{"id":80121,"date":"2018-03-21T02:01:05","date_gmt":"2018-03-21T09:01:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/?p=80121"},"modified":"2018-03-21T02:03:29","modified_gmt":"2018-03-21T09:03:29","slug":"why-i-love-traveling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2018\/03\/21\/why-i-love-traveling\/","title":{"rendered":"Why I Love Traveling"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_80042\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-80042\" style=\"width: 1000px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"80042\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2018\/03\/19\/uji-osaka-diary-ii\/eric-kim-photography-osaka-2018-0611605\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Eric-Kim-Photography-Osaka-2018-0611605.jpg?fit=4928%2C3264&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"4928,3264\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;2.8&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;GR II&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1521399129&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;ERIC KIM&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;18.3&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;400&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.025&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Eric Kim Photography Osaka &amp;#8211; 2018-0611605\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Laundry machines shot with a flash. Osaka, 2018&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Eric-Kim-Photography-Osaka-2018-0611605.jpg?fit=2000%2C1325&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Eric-Kim-Photography-Osaka-2018-0611605-1000x662.jpg?resize=1000%2C662\" alt=\"Laundry machines shot with a flash. Osaka, 2018\" width=\"1000\" height=\"662\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-80042\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Eric-Kim-Photography-Osaka-2018-0611605.jpg?resize=1000%2C662&amp;ssl=1 1000w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Eric-Kim-Photography-Osaka-2018-0611605.jpg?resize=768%2C509&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Eric-Kim-Photography-Osaka-2018-0611605.jpg?resize=2000%2C1325&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Eric-Kim-Photography-Osaka-2018-0611605.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Eric-Kim-Photography-Osaka-2018-0611605.jpg?resize=830%2C550&amp;ssl=1 830w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Eric-Kim-Photography-Osaka-2018-0611605.jpg?resize=600%2C397&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Eric-Kim-Photography-Osaka-2018-0611605.jpg?w=2360&amp;ssl=1 2360w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Eric-Kim-Photography-Osaka-2018-0611605.jpg?w=3540&amp;ssl=1 3540w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-80042\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Laundry machines shot with a flash. Osaka, 2018<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Dear friend,<\/p>\n<p>For the last 10+ years, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve been living on the road, living abroad, and traveling the globe. But why?<\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<h2>Why I enjoy traveling<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Osaka Japanese Grocery Store GoPro POV Tour VLOG\" width=\"1180\" height=\"664\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/G0qO16pH-aE?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>First of all, I like that traveling makes me uncomfortable, prevents me from becoming complacent, and prevents me from acquiring crap I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t need.<\/p>\n<p>Living on the road has forced me to travel <a href=\"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2017\/12\/13\/the-art-of-traveling-light\/\">light<\/a>. Traveling has opened up my eyes to foreign cultures, and has helped me realize that humanity is more similar than dissimilar. Traveling has made me more tolerant and open minded to the customs, religions, and beliefs of others.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Osaka AirBnB Apartment GoPro POV Tour VLOG\" width=\"1180\" height=\"664\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/-XfDGBmce_Y?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Traveling has also helped me have more solitude, quiet, and <a href=\"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2017\/12\/07\/creative-isolation\/\">creative isolation<\/a> in order to think, philosophize, reflect, meditate in order to create, come up with new ideas, and innovate.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t get attached to anything<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"OSAKA II \/\/ BEATS by KIM\" width=\"1180\" height=\"664\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/W7iTdeuSdPY?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Now the tricky thing is this:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\n  I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t think you <em>need<\/em> to travel in order to innovate, find inspiration, reflect, meditate, or be \u00e2\u20ac\u0153happy\u00e2\u20ac\u009d. Traveling is beneficial and helpful, but not absolutely necessary.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>So for myself, this is the practical takeaway:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\n  Whenever possible, travel. When not possible to travel, don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t be sad and always seek to make the best out of any situation I have in my life.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>For example, when I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m back in \u00e2\u20ac\u0153boring\u00e2\u20ac\u009d suburban Orange County (staying with Cindy\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s family), I force myself to find the benefits and joys of being in the suburbs. I enjoy the cheap and delicious food, the presence of family, and going to the gym and walking around at the local park.<\/p>\n<h2>Make the best out of every situation in your life<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"How to Stay Inspired and Motivated as a Photographer in the Suburbs\" width=\"1180\" height=\"664\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/9hMvPSroGw4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Thus another lesson I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve learned:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\n  Regardless of your living or life situation, always extract the maximum benefits of your situation.