The Well-planned Life is Meant Only to Be Endured

I’ve been in Colombia for 8 days - my first trip to South America. After a 9-month gig in Stockholm during my early 20s, I’ve had the itch to live abroad again. It only took me 35 years. I quit my job at the end of 2023, not unlike millions of others who chose to either retire early or hit the reset button. I can’t afford to retire, so I’m calling this a sabbatical, but most people on sabbatical have something to return to. I haven’t a clue what that will be for me. Friends have asked me where I plan to go and how long I’ll be gone, and I don’t have a clear answer for them. I read somewhere that the Chinese have a proverb: “The well-planned life is meant only to be endured.” Though I can’t substantiate the claim, it gives me the backing of ancient wisdom to invite a little more surprise and a little less certainty into my life while there’s still time!

With any luck, I’ll spend the better part of a year immersing myself in the Spanish language and diverse cultures that make up this vast and unfamiliar continent. After dabbling in a few languages, it’s my plan to finally add a second one to my fluency list. But you know what they say about plans.

There will be plenty of stories, photos, and the occasional video to recount my experiences “on the road,” but this will be more than just a travel log. I’ll also include missives about topics that come to mind while I’m on the journey. The space will evolve with time, and I hope the same is true for us all.

Join me!