So I am on a plane leaving Thailand, it has been an incredible 4 weeks, taxing me. More and more it makes me realize that I want different things in my life and given me a unique perspective on some things.

My journey was often framed by several questions I asked myself to experience. To be uncomfortable, to do things I’m afraid of, to push my boundaries, to give back, to be alone and to experience things I’d wanted to experience without the opportunity.

Some things I loved, some I hated, some made me realize some things that I want in my life.

For the longest time work has always been something on my mind, where after 3 days I would focus on work, and what was I missing. My need to work and my job has always validated me in ways which are probably unhealthy – the fact that I didn’t miss work on this journey is probably a reflection of how I’ve changed and grown over the last few years.

This is as simple as living without hot water and AC, pouring concrete by hand in 34/95 degree weather, living with a host family, staying in hostels. It is as complicated as choosing things which made me uncomfortable and processing my fear.

So what else did I learn or what else did the journey reinforce:

• That even when things are hard, you still have reserves,
• The universe doesn’t wait for you to be ready, you just have to deal with it
• Letting go of fear, impatience, anxiety is critical to your happiness, you can’t control everything and you have to accept that, breath in, breath out and let it go
• In everything you have a choice, you can like it or not but you still have the choice
• Growing is often optional, if you want to have exhalation and success though, you have to experience risk
• When life is uncomfortable, you have to just sit in and accept it
• Just because you have a limited time to make a human connection doesn’t mean that connection can’t be deep and valuable

So a lot of those are life lessons, but what about the practicalities?

• I want to live in a warm climate but not a high humidity one
• I love the mountains more than I thought
• I want adventures in my life
• I would love to spend a year traveling around south east Asia slowly
• I enjoy traveling slowly, the ability to stay somewhere until I run out of things to do rather than the time to do things. I want my journey’s to move to this.
• I cherished the houses and locations with nature oasis’s, those with private gardens
• I missed the smell of tropical plants and jungles
• Volunteering wasn’t as rewarding as I thought – it was interesting, thought provoking and physically challenging. As i discussed with Lea though – I really need to consider does my checkbook provide more value to the world? I think the value for volunteering for me either requires me to pick up more skills of higher value or go with an organization which could use those for longer
• The experience of questions and conversations with fellow volunteers and travelers could move beyond conversation to thought provoking reflection
• Card games with other volunteers were light hearted fun and actually a really enjoyable break
• I want more spirituality, more meditation, more yoga in my life
• I want to live in a city with a variety of foods and flavors and enjoy them with others
• I want to be able to have early mornings with my partner occasionally
• I enjoy some walks, and climbs and hikes where I get to see new things and experience new adventures
• I enjoy nature and miss the sounds of birds, it reminded me of boarding school and Hongkong

I might update this as I think more but this is a good start I think