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>That means, be grateful for your upsides, benefits, and positive aspects. Disregard or ignore what you perceive to be a downside or negative.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>The benefits of living at home<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"How to Live a Happier Life: Live a More Active Life\" width=\"1180\" height=\"885\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Ej34Hi-xrlE?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Funny enough, one of the things I enjoy most about being \u00e2\u20ac\u0153settled down\u00e2\u20ac\u009d in a more suburban environment is the ability to having access to a gym, with a squat rack, and the ability to do deadlifts. If I had my choice, I would always have convenient access to a gym.<\/p>\n<p>But when I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m traveling or on the road, I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t have access to a gym. So instead, I force myself to innovate and make the best out of my situation. I do more pushups, find parks to do chin-ups, and more lunges and one legged squats. I find new stretches and dynamic calisthenics to keep my muscles and mind fit.<\/p>\n<p>Sometimes when traveling, I find myself longing for a gym. Now, I desire to always think to myself:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\n  Right now, this present moment, is the best possible life and situation. Rather than longing for something I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t have access to right now, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m going to make the best out of my situation right now.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>That means regardless if you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re stuck at home, or traveling abroad \u00e2\u20ac\u201d always find joy in your present situation.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>If you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re stuck in the office or at home<\/h2>\n<p>Practical ideas:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>If you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re bored at work, don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t desire to travel or be somewhere else. Rather than feeling miserable, <strong>figure out how to use that downtime to your best advantage<\/strong>. Use that time when you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re bored at work to <a href=\"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/blogging-tips\/\">blog<\/a>, research, come up with new ideas, learn how to program, or even write <a href=\"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/poetry\/\">poetry<\/a> in a text editor (for your boss not to catch you). Be sneaky and sly; use Microsoft Excel or your email client to write your novel, in bits and pieces.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Use your <a href=\"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2018\/03\/07\/how-to-shoot-street-photography-on-the-subway-bus-or-public-transportation\/\">commute<\/a> to take street photos.<\/strong> If stuck in a car, take photos when you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re at a red light (safely). Or use your commuting time to come up with ideas (audio dictate them as voice recordings, or write them in your phone on Evernote). Or listen to empowering podcasts or music.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Use the best time you have in the morning (before work) to do your creative work<\/strong>. To start waking up early, force yourself to sleep early. In the evenings, take really hot baths (finishing with an icy cold shower) to pass out. Or take melatonin if you have trouble sleeping.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Traveling is more fun when it is cheap.<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"KYOTO-UJI to OSAKA Photography Diary v1\" width=\"1180\" height=\"664\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/G6MNNc9ne8I?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>When it comes to traveling, it doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t have to be expensive, and you don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t need to go far.<\/p>\n<p>For example, in Southern California, a simple southwest flight to Mexico City was phenomenal. I loved going to Portland, Seattle on the west coast. For Americans, go to New Orleans \u00e2\u20ac\u201done of the most underrated places to travel to in the world (I prefer NOLA over Paris).<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_70484\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-70484\" style=\"width: 1500px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"70484\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2017\/11\/23\/how-to-be-creative-every-day\/9f7ddcbb-d34d-4b99-9a46-c653e530a89a\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/9F7DDCBB-D34D-4B99-9A46-C653E530A89A.png?fit=1668%2C2224&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1668,2224\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"9F7DDCBB-D34D-4B99-9A46-C653E530A89A\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;New Orleans, 2015&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/9F7DDCBB-D34D-4B99-9A46-C653E530A89A.png?fit=1500%2C2000&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"size-large wp-image-70484\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/9F7DDCBB-D34D-4B99-9A46-C653E530A89A-1500x2000.png?resize=1180%2C1573\" alt=\"New Orleans, 2015\" width=\"1180\" height=\"1573\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/9F7DDCBB-D34D-4B99-9A46-C653E530A89A.png?resize=1500%2C2000&amp;ssl=1 1500w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/9F7DDCBB-D34D-4B99-9A46-C653E530A89A.png?resize=800%2C1067&amp;ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/9F7DDCBB-D34D-4B99-9A46-C653E530A89A.png?resize=768%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/9F7DDCBB-D34D-4B99-9A46-C653E530A89A.png?resize=135%2C180&amp;ssl=1 135w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/9F7DDCBB-D34D-4B99-9A46-C653E530A89A.png?w=1668&amp;ssl=1 1668w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1180px) 100vw, 1180px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-70484\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">New Orleans, 2015<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Or you can just take your car, and drive to the neighboring city. The purpose isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t to go really really far in traveling \u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe opportunity of traveling is to reset your brain, to explore novelty and variation, randomness and chance, in order to find new sources of inspiration, ideas, and concepts.