I fear I may be giving readers the wrong impression that I don’t work due to my exploits in Hong Kong. A recent blog comment asked if I worked, because he / she finds it rather incredible that I have the time to trek, eat and travel etc.
Yes, I do work – very much so. It’s precisely for work that I’m in HK. Without work, I wouldn’t be here. Without work, I wouldn’t have the money to eat and travel. I, unfortunately, am no trust fund baby nor am I a rich tai-tai.
I work Mondays to Fridays and on weekends I make sure I get out and do something. I can’t stay at home and do nothing. It drives me mad not doing anything at the weekend. When I move to a new place, I believe I should make the effort to know it as much as possible. This is precisely what drives me to go out and discover new places and do new things in Hong Kong every weekend. Imagine how many more things I’d get up to if I didn’t work???
Perhaps I really do have more energy than the average person, which is why I always seem to be up and about. Maybe I have slight ADHD (attention deficit hyperactive disorder). Haha. There’s nothing to envy about my lifestyle – it’s actually really accessible to most people. It’s just a matter of making the effort to get out there to do things. It might also involve making little sacrifices like getting up a little earlier to make more use of the day instead of sleeping in. Or bigger sacrifices like deciding to relocate to a new city and starting life anew, quitting a job, giving up some creature comforts, making do with (a lot) less money especially after a holiday. I don’t make a lot of money so I travel on a small budget, I don’t buy designer goods nor expensive facial products, I don’t spend money going to pubs to drink or clubs to party. I guess it’s usually only the surface that people see, but there is a lot beneath that they don’t.
Age also isn’t a barrier to many of the things I get up to. Trust me, many people whom I hike or paddle with are in their late 40s, early 50s and some are even in their 60s! There’s a spritely 62-year-old man in my hiking group who can outrun people more than half his age. These people are such inspirations and I hope I’m just as active as them when I reach their age.
I believe life is about the accumulation of experiences and that’s what drives me to go to new places, eat new foods and try new things. So really, don’t let inertia set into your life. Life wouldn’t be very fun that way!