≡ Menu

The One Thing The Traveling Life Doesn’t Provide

I know what I’m missing.

Support VBJ’s writing on this blog:

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia– There is one place in the world that I want to be beyond all others. There is one place that I am the most happy. There is one place where I’m all-in on the moment, cherishing every morsel of my time there. That place is located right here:

42.7738° N, 78.7870° W

My friends are all there right now, drinking shots from the holes in an old bowling ball, grilling sausages on a garden rake, and baking pizzas in a filing cabinent. They are drinking beer and singing songs. Everybody is reconnecting after a long, long season apart. Everybody is smiling, excited, drunk, and full of hope.

I’m sitting by myself in a dark room in Kuala Lumpur, looking out at a six lane highway, a grungy all night food stall, and a sea of uncaring high-rises.

Will every lifestyle you gain somethings and sacrifice some things. Some elements of life are simply mutually exclusive. There is no way you can have them all together.

There is a lot of my lifestyle that is incredible, and day for day I wouldn’t trade it in for anything. But sometimes, once a week throughout each autumn perhaps, you become aware of what you’re missing.

Go Billsies!

Filed under: New York, Perpetual Travel

About the Author:

I am the founder and editor of Vagabond Journey. I’ve been traveling the world since 1999, through 91 countries. I am the author of the book, Ghost Cities of China and have written for The Guardian, Forbes, Bloomberg, The Diplomat, the South China Morning Post, and other publications. has written 3694 posts on Vagabond Journey. Contact the author.

Support VBJ’s writing on this blog:

VBJ is currently in: New York City

8 comments… add one

Leave a Comment

  • becida September 11, 2017, 11:18 am

    hahaha!

    Link Reply
    • VagabondJourney September 12, 2017, 5:39 pm

      Haha, you actually checked those coordinates!

      Link Reply
      • trevor September 15, 2017, 10:56 am

        i did too. New York (state) New York (state)..

        Link Reply
        • VagabondJourney September 17, 2017, 3:47 pm

          It’s supposed to be New Era Field. But, honestly, I didn’t check if the coordinates were correct!

          Link Reply
          • trevor September 17, 2017, 4:35 pm

            love the stories and admire ur ability to push out articles daily…. i cant find stories in everyday life.. even in karakol kyrgyzstan….. got 41 hits yesterday on my site after promo ing on insta all day …. have a long way to go . must have read 400 of ur posts….

            Link Reply
            • VagabondJourney September 17, 2017, 8:53 pm

              Amazing. Thank you for this. Social media — especially Instagram — is horrible for trying to get traffic to a site. They are designed to keep you on their site, not to refer you to others. Although they are decent for telling people what you’re up to, showing yourself as an authority in a particular niche, getting into contact with others to do projects with. As for finding stories, just look for things that you don’t understand and find the answers. The story is in the answer finding.

              Link Reply
              • trevor September 17, 2017, 10:44 pm

                welcome and thanks for the advice…am not a natural at story telling im best at plannning and logistics… then i have to beat wiki and trip advisor and all the ads and dot com and dot co dot uk sites to get anywhere but am doing a post on that… haha. drinking KGZ arpa beer cheers

                Link Reply
                • VagabondJourney September 18, 2017, 12:04 pm

                  Cheers! Have fun getting to Bucharest.

                  Link Reply