Before the age of 27, I traveled through 30 cities and finally learned how to get along with travel

In my seventh year living in Shenzhen, I found myself increasingly embodying Woolf’s words: "I am rooted, but I flow."

🌍 From "check-in style travel" to "experiential wandering"
I still remember when I was 25, I was obsessed with making the perfect travel plan.
▪️ In Iceland, I cried until midnight in a guesthouse because a blizzard kept me from seeing the Northern Lights
▪️ In Japan, I walked 30,000 steps in one day to keep up with the itinerary, finally falling asleep exhausted in a convenience store
It wasn’t until I almost lost my passport at an airport in Sweden that I realized:
We always want to live travel like a textbook, forgetting that life itself is a collection of essays

Now I will:
✅ List 3 must-visit spots, and leave the rest to fate
✅ Reserve 2 hours each day for the unexpected (like the weekend market I stumbled upon in Chiang Mai)
✅ Use a memo instead of a guidebook, jotting down the mango-picking tips taught by a market auntie

🎒 Learning to turn "failed plans" into "surprise Easter eggs"
In Yunnan, I was forced to stay three days in an unnamed village due to a landslide
As a result, I learned to roast potatoes using a Naxi clay stove
In Kyoto, I missed the cherry blossom season but encountered mountains covered in maple leaves
Only then did I realize that "off-peak" is the best filter

🌱 Now, travel is about letting the distant places take root and sprout in life
▫️ Learning to discover surprises in alleys when lost
▫️ Opening the memo to write new stories when delayed
▫️ Smiling and embracing the unique experience when facing discomfort

📸 After returning home, the journey continues
♦️ Writing the stories behind the photos in a diary
♦️ Recreating exotic flavors with recipes learned locally
♦️ Decorating daily life with small souvenirs from the trip

💫 To you who also love the distant places
If you also:
◎ Smile foolishly at travel photos
◎ Treat your suitcase like an old friend
◎ Secretly check flight prices in the office

Please remember:
1️⃣ Leave some regrets for the next encounter
2️⃣ Bring a sense of familiar warmth on the road
3️⃣ Find the most authentic breath in every city

"At 16, I thought the distance was the cure
At 27, I understand
Travel is not escape
It is throwing stones that will sprout
Into the lake of life
When ripples arise in the everyday
That is the meaning of travel"

What story did your most recent trip bring back?
(Feel free to share in the comments and let’s travel together virtually～)