Soup
My father and I were on the phone a few days after I arrived in Vietnam, chatting about what I liked here and how it differed from elsewhere.
“Jodi, I’m just trying to understand what you do every day? Is there a routine?”
“I eat soup.”
“What?”
“I eat a lot of soup, Dad. This country has a lot of soups to try, and I’m trying them all.”
“Wait, what? You’re eating soup all day?”
“Here,” I said, sending him a photo of my favourite bun rieu near my apartment, “how delicious does this soup look? It looks delicious, right? It’s possibly the best soup in the universe.”
I could hear my dad laughing and could almost visualize him shaking his head at me.
“Jodi, I love you very much but sometimes your life confuses me.”
Join the club.
At the beginning of my travels, I didn’t obsess over food. Soup was just a meal, but I wasn’t traveling for it. (Ha! Silly past-tense Jodi…if only I knew.) Now, soup — or food generally — has become the focus, so much so that it’s off-putting to many people I meet. The extreme fascination I have with what people eat and why has totally changed the way I see the world, has changed the direction of this site, and has changed the way I plan to live my life going forward.
In a strange circular fashion, I left to travel the world but now I want to stay longer and longer in each place. I want to scratch under the surface and hug the things I find tightly, so I can keep an imprint of them with me somehow. Food, the universality that it is, has become my tool to connect with people and learn everything I can. It could be a different tool, but principally it is the curiosity to learn through food — and all the wonderful people I’ve met through it — that makes this life choice so rewarding.
* * *
A new life of long term travel
Today, April 1, marks five years of having quit my job and taken off for a “one year” (whoops) RTW adventure. Five years! How did this happen?! In the strange time-space compression of soup-filled days I’m flabbergasted by this unfolding of years. I can still remember my first weeks on the road like they were yesterday. I’m thankful for this site for many reasons, but in part because it is a digital record of what I have trouble digesting: that somehow I took a love of living the world and I made it my day-to-day work.
I try to keep the blog about the travel and food stories, but for my yearly “State of the Union”- style anniversary piece, I get more Jodi-centric. The About page talks about the site and my livelihood, but the psychology behind it has been ignored. What I’m saying is: my dad’s question was a valid one, and I think a question many of you have as well if your emails are any indication.
(My days do involve soup, by the way, but generally I have a routine of mostly work and then time with friends in the evening.)
Given the many email questions from readers about what’s next, both professionally and personally, I thought I’d go into a bit more detail about the goals I have for both in this year’s anniversary post.
Work Goals
My goals are, understandably, different from when I set out in 2008. I thought I would take a year to see the world, and thereafter return to lawyering. Given that I was still traveling after two years, I then focused on supporting myself with freelance work – I did not want to eat into my savings, nor did I want to advertise or accept sponsorship on this site. Now, things are shifting once again. I want to take what I have learned and do more with it. It’s not that I’m bored with travel, it’s that I’m more excited by the idea of creating a business around the things I’ve learned, instead of just moving from A to B. Whereas I left New York because of a deep (some might say destructive) restlessness, I now want to refocus my energy into building something more stable. But I want to do it from places I love.
Last year’s goals included getting better at public speaking and writing my book. A big and exhausting year! But the book is done (yay!) and somehow I spoke at over 10 events (ahh!) without throwing up on myself with nervousness.
For the next few years, my work goals are:
- Start a community and resources site for other celiacs who want to travel, since there is a need for it in the marketplace. There are some sites for travels without gluten but they are primarily domestic or European, and I would like to have a forum for people to ask and answer questions as well. This will not be my primary focus but it is something I want to get off the ground.