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_67237\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-67237\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"67237\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2017\/10\/12\/color\/eric-kim-street-portraits5\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/ERIC-KIM-STREET-PORTRAITS5.jpg?fit=3264%2C4928&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"3264,4928\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;7.1&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;GR II&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1444922689&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;18.3&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;400&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.00033333333333333&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"ERIC KIM STREET PORTRAITS5\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Red shirt and green background. Low perspective shot. New Orleans, woman and deer. Shot at -1 exposure compensation on RICOH GR II&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/ERIC-KIM-STREET-PORTRAITS5.jpg?fit=1325%2C2000&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-67237\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/ERIC-KIM-STREET-PORTRAITS5-800x1208.jpg?resize=800%2C1208\" alt=\"Red shirt and green background. Low perspective shot. New Orleans, woman and deer.\" width=\"800\" height=\"1208\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/ERIC-KIM-STREET-PORTRAITS5.jpg?resize=800%2C1208&amp;ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/ERIC-KIM-STREET-PORTRAITS5.jpg?resize=768%2C1160&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/ERIC-KIM-STREET-PORTRAITS5.jpg?resize=1325%2C2000&amp;ssl=1 1325w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/ERIC-KIM-STREET-PORTRAITS5.jpg?resize=119%2C180&amp;ssl=1 119w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/ERIC-KIM-STREET-PORTRAITS5.jpg?w=2360&amp;ssl=1 2360w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-67237\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Red shirt and green background. Low perspective shot. New Orleans, woman and deer. Shot at -1 exposure compensation on RICOH GR II<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>When possible, live abroad<\/h2>\n<div id=\"v-90bBDk2I-1\" class=\"video-player\"><iframe title='VideoPress Video Player' aria-label='VideoPress Video Player' width='1180' height='662' src='https:\/\/videopress.com\/embed\/90bBDk2I?hd=1&amp;cover=1&amp;loop=0&amp;autoPlay=0&amp;permalink=1&amp;muted=0&amp;controls=1&amp;playsinline=0&amp;useAverageColor=0&amp;preloadContent=metadata' frameborder='0' allowfullscreen data-resize-to-parent=\"true\" allow='clipboard-write; presentation'><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p>Another idea:<\/p>\n<p>Traveling can be tiring. Whenever possible, live abroad instead of just traveling from one destination to another. For example, living in Vietnam for a year was one of the most fulfilling experiences I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve had. I was able to learn how to speak Vietnamese, live a new lifestyle, and truly soak in the culture.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_75027\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-75027\" style=\"width: 1668px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"75027\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2017\/12\/26\/red-and-green-composition-color-theory-for-photographers\/b96cee64-1aa0-4b49-9f56-3aa19ae8080a\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/B96CEE64-1AA0-4B49-9F56-3AA19AE8080A.jpeg?fit=1668%2C1105&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1668,1105\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"B96CEE64-1AA0-4B49-9F56-3AA19AE8080A\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Cindy with kiss on eye. Shot inside hotel room. Saigon, 2017&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/B96CEE64-1AA0-4B49-9F56-3AA19AE8080A.jpeg?fit=1668%2C1105&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-75027\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/B96CEE64-1AA0-4B49-9F56-3AA19AE8080A.jpeg?resize=1180%2C782\" alt=\"Cindy with kiss on eye. Saigon, 2017\" width=\"1180\" height=\"782\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/B96CEE64-1AA0-4B49-9F56-3AA19AE8080A.jpeg?w=1668&amp;ssl=1 1668w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/B96CEE64-1AA0-4B49-9F56-3AA19AE8080A.jpeg?resize=800%2C530&amp;ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/B96CEE64-1AA0-4B49-9F56-3AA19AE8080A.jpeg?resize=768%2C509&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1180px) 100vw, 1180px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-75027\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Cindy with kiss on eye. Shot inside hotel room. Saigon, 2017<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>If you desire to live abroad, realize you can always quit your job for a year or so, live abroad, then probably just get another job when you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re back home. Places I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d recommend include <a href=\"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2017\/07\/12\/life-lessons-ive-learned-living-in-saigon-for-1-month\/\">Saigon<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2017\/06\/12\/eric-kim-hanoi-guide-the-best-coffee-food-and-photography\/\">Hanoi<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2017\/04\/27\/interview-with-eric-kim-in-bangkok-by-bigheadtaco\/\">Bangkok<\/a>, which all have great coffee shops, great food, and are affordable to live in.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Create stuff while you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re traveling<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"JAPAN Street Photography by ERIC KIM\" width=\"1180\" height=\"664\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/wj3fnL2S8IE?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Ultimately for me, when you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re traveling, the point isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t to just have novel experiences, eat good food, and go sight seeing. Rather, traveling is a chance for you to reflect, meditate, and ultimately CREATE!