Cruising Into a New Chapter
When I published my last blog post, I had no idea that I'd be on a cruise ship writing this next one. Firstly, cruising didn't really seem like my jam. Also, a long time would have had to pass before my family coaxed me into it. And indeed it has. And they did.
Takes a sip of a $9 Red Stripe.
You last heard me gushing about my trip to the mountainous and fragile cloud forests of Monteverde, Costa Rica. I had a lot more to say, and still plan to. But I got busy. Work has been steadily increasing ever since Covid forcibly pushed me out of China and into taking my side hustle full-time. When I had a free moment, I took it to rest. Then, of course, that subtle, trickling momentum of not writing for too long grew into a familiar immovable obstacle: a horrible and debilitating case of writer's block.
“Now I'm just that guy living in North Carolina again who travels when he gets the chance.”
I had no problem writing on my client projects. But for whatever reason, vocalizing my own internal thoughts about even things I love doing became paralyzingly intimidating. Perhaps because I'm still struggling to forge a new path after closing my last chapter. I used to be "that guy who lives in the middle of nowhere in China". It sounded adventurous and cool. Now I'm just that guy living in North Carolina again who travels when he gets the chance. It sounds...average. Did I still have anything interesting to say?
Other writers are facepalming right now because you already know the answer. There are always stories to tell. We just sometimes get in our own way, feebly attempting to rationalize and make excuses for why we should put a pin in that and rewatch that one comfort sitcom for the fourth time instead. We don't confront that beast that grows larger, fed by the inactivity and apprehension of taking a good hard look at where we've been, what's going on now, and how we feel about it. Writing despite a block cuts the knot that tangles up the creative process. It's just so damn hard to do sometimes.
I'm on a ship in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico with no WiFi. Now is as good a time as any to take a whack at it.
First, I exhausted all of my options for procrastination.
I observed the belly flop competition at the main pool. I played a 9-hole game of minigolf in the driving wind as the Serenade cut a wedge through the Caribbean at 18 knots. I even practiced my Mandarin with several Chinese crew despite being terrified about how rusty I'd gotten. And, I suppressed the mental image of my credit card statement as I ordered several expensive tropical drinks. Come to think of it, cruise ships actually have a lot of things to distract you from...
STOP. Focus. Just keep writing.
Ever since 2011 when I decided to study abroad in Lund, Sweden, a sort of domino series of events led me down a clearly visible path from one place, relationship, or job to another. The events in one place precipitated the events in the next. It was like walking down a hiking trail with fresh bright white blazes painted on the trees. When Covid came along, the dude blazing the trail turned around and handed me a spray paint can and a machete and said, "Good luck."
My life in China, after 7 years, ended. My longest relationship, after 9 years, ended. The easy cues and throughlines ended. Now I'm back where it all started with no master plan for the future, but I do have that machete and spray paint. I also have all those experiences and a level of independence I would never have gained if not for that chapter in my life. The tools I need to keep going forward are at hand. It's time to stop worrying about what direction to go in and start blazing some trail.
The next waymark might be in the Balkans.
So what is that next chapter?
Teaching English is in the rearview mirror for good. I'm fully committed to continue growing as a designer and writer. These last three years have been extremely challenging — and rewarding — as I've taken on the mantle of writer, illustrator, web designer, SEO consultant, marketer, manager, bookkeeper, and all the other facets of a business that a freelancer must juggle to succeed. My income and client base has grown each year, slowly but steadily.
Now that the pandemic has abated, I want to take advantage of one of the greatest benefits of having a job that only requires a computer, a WiFi connection, and a…particular set of skills. It may also deliver that shot of clarity I need to figure out what I want to do long-term. I think it’s time to get back out there, folks. And not for just a two-week romp. I want to take this show on the road and do the digital nomad thing for a bit on my own steam, without the teaching job to fall back on.
Enter Albania. Why Albania? Let me explain:
Getting a visa is easy. Along with Georgia, it’s one of two countries in Europe that have an extremely generous visa policy for Americans. You can enter as a tourist and stay for up to a year. And they don’t care what’s in my bank account!
It’s dirt cheap. The capital, Tirana, has an excellent cost of living index. Accommodation in the city can go from $300-500 per month. With the low overhead, it should be possible to save more than I am at home right now.
It’s a great jumping-off point for the Western Balkans. I’m fascinated by the countries that made up former Yugoslavia and can’t wait to hop around the area. I’d love to spend a month in each.
The nature looks incredible. You’ve got the Mediterranean to the west and the Accursed Mountains to the north. Neither is all that far from Tirana. And I really, really want to hike in a place called the Accursed Mountains. What a name!
“I really, really want to hike in a place called the Accursed Mountains.”
It’s very different than any place I’ve lived before. Albania is one of the few majority-Muslim countries in Europe, which would be a first for me. Albanian has almost no linguistic relatives. It’s a very unique culture I’d love to immerse myself in.
It might get crowded soon. I have a feeling Albania might soon get the “Croatia treatment”. Albania has been steadily investing in its infrastructure since 2000, and GDP from tourism is increasing every year. I want to see it before it becomes overrun.
More than anything, I want another big adventure abroad. Despite calling the US home since 2020, travel is still a large chunk of my identity. Whatever answers I’m looking for about the future usually require me to leave. I don’t think I’ll find what I lost in my sudden departure from Daqing. Fighting against impermanence is futile. But I do think I can find something new to fill the emptiness it left. It’s not even a question — it’s something I need to do to truly move on with my life and create some new momentum.
Picking up where we left off.
Considering I’ve more than doubled my Twitter following since the last time I published something, I should probably do a bit of housekeeping. I still have a decent amount of Costa Rica content I’d like to pick up again. Although we’re coming up on the year anniversary of that trip, I think I have some valuable info for people on the fence about going to Monteverde in the rainy season. Waiting an entire year for your content to become relevant again is…certainly a way to do things.
While you wait, you can check out my onebag packing list for my two-week itinerary in Costa Rica. I also might have some thoughts on the national beer. I have a few prints inspired by Monteverde available in my Redbubble shop with several more in the works.
Don’t even get me started on my cruise. This Western Caribbean itinerary is my first cruise ever, and I have some strong opinions. It might shock you that not all of them are negative, but you will definitely get the healthy dose of cynicism you might expect if you’ve been following for a while. Oh, and AI. We need to talk about AI — is it coming to take our jobs, or is it a tool we can harness to enhance our creative careers? Are design and writing clients even demanding AI-driven content?
These are just a few topics I’m already outlining for what will hopefully be a more prolific summer of blogging. No firm schedule as usual. Subscribe below for a monthly digest of posts, or just follow me on Twitter for the latest. Get behind me writer’s block! ◉
Written by Seth Barham