- Get more serious about social media consulting work. I’ve really enjoyed building out this aspect of what I do, and truly believe in the power of social when coupled with authenticity in branding. As I’ve said time and time again, no one should be putting anything out that they haven’t read and are willing to endorse. Brands – be they small brands or big brands – can use social media to create a real personality around a corporate entity, but also to engage their customers in an authentic way. Helping strategize and run their feeds has been an unexpected but rewarding line of work for me. I went from advertising lawyer to digital advertising consultant. Who knew? (For more about my thoughts on social media, see my podcast with Dan from Tropical MBA.)
- Start food tours. I’ve been testing this ad hoc in HCMC during the last few months, taking roving bands of readers and friends to places around town and asking for feedback. I want to do tours that are not structured around restaurants or general eats, but hyper-specific to a theme to learn from. Example: to take people on a chili tour of a city, from markets to restaurants to cooking techniques, culminating in a chili-based meal, talking about how chili even came to Asia and when it is used. Themes seem like a great way to teach people about the origins of the food, a big part of what I love to research. These will not be a thing to see / do in a particular city, but will instead be based around what cities I am living in at the time.
- Continue with speaking. I’m getting less and less nervous about the speaking, but still want to throw up on myself when I take the stage – I’ve just gotten used to feeling like I want to throw up on myself. Hopefully more speaking will beget less nervousness. Career transitions, social media and food history are topics near and dear to my heart.
- Continue to share stories on Legal Nomads. This site is not a basic chronology of my travels – it is more about stories, so I do not follow a linear timeline at all times. I’ve loved sharing narrative here and meeting with readers as I’ve travelled. (For readers in Chicago, Toronto and Montreal, I’ll be posting reader meetups on my Facebook page during the summer months.) This site remains a joy and not an obligation. Regardless of other work, I have no plans to shut down Legal Nomads.
That’s a lot to work with in a year or more, and I cannot get started right away as much of 2013 is mapped out. I’ll be heading to England first for my brother’s birthday, then Montreal, Toronto, Chicago, Portland and more this summer. I’ve also been working with G Adventures for several years as a Wanderer in Residence, writing for their site and occasionally hopping on a G tour. This fall I will be taking my mum to India with me on a G tour for her birthday. She has always wanted to go. I’m beyond excited about this trip as I have not travelled with my mum since I was 20. To say the least, It’s going to be quite the adventure.
My aim is to return to Vietnam again when I can, but stay here for 8 months or so to work on the above ideas. I’ll be working on them in part before, of course, but specifically for the food tours I’ll need to be in one place. The day after I got to Vietnam I was bowled over by my love for the quirks and daily surprises in this country. It seems like a great place to base myself for a while – more than the 4.5 months I will end up spending this year.
Happiness
A long time ago, I told a friend that I would never be happy in life. That my brain was too whirry and too busy thinking of all the things I could/should/will be doing and never able to focus on the present. How can someone be happy if they’re thinking of something else all the time? In the last few years, however, I came to accept the fact that this overarching, fuzzy idea of happiness couldn’t be my goal. It was unrealistic, and I felt that I was failing – people were writing to say “oh, you’re living the dream!” — but internally I was struggling with what I was doing and why I was doing it.
What I was feeling made sense given that I got here by accident (as in, I didn’t quit my job to be a travel writer or seek happiness), but I still needed to parse through my thoughts and also take stock of who I had become after many years of travel.
* * *
I use the term “building a life” a lot lately. It’s become my preferred expression to discuss my choices because there is such weighted agency in it – I, Jodi Ettenberg, chose this path. It has been a fallback to say I got here by accident — factually accurate, no less — but relying on kismet or coincidence also lets me off the hook for the hard and very damaging decisions I made in leaving New York. I left a place and people I loved, and a career that was going well for me. It’s true that I didn’t do this to “be” happy or because I was burned out. But regardless, I did it because I wanted to see the world, and the pull of that otherness – not just to see it on a short vacation, but to live it and get my hands dirty – it drew me in. It became bigger than me, a restlessness that corroded. It grew and it grew until I had to act on it; ignoring it was just hurting people around me and myself.