<\/p>\n<p>When you travel, bring your iPad, tablet, camera, phone, or laptop. Whatever tools you need to write, draw, sketch, reflect, program, photograph, come up with ideas, and make stuff. This is why making photos while you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re traveling is much more rewarding than just eating good food and shopping (passive activities).<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"LISBOA PHOTO DIARY II\" width=\"1180\" height=\"664\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/5w6Z4WxM2I0?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Bring along a journal or diary during your travels, to reflect on your life\u00e2\u20ac\u201d if you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re happy what direction your life is going, etc.<\/p>\n<p>Start a blog when you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re abroad to record, document, and capture your experiences, thoughts, and photos. Publish your ideas publicly, rather than just letting them die on your hard drive, or evaporating into the digital ether on the cloud.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t delay traveling<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_80040\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-80040\" style=\"width: 1000px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"80040\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2018\/03\/19\/uji-osaka-diary-ii\/eric-kim-photography-osaka-2018-0611597\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Eric-Kim-Photography-Osaka-2018-0611597-scaled.jpg?fit=3264%2C4928&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"3264,4928\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;2.8&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;GR II&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1521399085&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;ERIC KIM&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;18.3&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;400&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.025&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Eric Kim Photography Osaka &amp;#8211; 2018-0611597\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Second photo: shot vertically, more dynamic composition, with Cindy&amp;#8217;s head tilted, and this time no hand covering her face.&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Eric-Kim-Photography-Osaka-2018-0611597-scaled.jpg?fit=1325%2C2000&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-80040\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Eric-Kim-Photography-Osaka-2018-0611597-1000x1510.jpg?resize=1000%2C1510\" alt=\"Osaka, 2018 #cindyproject \" width=\"1000\" height=\"1510\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Eric-Kim-Photography-Osaka-2018-0611597-scaled.jpg?resize=1000%2C1510&amp;ssl=1 1000w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Eric-Kim-Photography-Osaka-2018-0611597-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C1160&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Eric-Kim-Photography-Osaka-2018-0611597-scaled.jpg?resize=1325%2C2000&amp;ssl=1 1325w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Eric-Kim-Photography-Osaka-2018-0611597-scaled.jpg?resize=830%2C1253&amp;ssl=1 830w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Eric-Kim-Photography-Osaka-2018-0611597-scaled.jpg?resize=600%2C906&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Eric-Kim-Photography-Osaka-2018-0611597.jpg?w=2360&amp;ssl=1 2360w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-80040\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Osaka, 2018 #cindyproject<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>So my thoughts summed up:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Travel to open up your mind, come up with new ideas, and ultimately to make more stuff, and create more stuff.<\/li>\n<li>Traveling doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t need to be expensive. Find cheap flights on kayak.com and stay at cheap Airbnb apartments, cook at home, or buy discounted food. Eating expensive food and staying at fancy hotels is overrated and gets boring.<\/li>\n<li>Even if you don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t have the opportunity to travel, always make the best use of whatever situation you have in life.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Be bold, be brave. Don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t be afraid of traveling. To be honest, most of the world speaks English now. If you have a smartphone, you got google maps, google translate, etc. It is so easy to travel now.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_80041\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-80041\" style=\"width: 1000px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"80041\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2018\/03\/19\/uji-osaka-diary-ii\/eric-kim-photography-osaka-2018-0611604\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Eric-Kim-Photography-Osaka-2018-0611604.jpg?fit=4928%2C3264&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"4928,3264\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;2.8&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;GR II&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1521399125&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;ERIC KIM&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;18.3&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;800&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.066666666666667&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Eric Kim Photography Osaka &amp;#8211; 2018-0611604\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Laundry machines urban landscape. Osaka, 2018&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Eric-Kim-Photography-Osaka-2018-0611604.jpg?fit=2000%2C1325&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-80041\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Eric-Kim-Photography-Osaka-2018-0611604-1000x662.jpg?resize=1000%2C662\" alt=\"Laundry machines urban landscape. Osaka, 2018\" width=\"1000\" height=\"662\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Eric-Kim-Photography-Osaka-2018-0611604.jpg?resize=1000%2C662&amp;ssl=1 1000w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Eric-Kim-Photography-Osaka-2018-0611604.jpg?resize=768%2C509&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Eric-Kim-Photography-Osaka-2018-0611604.jpg?resize=2000%2C1325&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Eric-Kim-Photography-Osaka-2018-0611604.