Maybe it’s the cold weather, maybe it’s the realization I have been in Seoul for over a month, maybe it’s midterms. I don’t know, but I have had an overwhelming desire to get out and walk, and to get out and explore. I always try to get out and walk in the morning because seeing the peace and quiet of the morning makes my heart sing. Now, as the weather cools, drinking my hot coffee and feeling the warmth of my muscles after a mile or two has made early morning walking feel so good.
But despite this, I feel as though my endeavors to explore thus far have not been enough. I am tired of being satisfied with doing very little in a day. Waking up late some days, strolling around, writing a bit, getting coffee, and maybe going out to dinner isn’t enough to claim an entire day’s worth of activity. It could be that my neighborhood is too quaint. Too comfortable. It does not prompt me to get out into bustling neighborhoods such as Gangnam to feel the energy and the action, even though that is when I am most alive. Not doing those things, and not going out and experiencing the true energy of Seoul makes me feel as though I am cheating myself, as though I am not taking advantage of every day. Obviously I want to get the most out of every day. I want to be energized about getting things done. For me, that is fulfilling. That is when I am most creative. That is when I am most passionate, and that is when I am most at peace. It’s odd that even in a foreign city, even when you think you are adventuring and being sporadic, you still make habits and patterns in your life. I have. But I don’t know if I like that. I know it’s important to find comfort when in a new place, but it is so easy to get stuck in the small comforts you have established. Those small comforts can hold you back. Recently, especially, I realize that if anywhere is over a 20 minute subway ride I find myself, saying: maybe tomorrow. And that is the wrong attitude. Or, I have midterms, I’d rather not. Which is even more of a wrong attitude. Getting out and doing things should make me study harder and more efficiently so I can go out and see Seoul in its entirety. I know I can’t continue on like this. When I get frustrated I love to go home and write, or read. I love to think about what else I could be doing tomorrow. This is another flaw: paralysis by analysis. This can kill you in many different ways, but especially when you have a limited time in a place. Tomorrow I am going to just make a decision and go for it. Go explore a new place in Seoul, regardless of whether or not it takes over 20 minutes to get there. I am thinking Apujong, or somewhere else over the Han River. Historically, going for it has always worked. Whether it’s good or bad, I’ll have a story and I’ll learn something from it. And besides, who wouldn’t want to explore one of the largest cities in the world? On a more relatable note, I hope this brainstorming has inspired you to get out and do something today, or this week. Life’s too short to be stuck in the same habits without at least a bit of exploration. Do something different today. Take a new way home. Stop somewhere you’ve never been. Just something. It’ll be extremely fulfilling. Here’s to us both getting out and doing things.
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Author: Allyson DitizioGeographer, yogi and occasionally creative writer. Archives
September 2016
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