When I left for what I thought would be a year, I found that the restlessness dissipated. I wasn’t looking to travel around the world indefinitely. That’s never been an aim. However, the restlessness was replaced by an extraordinary curiosity for just about everything I saw. I wanted to build a life around that curiosity. All of the work I do – the consulting, the food writing, the blog – is to facilitate that, and to enable me to see and experience more of the little things in life. In acknowledging this shift away from restlessness and toward learning, I came a long way to accepting more of where I am today. I’m making choices only for me, which is not something everyone has available to them.
Life Goals
I’ve gotten angry emails from parents telling me that I’m contributing to their children’s irresponsible behaviour, and from people asking me why I am doing what I’m doing – what am I trying to avoid? The reality is that I’m not trying to avoid anything. Driven by curiosity, I’ve followed it to where it leads. Doing so has definitely damaged important relationships, but it has also created new and important ones. Unmoored from the normal anchors that stabilize, I’ve turned instead to think about exactly what I want my life to look like at this point in time. I can understand why outwardly it would seem like running, since it is certainly a strange life path. But if anything, I am moving toward the things that hold more and more value.
It has been calming to re-think happiness and dig around it to see what it means for me. Essentially, I stopped focusing on “happy” as a term of art and started thinking of practical, tangible things that I could institute and wanted to be a part of my daily life, in the hopes of being more mindful.
I’m sure you’re shocked…. but I made a list. :) In no particular order:
- Street food, and people who also loved street food and wanted to eat it with me.
- Friends with whom I can have great, existential discussions about life and everything in it.
- Working on projects that provide value to society and were not self-serving.
- Learning something new every day.
- Practicing gratitude daily and taking pleasure in the small things in life.
- Time in Southeast Asia at least some part of the year.
- Working on an acceptance of me, and being more comfortable in my own skin. (As the kid who won “most easily embarrassed” in high school, talking to people isn’t always easy, even if I pretend it is.)
YMMV
We can only do what drives each of us to live our lives to the fullest.
For many that means a round-the-world trip then a return to what everyone else deems normal. For others, it means drifting and drifting and seeing and seeing, without a plan to stay put. For most people, it means finding a partner and a home and a family that fulfills life goals. For me, well, I’ve had a huge amount of time to think about this in the last years, and have some answers for myself for the first time in a long time.
My answers are not your answers, of course, nor are they a path for anyone else’s life choices. “Your mileage may vary” is what I always say. The aggregate of my years of lawyering, travel and more have made me into who I am , and led me to value the things I value. There’s a reason I never write posts saying “Stick it to the man and quit your job like me” and that’s because I don’t think it’s the “right” way to be. I just know what worked for me, and in the hopes of helping people parse through their own choices, I’m sharing that process. But I do not begrudge or think less of people who don’t want the things I want in life; those differences are what makes the world interesting.
Back to the Soup
I was on the phone with my mother last month, breathless about my short trip to Vung Tau with friends. I regaled her with tales about banh khot and lessons I learned in the three days on the beach. (For example, do not, ever, get your grilled squid from a different lady from the lady you are renting chairs from unless you want to start a long protracted screaming match between them, resulting in a significant crowd of locals gathering at the edge of the fight, watching attentively.)
“It sounds like you really love Vietnam” she said slowly.
“Yes yes! I love it. I’m going to cry big tears of pho when I leave. I have to come back.”
Laughing gently she replied “Jodi, you say this about everywhere you live, without fail. Every place moulds to you, and you to it.”
She’s right, of course. Over the last five years of travel, you could make a supercut of phone calls like these.
“Ma, Ma MA…. I LOVE Beijing! I want to stay there forever!” and then, a year later “Mum, I know I got tear-gassed and caught up in the riots in Bangkok, but I LOVE it here!”
I suppose it’s just a testament to doing what I love that I’ve been so affectionate toward almost every place I’ve seen.
