Jonathan Look, Jr.

lifepart2.com

Age: 53

Hometown: Conroe, Texas

Quote:  Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. – Mark Twain

(It is on my business card)

How did you find out about Vagabonding, and how did you find it useful before and during the trip?

I was already planning my retirement adventure when I came across Rolf’s book. It was so beautifully written and elegant that I couldn’t put it down. It acted as confirmation that I was on the right track, that the world is indeed waiting and that I wasn’t alone in my desire to be part of something bigger.

How long were you on the road? In 2011 I took early retirement, sold all of my belongings, and began my travels. My plan is to base in new locations, a year at a time, and explore from my base. Since retirement I have lived in Mexico, Cambodia and I am currently living in Thailand. Since I began this adventure I have since visited about 15 countries. Besides the three places I have based and the ones I have only briefly visited, I have spent fairly long periods of time in Burma, Indonesia, Laos and even Bhutan. Currently I am and intend to continue moving and traveling

Where did you go? Before I retired, because of the limited amount of time that I (like most Americans) received, I only vacationed a week or maybe two at a time. I mostly went to Europe, Mexico and Australia a few times. Overall I have been to almost 50 countries but I never really knew any of them until I started long term “Vagabonding”.

What was your job or source of travel funding for this journey? I was an air traffic controller for 25 years. Even though it is somewhat reduced I consider myself to be lucky to be among the few people that get a pension anymore.

Did you work or volunteer on the road? Since I began my travels I have been working hard to improve my photography and writing skills. It is getting to the point to where sometimes I actually make some money from that. I have also volunteered helping to build schools in Mexico and I helped teach social media skills to kids in Cambodia.

Of all the places you visited, which was your favorite?

Not be non-committal but I can’t really say I have a favorite. Everyplace has its charms and its challenges. My favorite types of places to base are ones that haven’t really hit the “big time” as far as being on the tourist RADAR but still offer at least a fundamental amount of infrastructure and interest. As travelling to a place I love it all, and want to see it all. I enjoy staying in nice hotels but I have spent more than my share of nights in train stations and on night busses. To me, eating street food with a banana leaf as a plate is as enjoyable as fancy dining in a five star restaurant. The best part is being able to move between these different spheres and be at ease in any of them.

Was there a place that was your least favorite, or most disappointing, or most challenging?

Not really. Places are what they are and disappointment only comes when you put unrealistic expectations on them.

Which travel gear proved most useful?  Least useful?

The more I travel the more I find that, there are things that make travel easier but, there really are few necessities. To make things easier I always take a Cambodian cotton kroma (scarf) or a sarong with me. They don’t take much room and come in handy for everything from wiping away sweat, as a head covering, as a small ground covering, cleaning my camera lenses and many more things. I take a few carabineers not only to attach things to my luggage or backpack, but to attach my things to something more solid when I am in places that require a little vigilance to ensure they don’t “walk off”. If I can, depending on whether I am flying with check bags or not, I carry a Swiss Army Knife. A smartphone is always handy for everything from looking at maps, checking for accommodation and restaurants, checking emails or even as a torch (flashlight).

The least useful things are usually ones that are bulky and only have one purpose. A huge neck pillow is one thing that comes to mind. Nice while you are on a bus or an airplane but pretty useless otherwise.

What are the rewards of the vagabonding lifestyle?

Getting to know the world is very important and I think everyone should make the effort to make it happen, but the biggest reward is getting to know yourself. You gain confidence by overcoming challenges. You find the edges of your comfort zones and expand them. You learn that your problems, no matter how big they are, don’t make you unique or special. You learn patience, equanimity and compassion. You also get to know a lot of people face to face, not as some obscure abstract constructed by the media or our imagination.

What are the challenges and sacrifices of the vagabonding lifestyle?

Living in different cultures can sometimes be a bit disorienting and on occasion frustrating. There are a 1,000 different ways to do many things and the one that we happened to learn is not necessarily the best. The biggest challenge is learning flexible ways of thinking and letting go of preconceptions and biases. Sure there are roadblocks and frustrations, but life becomes a lot easier when you let go of the frustrations, find ways around the roadblocks and quit fretting about it.

I am not sure I see many sacrifices. You make your best choices and move forward from there. Seeing anything as a “sacrifice” implies that you are grasping to something that isn’t in your immediate reach and that is suffering. I don’t like to suffer.

What lessons did you learn on the road?

Wisdom and education are two different things.  The biggest difference between people and their position in life is opportunity. Hard work and luck certainly makes a difference, but without the opportunity for success and knowing that hard work will likely be rewarded, the chances for success are greatly limited.

I also learned that while I am special, I am no more special or better than anyone else. We are all special and everyone, especially those that have lived vastly different lives, can teach us a lot about ourselves.

How did your personal definition of “vagabonding” develop over the course of the trip?

To me vagabonding is about living in the moment, free from the trap of expectations and living the life you discover to the fullest. As I like to say, I don’t want to sip life from a straw, I want to gulp it from a fire hose.

If there was one thing you could have told yourself before the trip, what would it be?

Get rid of excess baggage. Everyone operates better, both physically and mentally, when their burden is light.

Any advice or tips for someone hoping to embark on a similar adventure?

Life goes on while you are making plans. Do it as soon as you can. There is no perfect moment to begin. Beginning is the important part.

When and where do you think you’ll take your next long-term journey?

I am not ready to leave Asia permanently at this point but it is getting to be time to find a new base. I am considering moving to Laos early next year. Over the next several months I have plans to travel to Nepal, India, China, Vietnam and many other places in the region. I have signed up for the London Marathon next spring and as an adjunct to that hope to spend some time getting to know Europe better.  I am also planning another USA road trip of a few months next year. I like to plan a little but nothing is off the table and you never know when serendipity will offer up something new.

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