Running Towards Something: My Journey Begins
Written on October 7th, 2024 by Dariusz Siedlecki
In 2024, I faced some challenging times. Every new year, I kept telling myself that the next one would be better, but life often had other plans. Over the past 10 years I have dealt with issues at work, went through breakups, and experienced the loss of loved ones. No matter what I tried throughout each year, I found it hard to say that I was truly happy by the end of it. As 2025 approached, I began wondering: what could I do differently? Was there something I was missing? Was there something about my approach to life that needed to change?
Around September, an interesting opportunity came my way—a colleague recommended me to join his company, which is located in Bangkok, requiring me to relocate. Initially, I dismissed the idea and was ready to say no. I had never been to Asia, and… well, I couldn’t think of any other reasons to decline. Normally, whenever something like this presented itself, I would think, “But I can’t leave my partner,” “But I can’t leave my job,” “But I can’t leave my family,” “But I like my flat,” “But I like my life.” That September, for the first time ever, I had no other “buts”—besides never having been to Asia and not knowing much about Bangkok.
So, on a whim, I took two weeks off at the beginning of October, bought a ticket to Bangkok, and decided to spend a few days there, just to see what it would be like to live in the city.
Long story short—I now have a love/hate relationship with this city. I love how bustling it is, I love all the delicious (and cheap) food, and I love the people. But I truly loathe the weather. Even after having the most amazing meal of my life, the simple act of walking ten minutes to the BTS (the local skytrain) in the oppressive heat and humidity made all that happiness wither away. I realized—I couldn’t live here.
While I knew Bangkok wasn’t the place for me, it sparked something important—a desire that had been quietly growing beneath the surface, and something I never thought I’d say:
I liked the travel.
I liked the idea of discovering a new, completely unknown city.
I liked the idea of approaching a food stall and, without speaking a word of Thai, trying to get and enjoy the local food.
I liked the idea of entering a random jazz bar where all the locals were, where no one spoke English, but people at the bar still wanted to have a drink with me.
I liked the idea of walking around the city and getting its vibe (even if the weather in Bangkok complicated it).
I liked the idea of visiting a local museum and exploring a completely different culture that I knew nothing about until just a few days ago.
I liked to travel.
While I scratched Bangkok off the list as a potential place to relocate, a new idea popped into my mind:
Why don’t I travel?
As I already reflected, nothing is stopping me from traveling. I also have some savings for my retirement—I could invest a small amount of it to take a short (or maybe not-so-short!) sabbatical in 2025.
So, why not do that?
Why not just pack my bags (hopefully just one bag), leave my flat, leave my friends, and set off on a journey to rediscover myself and explore the world?
The idea is both exhilarating and terrifying—but perhaps that’s exactly why it’s worth pursuing.
When I shared with a colleague from work that I’m thinking about leaving, she asked me a question which made my decision a bit clearer: are you running away from something or running to something?
The idea of moving to Bangkok was running away from my life here - but the idea of traveling around the world - that’s running towards something. That’s running towards a new life I’m searching for - and I couldn’t be more excited thinking about it.
And also, that’s where the idea of this blog came about - to document everything. To document my plans for 2025, to share plans and get feedback from my friends (and other people on the Internet) and to show stories from my travels.
But most importantly, I’m writing this for myself—to better understand my thoughts, my plans, my fears, and my hopes. To envision the kind of life I want, without placing any limits or borders on myself. Writing is my way of untangling the complexities of what I feel, of understanding why I am anxious, and transforming the uncertainty into something I can hold and understand. I want to dive deeper into the questions that keep me up at night, to really explore the reasons behind my fears, and to embrace the discomfort that comes with growth.
This journey is as much about exploring the world as it is about exploring my inner landscape. It’s about learning to accept uncertainty as part of the adventure, about letting go of the need for everything to be perfect or planned. I hope that by putting my thoughts into words, I can uncover the version of myself that I’ve always wanted to be. The version that dares to leap into the unknown, that learns from every step, and that finds joy in the journey itself, rather than just the destination.
Traveling is not just about ticking places off a list or seeing famous sights: it’s about embracing change, about allowing myself to grow with every new experience. It’s about understanding that growth is rarely linear, and often comes with challenges that we can’t predict. I hope to share those moments of joy, those little discoveries, and even the times that test me. The triumphs and the failures, the beauty and the hardship—all of it is part of this journey.
And perhaps, by sharing my story, I’ll find a connection with others who have faced similar crossroads. People who have questioned their path, who have dared to step away from the familiar, or who have simply dreamt of a different kind of life. Maybe my journey will resonate, maybe it will inspire someone else to take a leap of their own.
If you’re curious about where this journey takes me, I hope you’ll join me here. The adventure is just beginning.
In my next post, I’ll dive into how I’m preparing for this adventure—from downsizing my life to making a loose plan of where I’ll go first.
