Eating Abroad Diaries
Traveling is EXCITING and ANXIETY INDUCING
As many of you know, I am preparing to go on a world tour… just kidding but in the next few months I will be traveling to a lot of different places. My travel plans start this month! I will go back to Seattle for a short period of time and then straight to Hawaii. This trip will be with my parents, and I am excited to relax with them on the beach, enjoy some delicious poke, and document all the fun things I do!
I am going back to Seattle for another few days after Hawaii, as I transition to my BIG travel plans to Asia! I am so beyond excited. My Asia trip begins by spending New Years in the airport alone this year… fitting haha.
It’s okay because I did not have any extravagant NYE plans anyways! I haven’t been on a 10+ hour flight in a long time, and I have a feeling I will get extremely antsy about one-third of the way in. When I was younger, I would always get annoyed when passengers would pace back-and-forth in the aisle on long flights, but now I understand and also neeeed the movement. I have not visited Asia since pre-covid, so this trip has been highly anticipated for me, and I am starting to feel anxious about it… in a good way?
The Asia Itinerary (roughly so far…)
Hong Kong
Osaka; Kyoto; Tokyo, Japan
Hanoi, Vietnam
Taiwan
Mainland China [several cities] for Lunar New Year and family!
Looking Back at My Last Asia Trip
I will never forget my time in Singapore and Bali (especially the food poisoning in Bali lol). But really, there were so many amazing sites and bites, the hawker centers in Singapore, GAME CHANGER. The nature in Bali was on another level, photos will never do the rice terraces in Ubud justice.
Travel Anxiety
I think most of my anxiety is stemming from living out of a suitcase for over a month and a half. Quite frankly, I hate doing this because I never feel like things are clean or organized. However, after traveling through Europe for nearly 4 months last year, I have gotten used to it. I have learned to pack light. I am still contemplating what is the right amount to bring on this Asia trip. Knowing me, I will also be buying a lot of things there so I need to be strategic, as I will not be getting help with my suitcases for most of the trip.
Another part of my anxiety is associated with seeing my extended family for the first time in many, many years. I feel like people do not talk about how weird it can be to reunite with family when so much has changed, when you have changed. Especially for me, I never got the opportunity to get close with my extended family because they all live in a completely different continent than me. The time I got to spend with them was limited to when I was able to travel to see them. I feel like they do not even know me anymore and vice versa.
The last time I went back to China to visit them; I was still a kid. It is daunting because my extended family is extremely big, and I know they will all want to talk to me and ask me questions (out of love). This is just something I have to mentally prepare for. I envy those who grew up with a large family close by, and this feeling is only amplified during the holiday seasons. I am extremely happy to get an opportunity during Lunar New Year to visit my family (my first LNY in Asia woohoo!) as this is a special time for everyone.
REGARDLESS of the anxiety I am feeling, I am so excited for this trip, and I am grateful I have so many of you to share my experiences with! Thank you for letting me vent a little, and I will keep you posted on all my travels :)
Totally get the anxiety around seeing an extended family in a completely different continent for basically the first time (or since you’ve gained consciousness from childhood), went in with expectations of some confrontational but mostly awkward interactions. I came out completely surprised at how they shattered my expectations (in a very good way). So all I can say is, it’s fair to be anxious but I think there are very few instances in life which turn out to be the complete opposite of what your gut tells you and this might just be one of them :)
I haven’t been back to HK since pre pandemic as well. I miss the food. Everything is so fresh there, Expecially the veggies. I think I ate more veggies while in Asia than I did my whole life in the U.S. 😝. I also traveled alone my last trip for 2 months. Pack light and buy clothes there is the move, Expecially under garments and socks. No need to kill space with those items. Lunar new year in Asia should be so nice. I have never been during that time. I am excited to see all the food and sights you will be posting. Make sure to take pics of the lunar dinners. Have a wonderful time and enjoy your travels .
Danny