Travel Bits: August 2023

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In the midst of my Pan-Asia Trip 2023...... 


I am currently in the midst of my Pan-Asia Trip 2023. Today is Day 20 of my 27-day long journey across multiple countries and cities in Asia.

As I sat in the cabin of my cruise ship writing this blog entry somewhere in the East China Sea heading towards the Taiwan Strait, I am still surprised that I am able to go on this trip despite my busy work schedule. If I had not pushed ahead with my travel plans, I will probably be back at home and office working. For the record, I still worked while traveling for the past 20 days. I took calls, answered work messages, replied to emails, conducted technical analyses and even managed to continue working on my next upcoming book. Thus, it had not been all fun and laughter for the past 20 days. I was heavily engaged in work and travelling at the same time.

My point? Do not let your everyday affairs stopped you from traveling. Busy schedule? Try a work-around solution. Postpone the trip if you have to but do not cancel. One thing I learnt from this trip and many previous trips is that some of my journeys will not be possible 10 years or 15 years from now. Being older may not permit me to walk and hike the many miles that I had walked and hiked in my past trips and in the current trip. Yes, one may still travel when one has eventually retired. But, it will be a different kind of travel experience. Why shortchange ourselves? Travel, explore and, if possible, work on-the-go. 

Taking a sip from my cup of coffee onboard the Kairi Joyful Train (a.k.a. Tourist Train) near Sasagawa, travelling from Tsuruoka to Niigata, Niigata Prefecture, Japan (2023)


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