How To Be (and Travel) Alone

My day begins at 5 in the morning: while everyone else is still in dreamland, I organize my task list for the day, have my breakfast while watching some TV, and then start working. Yup, work time for me is from 6:30 am till around noon. If I'm not done by noon, that only means that I have soooo much work on my plate. And if I can help it, I don't schedule my meetings in the morning, to try to keep my alone time sacred.

Here is a video that Em shared with me. I am sharing it with all of you because the video is so beautifully made and tells you how important being alone is for the soul.

As much as I love to travel with friends and family, I also LOVE to travel solo. To me, this is extended Alone Time. I can wake up at whatever time I want, go out and explore, or just stay in and be lazy. I went on a solo trip to the Singapore Design Festival last year, and this year, I went to NYC alone. It's always fun to meet up with old friends and make new ones in the most random places & situations--although almost everything is random anyway when you travel solo.

NYC, October 2011

Lost in Translation in Nagoya, Japan (2006) and Incheon, Korea (2008)

I enjoy sitting in restaurants, having a nice meal while drawing out my ideas. I can take all the time in one place or move as fast as I want. I like riding trains and find immense joy in efficient public transportation. When I travel alone, I weave my way around unfamiliar streets, aimlessly walking around and stopping when I see something that interests me. When I get lost in a new place, I am actually able to find myself. And that, I believe, is how travel enriches the soul.