* * *
After five years of travel, what can I say? I think I like myself much more as a person now. Bit by bit, I am figuring out more about what brings me joy and what makes me sad, and I’m learning so much from the wonderful people I meet. I have worked at improving specific skills, and have others I want to improve on that scare me. But if they scare me, all the more reason to make sure I face them head-on.
Much of the things I am grateful for are not the travel per se. And really I am not truly a traveler any more, at least not in the way I was in 2008. Instead, I’ve focused on taking the time to fall for a new place by experiencing it firsthand, while at the same time doing work I find fulfilling.
If you’re still here after this sprawling post: thank you. It’s been an incredible 5 years of ups and downs, of learning and sharing and eating. I keep talking about gratitude but I cannot emphasize that expanding-heart-feeling of being thankful for great friends, wonderful readers and a family who supports me, even if they think I’m nuts.
And of course, many many bowls of soup.
-Jodi
Please put Boston on the itinerary, is all I have to say about that. I want to give you a massive hug, say thank you for all your reflections, and maybe share some Boston soup with you ;)
Thanks for continuing to be such an inspiration to me Jodi! You are awesome… The end :)
Agreed!
I just wanted to say that I have genuinely enjoyed every meal I’ve shared with you: namely, the conversations over soup and smoothies and sushi. Your writing is thought-provoking, your photography is stunning. As a young woman figuring things out in NYC, you’re incredibly inspirational. Thanks for continuing to share your adventures in food and beyond–and looking forward to catching up in Portland and/or NYC. xxx
To pursuing the curious… and also to soup.
Cheers Jodi :)
Five years on the road lady, and it sounds like you have come to a more comfortable place inside yourself with your choices. There are so many people who want confirmation of their own lives through what others do, but all you have is this — the ability to build a life around the things that bring you happiness and fulfillment. Looking forward to seeing and reading about the new successes and new travel foods the next five bring into your life. Love you lots, happy travel-versary :)
Jodi,
What a great post. A restlessness that corroded: that line hit home with me – my own restlessness has been around for at least 17 years, and is rearing its ugly head right now. I like that you speak of the damaging decisions that were made when you left NY, because it’s nice to know that others struggle with the same things – when you open one door, others probably have to close. Thanks for an excellent and introspective post, and I’ll definitely add a Jodi-led food tour of HCMC to my to do list next time I’m in Vietnam.
“After five years of travel, what can I say? I think I like myself much more as a person now. ”
Travel will do that to ya :) It’s my belief long term travelers know themselves better than anyone on the planet – at least from my own limited experience. And the better you know yourself, the happier you tend to become because you know your strengths and weaknesses to a T and accept them. Those who don’t know themselves well usually (always?) look externally for things or people to blame as to why something they wanted didn’t happen, or why person X achieved something instead of them. Knowing yourself starts with taking responsibility for your own life and the actions in it…and you’ve got that nailed.
Looking forward to your 6 year state of the Jodi-travel-life :)
ah, soup. because, finding – and enjoying it – is pure life joy. the rest? well, if you pay attention (as you do), it falls into place. love this, jodi!
I would totally do a Jodi food tour. Having gone out to dinner with you, I know leaving food decisions to you always ends up well.
Yes, and NOT leaving them to me makes me really grumpy ;)
I’m with Matt. Leaving food decisions to you is a must (and I don’t think I ever didn’t listen to you wrt food while in CM).
Thanks for the update Jodi. Hard to believe it’s been 5 years. I’ve followed you for a while and we’ve met and talked a few times. You are one of the most interesting, intelligent, and fascinating travelers I’ve ever met. I’vet got tons of respect for you. Honestly, we’re very different in regards to our travels and interests. Yet I love following you and reading for you.
I think you’re greatest asset as a traveler is your personality. It’s impossible not to like and respect what you do, along with the many people that you inspire. Keep doing your thing. I’ll keep following. Look forward to seeing you again in Toronto :)
Great introspective post. Susan and I really felt your passion for food AND your passion for sharing what you’ve discovered with others. That passion is infectious and I’m sure your move into a business in this area will be successful.