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Eric-Kim-Photography-Osaka-2018-0611604.jpg?resize=830%2C550&amp;ssl=1 830w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Eric-Kim-Photography-Osaka-2018-0611604.jpg?resize=600%2C397&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Eric-Kim-Photography-Osaka-2018-0611604.jpg?w=2360&amp;ssl=1 2360w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Eric-Kim-Photography-Osaka-2018-0611604.jpg?w=3540&amp;ssl=1 3540w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-80041\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Laundry machines urban landscape. Osaka, 2018<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Also don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t delay your travels. Don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t wait until you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re 65+ and retired. You might not be in good mental or physical health then.<\/p>\n<p>Never stop exploring!<br \/>\nERIC<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h1><a href=\"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/travel\/\">Travel Photography<\/a><\/h1>\n<figure id=\"attachment_65485\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-65485\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"65485\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2017\/09\/07\/hapticlabs-kyoto-diary-xi\/eric-kim-kyoto-2017-0138880\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/ERIC-KIM-KYOTO-2017-0138880-scaled.jpg?fit=4928%2C3264&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"4928,3264\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;5.6&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;GR II&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1504795434&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;ERIC KIM&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;18.3&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;400&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.008&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"ERIC KIM KYOTO 2017-0138880\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Umbrella and flash in color. Kyoto, 2017. Ricoh GR II and flash, shot through clear umbrella. &lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/ERIC-KIM-KYOTO-2017-0138880-scaled.jpg?fit=2000%2C1325&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-65485\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/ERIC-KIM-KYOTO-2017-0138880-800x530.jpg?resize=800%2C530\" alt=\"Umbrella and flash in color. Kyoto, 2017\" width=\"800\" height=\"530\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/ERIC-KIM-KYOTO-2017-0138880-scaled.jpg?resize=800%2C530&amp;ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/ERIC-KIM-KYOTO-2017-0138880-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C509&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/ERIC-KIM-KYOTO-2017-0138880-scaled.jpg?resize=2000%2C1325&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/ERIC-KIM-KYOTO-2017-0138880.jpg?w=2360&amp;ssl=1 2360w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/ERIC-KIM-KYOTO-2017-0138880.jpg?w=3540&amp;ssl=1 3540w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-65485\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Umbrella and flash in color. Kyoto, 2017<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2018\/02\/17\/10-tips-how-to-take-better-travel-photos\/\">10 Tips How to Take Better Travel Photos<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2018\/02\/15\/life-lessons-ive-learned-living-abroad-and-on-the-road-for-the-last-2-years\/\">Life Lessons I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve Learned Living Abroad and on the Road for the Last 2 Years<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2017\/09\/08\/how-to-make-better-travel-pictures\/\">How to Make Better Travel Pictures<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2017\/09\/08\/10-travel-hacks\/\">10 Travel Hacks<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/travel-photography-tips-beginners\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">25 Travel Photography Tips For Beginners<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/travel-better-photographer\/\">Will Traveling Make You a Better Photographer?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2016\/02\/06\/why-travel\/\">Why Travel?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/how-to-travel-as-a-photographer-with-family\/\">How to Travel as a Photographer With Family<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/economy-of-movement\/\">Economy of Movement<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2013\/07\/28\/on-travel-and-street-photography\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">On Travel and Street Photography<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2012\/07\/31\/10-tips-for-traveling-and-shooting-street-photography\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">10 Tips For Traveling and Shooting Street Photography<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Travel photography tips video<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Travel Street Photography Tips\" width=\"1180\" height=\"664\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/9WLMh78MJ6I?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Dear friend, For the last 10+ years, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve been living on the road, living abroad, and traveling the globe. But why?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":80041,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_ek_photo_artist_note":"","_ek_photo_thesis":"","_ek_photo_camera":"","_ek_photo_place":"","_ek_photo_human_moment":"","_ek_photo_sequence":"","_ek_photo_question":"","_ek_photo_canonical_claim":"","_ek_photo_ai_summary":"","_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-80121","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-posts"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Eric-Kim-Photography-Osaka-2018-0611604.jpg?fit=4928%2C3264&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/80121","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=80121"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/80121\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":80128,"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/80121\/revisions\/80128"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/80041"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=80121"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=80121"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=80121"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}