Travel and Experimental Living

Hey there, thanks for stopping by! In this blog, I'll share how travel and experimental living are shaping my journey of self-discovery and purpose.

Exploration

Travel has been key in discovering my purpose. Moving from my island home to Providence, Rhode Island—decidedly not an island—was a pivotal step. Recent travels have led me to my next experiment: a return to Berlin. What I didn't know yet: every move since — Germany, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam — would turn out to be about the same thing: finding connection.

Experimental Living

I treat life as a series of experiments, which suits my analytical personality. Writing them down and tracking feedback has been transformative. This is becoming an organizing principle for my life, where I work on projects, each with its own goals and experiments.

My first formal experiment was moving to Providence in November 2023, leading to other travel opportunities and valuable moments of self-discovery.

Since moving to Rhode Island, I've traveled to:

• Boston, MA
• St. Johnsbury, VT
• Connecticut
• Philadelphia, PA
• San Antonio, TX
• Worcester, MA
• Fitchburg, MA
• Normandy and Paris, France

Moments of Discovery

Living in Berlin in 2013 brought pure joy, especially during my aimless bike rides discovering the city. This spirit of exploration guides my travels to this day. Uncovering how people live brings me more joy than visiting typical sites. Though Rolf Potts in Vagabonding reminds me of the pitfalls of anti-tourism, so I make it a point to see popular sights.

Perfect Storms

My time in France reignited my passion for languages, reminiscent of my time living in Berlin where I was enamored by the languages and cultural variety all around me. That same pull toward language later became a practice — see Stacking Skills, where I paired a new skill (SCUBA) with German to reinforce both.

I experienced a perfect storm in France; a series of mishaps on my return trip to the airport, where almost everything went wrong. Instead of worrying, I embraced the chaos of the moment. I made my flight despite the obstacles thrown at me and the feeling of wanting to give up.

If I had missed the flight, no big deal. I could have figured things out. But this moment reminded me how important it is to be where I'm meant to be in the world, and not let my analytical brain dictate how things are going to go.

This is the same tension I write about in Life is Like a Database: planning gives direction, but over-planning becomes its own trap.

I Moved to Germany

Reflecting on my happiest moments in Berlin and my recent time travelling, I decided to return. I gathered feedback from friends and family, researched requirements, made my decision to move there.

This new project was my latest experiment in pursuing a life of purpose. My goal for moving to Berlin was to solve a big challenge in my life—connection, with friends and romantically.

It felt like a moment of life unfolding in unexpected ways, like Michael Singer describes in The Surrender Experiment. I was excited for what comes next and already far along in preparing for the move.

Embracing Experimentation

Reflecting on my experiences in France and other travels, I'm excited to start my next experiment. I hope to deepen connections, pursue new opportunities, and collect a few experiences worth sharing.