Welcome to Landen's Letters!
Alternate Title: "Dawg with a Blog"
This welcome section is not all that is in this post! If you're reading on the blog website home page, long posts get truncated. To view the whole post, click or tap the post title (blue "Welcome & FAQs" text). Between updates to this blog, never hesitate to reach out for any reason at all! Email is always a safe bet at landenhughes21@gmail.com. You can also text or call me any time (🚨I am not responsible for any overseas messaging fees you may incur🚨). Whatsapp or Instagram work best since I will be changing eSIMs and cell providers quite frequently and you will never run the risk of getting charged any sort of international fees.
Thank you to every single one of you reading this and a HUGE thank you to everyone who has supported this idea since the beginning. I'd also like to give a special shoutout to all of my friends who have been courageous enough to live long-term in a foreign country. Whether you're an expat or living in the US as a foreign citizen, you all inspire me every day and I wouldn't be doing this without your reassurance and guidance.
That's enough of the formalities, logistics, and underwhelming 'thank you' speeches! I'll see you all out on the trail!! 😁
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How long will you be traveling?
A:
Until I don't want to anymore or until I run out of money - whichever comes first (probably the latter).
Q: Where/when are you going?
A:
Right now, I have the first couple months planned out. Here's my general itinerary so far:
8/16: Go day! Spokane✈️->Seattle✈️->Tokyo
8/17-9/18: Japan
9/18-9/25: Hong Kong
9/25-10/10: Vietnam
10/10-Early November: Other countries in Southeast Asia. Not sure on specifics yet.
November-Mid December: Hopefully some adventures in central Asia - China, Mongolia, and/or Kazakhstan!
Mid December: Come home for Christmas in Idaho before setting back out in the new year!
Q: How the hell are you affording this?????
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| The dorm room of a hostel I'll be staying at in Japan. |
Three things. First, I have been saving up for this trip for a long time now and have been able to set aside enough to fund my travels for a while - but not as long as I would like if I were traveling as a normal tourist. That brings me to my second point - I will be traveling very frugally. A big part of that is staying in cheap hostels. For those unfamiliar with hostels, they're kinda like a dorm room at summer camp! Lots of bunks in a room with shared bathrooms, kitchen, and common areas. They offer a much cheaper alternative to hotels and give solo travelers like me an easy way to make new friends from all over the world. They're most popular across Asia, Europe, and South America, but they have also exploded in popularity in the US over the last decade! Aside from staying in hostels, I'll also be pinching pennies by buying groceries instead of eating out, skipping spendy tourist traps, sitting in the back of the plane, etc. You get the idea.
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| My first Worldpackers host, Aki. I will be volunteering at his apiary in Tokushima, Japan! |
Lastly, my biggest secret for stretching my wallet and extending my time
abroad is Worldpackers. Throughout my travels, I will be taking multiweek long stints in homestays, hostels, farms, or really anywhere that needs volunteers as "hired" help. Worldpackers connects me with hosts all around the world that trade 3 meals a day, a bed, and an authentic one-of-a-kind experience in return for labor of all sorts. In short, it lets me live somewhere abroad and make some new friends for a few weeks for free while I do a little bit of work for the host.
abroad is Worldpackers. Throughout my travels, I will be taking multiweek long stints in homestays, hostels, farms, or really anywhere that needs volunteers as "hired" help. Worldpackers connects me with hosts all around the world that trade 3 meals a day, a bed, and an authentic one-of-a-kind experience in return for labor of all sorts. In short, it lets me live somewhere abroad and make some new friends for a few weeks for free while I do a little bit of work for the host.
Q: Why are you doing this now? Shouldn't you focus on your career now and do this when you're old and your brain and body move slower and also you have 100x the responsibilities to tie you down?!
A:
Great question! Actually, your reasoning for why I should do this later - that you so graciously brought up in your question - is part of the reason why I'm doing this now! I want to travel now for a couple reasons.
First and foremost, right now I am in good health, have the financial means to give this a shot, and have no responsibilities to tie me down (sorry to any readers with children under 18, a serious criminal record, a pet, a house, or an in-person job - the vagabond life is definitely still possible for you, but you may encounter difficulties not discussed by the author of this blog).
I've always had a fascination for traveling. Whether I was listening to family members' stories of traveling the world or watching reruns of A Cook's Tour or spending hours planning itineraries for trips I knew I wasn't actually going to take, the urge to venture into the unknown has been a constant in my life. When I studied in Korea in 2022, I got my first taste of global travel and knew that my life would be changed forever by the experience.
In addition, I've chosen to take on this venture now because I experienced something earlier this year that I'm sure many of you can relate to: clarity through loss. In January, I lost my lifelong friend Cameron completely out of the blue. Needless to say, I was shocked to my core and totally ruined by his sudden passing. But there really is nothing quite like loss to put things in perspective. In the depths of grief, it became clear to me just how fleeting life is. I made a promise to myself, and to Cam, that I wouldn't wait around to do the things I wanted to do before I die. I did some self-reflection and decided that at this point in my life, I don't really care about building my career or buying a house or getting married or any of those other young adult milestones (all the power to those of you pursuing those goals!!!). This is by no means advice. I might come to regret this decision in 10 years or so. Nonetheless, I decided that I would take a leap of faith by leaving my old life behind and trying my best to make the one I've always dreamt of. It's almost time to finally start this journey and although I am nervous, I still feel very strongly that this is the right decision.
As an addendum, I also feel the need to check this box now because, considering the current state of global geopolitics, I am not overly confident in the possibility of traveling for leisure in the next couple decades...😬
Q: What are you bringing?
A:
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| My main pack, my baby. This thing will be holding my whole life for the next couple months! |
Clothes - Still TBD, but probably about 5 outfits. I'll do laundry at hostels and laundromats along the way.
Toiletries - Fun fact! In many Asian countries, toilet paper is not offered in restrooms. You are expected to bring your own each time!
First aid supplies
Hostel supplies - Sleeping mask, ear plugs, shower shoes, universal outlet adapter, luggage locks, a towel, and a deck of cards.
Personal items - Journal, digital camera, portable charger, laptop.
Shoes - Solomon X Ultra 5 GTX & Tevas.
That's pretty much it! Trying to keep things light so I have space in my pack to buy small souvenirs along the way! :)
Q: What are you going to do when you get back?
A: I have no idea. Ask me again when that time comes and I might have an answer for you!
A: I have no idea. Ask me again when that time comes and I might have an answer for you!
🎵NOW PLAYING🎵
Welcome To The Show - J Dilla
Riot - Hugh Masekela
Graduate - Third Eye Blind
END OF POST 001
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