Can’t wait to catch up some time soon.
Thanks Adam. It was really great to meet you both and I look forward to more long chats in Indonesia next year!
Jodi, thanks for sharing your goals and thoughts. Our mileage may vary but I have great admiration for everything that you do. You’re an inspiration.
Jodi, I laughed out loud about your conversation with your mother. Many years ago, my mother said almost the exact same words to me, when I was gushing about how I wanted to move to some new place I’d discovered on my travels: “You say that about every place you visit.” I thought about that a lot. And for a long time, I thought there was something wrong with me that I just couldn’t settle down. Now I’m older and I’m very secure in myself and what I’ve chosen to do with my life. Now I know there’s nothing wrong with having the wanderlust if that’s what makes me happy.
Over the years, my travels have also taken on a recurrent theme. I am fascinated by the cultures of the world, and by the fact that we seem to be fearful of those whom we somehow see as being different from ourselves. But I have come to believe that people the world over are more alike than different. We may dress differently, eat different foods, speak different languages, and practice different religions, but at our core we all want the same things, a place to live, a safe environment, food to eat, clothes to wear and a better life for our children. It is a message that runs through all my writing because I believe that the better we know each other, the less likely we will want to kill one another. I know that in my small way, I am helping to eliminate “fear of others” by writing about the people I meet during my travels.
My mother is no longer with me, but I often think about her and I just know she’s looking down on me with approval. Although your parents may not completely understand what you do or why you do it, I’m sure at some level they instinctively understand that you are making the world a better place. I, for one, am so glad you chose the path you did. The world is much richer because of your stories and the connections you make.
Thank you for the long comment Barbara! My parents do support me wholly but they are definitely not sure why I love what I do as much as I do :) Appreciate your kind words and looking forward to the next brunch we share somewhere in this world.
Just double-checking that you’re aware of Susan Feniger’s restaurant here in Los Angeles called “The Street” which presents street food from around the world. Perhaps a decent bite on your next layover at LAX?
Thanks Holden! No plans to go to LAX any time soon but will certainly suggest it to friends who love their street eats.
Thanks for this post Jodi. You put many things into words that really hit home. Great reflections on an uncommon and often misunderstood lifestyle!
Yay! I’m so happy that you are happy, or at least doing things that make you happy. I think that when you’re no longer tied to a place or a job it can be really hard to structure your life. I mean you and I can literally do ANYTHING we want, so how do you choose the things that will make your life the most meaningful? You seem to be doing a good job, you are my role model :)
I’m also really happy because I KNEW you would adore Vietnam! All fo your pictures make me so desperate to go back there as well. Bring me some soup in Toronto?
Heh, I’m a bit worried about the soup options but Pho Hung is GREAT in Toronto and we are absolutely going to stuff our faces there. They have a canh chua too, fabulous with eel.
Congrats!
This post hits incredibly close to home for me. I’m veering the end of a two year stint in Kuwait and will head onwards to another 2 year commitment in Manizales, Colombia in August. We share many of the same sentiments in terms of life goals and accepting ourselves and our life choices. The hardest decision I ever made in life was to leave the ones that I love so dearly back home in Ontario. I too have been accused from time to time of “running away and avoiding.” I prefer to call myself a curious learner as well. There are so many other ways to live one’s life on this not-so-big planet, and it is our natural human desire to seek genuine happiness in whatever way, shape or form is fitting for us. My goal for 2013 is happiness, but I most definitely recognize the importance of digging around the generic sense of that feeling and really deciphering what it is that will allow me to reach that goal. I really appreciate the list that you created with hopes of making your goal of happiness more tangible. It has helped me to remain focused on what it is I am seeking out in my next, soon to be home for the next couple of years. Thank you for your post, Jodi. Wishing you so much happiness and many more bowls of soup throughout your travels in Vietnam. Be well.
