure combined together has added a new level of satisfaction to the experience. Enjoy travel and the world, there’s always something new to learn and see.

For further related material, please check out: Art, Language, and Expression.