I’m glad the post resonated on so many levels with what you’re living right now. It’s true, many ways to live and hopefully we will both figure out what attributes that life holds for each of us. Be well and safe travels to you too!
Good for you. Life is meant to be lived the way you want to live it. I applaud your courage, and your willingness to live your life the way you see fit. I’m sure you don’t need my approval, but you have it. It doesn’t really matter if other people understand what you are doing, you have the right to do it. I can see that it is very gratifying to find people who “get it” and can talk about your way of life with you.
Best wishes to you and much success.
Diane (a 64 your old woman who is embarking on a trip across the US in an ambulance, or as my friends call it “the meat wagon”).
Ha! I love the name of your ambulance. Safe journey to you Diane – thank you for the comment :)
Thank you. I love reading this. Loved hearing how you feel in-love with every place and wanted to stay there. I think I will be the same. Congratulations on everything you’ve learned in the past 5 years. Especially, liking yourself more. Good luck on all of your future adventures.
Fully understand you Jodi !! congratulations for being able to keep moving listening yourself and being so patient to keep flowing as you inner tells … my best energy for you to keep enjoying !! hugs from Bilbao, north Spain !!
Jodi, superb post. Really, that is a great one and it is nice to have a little more of Jodi’s thoughts and feelings :) I sure hope that you will continue to write on Legal Nomads, live your life fully like you did in these past years and keep the soup chefs in check to make sure they maintain a high standard!
Jodi, I’ve been following along (mostly silently) since somewhere during the first year of your adventure and what keeps me reading after all this time – aside from the mouth-watering pictures – is what you expressed in your conversations with your mom: you find the good in every place, and you share that with all of us! After so many years, it would be easy to get caught up in the frustrations and let-downs that are a part of life no matter where you are, but the joy that you continue to get from what you do is clear. Keep learning, exploring, tasting and sharing for as long as it makes you happy, and we will keep being inspired by your courage and positivity!
(also: love the food tour idea! I would absolutely sign up for one of those :-))
I always explain that traveling is my medium for personal growth, which I’ve come to learn does not have the value for everyone as it does for me. However, I’ve also come to realize that the people who do understand are there for the long haul and the people who don’t understand… well, there will always be people who don’t understand, no matter what path you choose.
I really admire the way that you found what makes you happy, or at least happy to struggle through the not-fun parts of it to continue your work and have completely embraced it to make it your own.
Great post! I only wish that I had known to start reading your blog years ago (finally found it about 6 months ago) to truly appreciate the 5 years you’ve spent out on your own. I hope you enjoy building and creating in the bear future!
Cheers! Your stories are truly inspirational and soothing to a restless soul!
Jodi, I adore your “State of the Unions.” Getting a glimpse into your thoughts and feelings is such a treat. I can relate to so much of what you wrote, particularly the need to put roots down in one place, even though I’ve only been living out of the States for a year and a half now. You were one of my biggest inspirations when I set out, and still are. Thank you for sharing this, and please keep doing what you are doing. The world needs more of you.
Great post! So interesting to hear how everything has evolved for you over 5 years.
I love that you want to create an online forum for Celiacs who travel – as you said, what is out there is limited (mostly to Western Europe). I had hoped to do that with my gluten free site but just didn’t have the time or motivation to sustain it. I also found much of the existing online Celiac community to be very judgmental and decided I wanted little to do with it. That said, if there is anything I can do to help, please let me know!
Glad to hear you’ll be coming through Chicago this summer – hope we can catch up then!
I’ve heard the same from others, but I think the only thing to do is try. My brand of handling the disease is certainly not for everyone – I’m less careful than others, because I want to get into all the food. But I hope that the translation cards properly translated and other resources will be a sufficient benefit that it will bring value. We shall see! See you in Chicago, most definitely :)
Hey Jodi, unusually long but really interesting post from you. Thrilled for you. Btw, if you need a “list” of street food to try in India and what to try where just let me know. I’d be happy to share one. Not sure where you’re taking your mum in India but it’s so huge and beautiful and full of food that I feel, you’ll probably send your mum back in a few days and end up staying there yourself for a few months ;) Have fun!
Great offer, thank you! I’ll ping you as it gets closer. My friend Mark is also putting out a street eats guide to Delhi and I think between you and him and other friends we will be in great shape. I think this trip to India will be short but I have no doubt that I will want to return.
Such a lovely insight into why you’ve chosen this path for your life, Jodi! Thanks for being so honest about your motivations too :)
What an inspiring post, Jodi! Thanks for sharing with us your perspective on life and happiness – it’s so interesting to look into your world. Your relentless curiosity and dedication are truly admirable.
Congrats on five years, Jodi! It’s great to read about where you’ve been and where you’re going. We often can’t envision where we’ll end up when our journey’s just begun, and I love that. :)
Hope to eventually cross paths in person, somewhere in the world.
Love this and love that you and I were able to become such good friends through this weird world of blogging. Always enjoy my time with you and happy to be a teeny tiny part of this journey. Enjoy India!
Thank you Andrew! You’ve been a great friend to me over the years and I’ve enjoyed our meetups whenever we’ve been able to squeeze them in. Superbly excited for India and I know my mum is too. Looking forward to seeing pics of the newest member of your family :)
I’m not sure if you’re familiar with the slightly surreal British comedy that is the Mighty Boosh, but I thought you might find this appropriate :)
Enjoy the next 5 years ;)
It’s so great that you’ve figured things out so concretely!! I’m taking the summer off to try and do some of that with regards to my career now that I’ve got the personal side of my life in line with what I was really yearning for, whether or not I ever properly voiced it. And I’m excited about figuring it out because it’s more important than I ever gave credence to. Doubtless I can find all the answers I need in three months but as it’s aided by four years of good and bad experiences with blogging, I hope good headway can be made.
It encouraged me to read your thoughts so clearly laid out. A departure from your norm for sure, but a good one.
Can’t wait to see you in Brighton!
Thanks lady! Very happy for you that a big piece of your life has fallen into place. None of us have the answers, of course, but as long as we’re comfortable learning as we go and never thinking we’re done with that learning I think we’re doing better than ok :) See you in a few weeks!
Jodi, it’s such a pleasure to witness as you write your life story season by season. Your soup pictures on Instagram and here on your site make my mouth water, and your desire to learn and to revel in opportunities makes my heart joyful, too. Ted’s and my life is returning to a much more anchored position these days, post-travel; it’s bittersweet after spending a year sharing adventures around the world, but it’s lovely to have a richer, fuller picture of the planet and its people and to know people like you.
I’ll be excited for your return to Portland this summer! We had a grand weekend of mid-seventies and sunshine, and the city was positively buzzing.
Thanks for continuing to blog out of joy. It sincerely makes the internet a better place… xx
Thank you Bethany. It was great to meet you and Ted in Bologna and looking forward to the reunion in PDX!
Congrats Jodi, great post. Loved reading about how you learned more about yourself, and also how you’ve chosen to live with intention. Wishing you many more years of happy and safe travels!
Here’s to many more years of travel, storytelling and soup! I completely understand about coming to love each place you live– everytime I leave a place I’ve lived awhile I swear I feel physical pain! If you ever want to chat about food tours with someone, I’d love to tell you about our experiences here in Spain. And when I finally make it to Southeast Asia I will jump on one of your tours in a heartbeat! Perhaps we’ll meet in Toronto this summer. Cheers!
A food tour brainstorm would be great. Hope to see you in TO this summer!
I’m about to hit five years, too — not of straight travelling, but of working for myself, certainly travelling more than I otherwise could, and “building a life,” as you say. I had a similar conversation with my grandmother when I quit my job. “Why would you not want to have a job? What are you going to DO?” I’ve not yet made it to Asia, nor have I have I travelled for more than a month at a time. But I will!
I read Legal Nomads because your life is inspiring — and you post truly interesting things. Congrats on a life well built, and than you for sharing it with us all. If you ever make it to Vancouver, I’d love to be part of/organize a readers’ meet-up here. We have great food, too!
Thank you Christina! I was there in 2010 but I will probably be back at some point. Loved my time on Vancouver Island too. Best of luck with your next steps and thanks for reading.
You’re an inspiration. Keep doing your thing, that you do so well.
I love this reflective piece. The WHY you keep going is such an important one for you to keep revisiting and awesome to share with your readers that are awed by your adventures.
Kudos to you for following your passions. This is where I believe we find happiness. And I love the list of dreams, whether actualized or not or maybe someday when they re-manifest in another way.
I miss Asia something fierce & can’t wait to see you in June!!
I love this post. I wish you continued success and “mindfulness”!
I really enjoyed reading this very long, very honest, very inspirational, very Jodi post ;-)
I saw you on stage at TBU in Umbria – you didn’t look like if you wanted to throw up on yourself – quite the opposite: your speech was amazing!!!
Love love love your soup photos! And congratulations on accomplishing another chapter of life. Been obsessed with your Vietnam posts lately. Would love to go back to Hanoi and take a stroll down West Lake again one day.
What incredible goals you have, I’m so excited to see you check one by one off! I know you can do it!!!
With posts like these it looks like we will be joining you in Vietnam dangerously soon ;)
So proud of the incredible life you’ve built and feel honoured to have been a bystander for the last 4 years.
A & E xx
A pleasure to read, as always. Congrats on the anniversary – may your mileage continue to vary. :)
I’m reading this on my lunch break at a law firm and have tears in my eyes. No joke… it just hit me, I’ve been home exactly a month and am so excited to be back on the road it’s crazy. I too am happy with the life I am living and will continue to do it on my terms as well. Now that I am home from two years on the road it’s been a crazy time in realizing that I am forever changed and that most people will never understand me any more. I’m so happy though that there is people out there who do… like you! I’m so happy our paths cross in Vietnam and wow congrats on 5 years of travel and many many more. Oh & as for going out to eat with you I love love loved it because I never pay attention to what I am eating and just eat. When I was with you you made me wonder so many things and I learned a lot from our week together. Soup is not just soup with you… soup is a pot of gold filled with a million pieces of gold. So you are not nuts… you are Jodi & I wouldn’t love ya if you weren’t you!
Cheers to more travels or well soups!!!
I can hear you reading this to me in your enthused Jaime voice. Thank you for the kind words and so glad we met and chatted for so long here in Vietnam. Good luck regrouping at home and I’ve no doubt you’ll make your next steps a reality. (Also that soup quote is money.) To more soup!
Hey Jodi, thank you for sharing these words. Surprisingly, I found a lot of myself in these words. Probably all of us who left home for some kind of experience had some root-reason which is all similar inside. I went to Med school and worked. Then I changed my plans as I decided to leave 3 years ago. I still work part time on med stuff on my current home, but I am also doing other things around my blogging, writing and travels like I never ever imagined before. And I couldn’t be happier right now! Also thinking and finding out my process, my circumstances, my past and a bit of my future and what I want from all of this that I have learned. Is amazingly nice and I hope it never stops. Totally agree on how this is a personal process and just saying “go explore the world!” won’t do it for everyone. Is just a process and takes time, experiences, decisions and a lot more for each person. Happy for you and thanks for speaking these feelings out. It made me want to spend a good dinner time talking about life with you :) Have safe travels!
Wow, I don’t have much to add, but rockstar perspective.
Mona and I can’t wait to catch up with you in Saigon.