Just a Note: Exploration, Mental Health & More
If I’m being real, I just have a few photos I wanted to share that I haven’t got the chance to up until now (lol) and I have a few things I just wanted talk about. Just keeping it casual (but warning because there MAY BE possible theme people could find triggering - though I won’t go into anything specific…) -
EXPLORATION
[Preamble]
I will start by saying (I’m writing this on Feb 1, 2021) that I’m sure we all miss travelling. The sooner you wear your mask and prevent the spread of COVID-19, the better. No one is taking your fundamental freedoms away, no one is trying to mind control you, and I know you are tried of this whole situation… so are we all. So just do your part, it seriously isn’t difficult at all - anyway…
I look forward to the day we get to travel again! I mean I love Japan so much, I would LOVE to go again (and again) but I’ll hold that off when I go again with my friends (hopefully someday…). I was planning to go to Taiwan and South Korea in 2020 and I doubt I’ll be able to go in 2021 but it can’t be helped.
I don’t know about you but I get this thrill inside of my that makes my insides turn around when I get to explore a brand new place. Don’t get me wrong though, it is (somewhat) worrisome when you go to a country where they don’t speak English (or Cantonese) because it’ll be a bit more challenging to navigate around (no, of course I don’t expect people from another country to speak MY language(s), I’m not entitled). Sorry but keeping it light again, I love being able to explore! Seeing new things, eating new things - just taking the environment in. It’s really amazing.
I think with being stuck inside and the whole thing… I’ve thought a lot more about exploring my own country. There are definitely things I haven’t seen and experienced here and when it’s safe to - I’d love to explore Canada… my own backyard?! Come on.
If I could just pivot for a second, I get kind of irritated when I see people (who are obviously travelers) look down at their phone constantly. I do understand though if you’re using your phone for directions because 100% that’s what I used it for but you didn’t pay hundreds to thousands of dollars for this trip to just be on your phone…? Really take in your surroundings you know? Look at the sky, the buildings around, people just going about their day, other travelers exploring - as cliché as it sounds but the trip isn’t just about the destination, IT’S THE JOURNEY! Even just talking about it gives my stomach that turning feeling because it will bring me back to my experiences in Japan.
I think being stuck inside made me appreciate the freedom of being able to explore, you know? Even if I just go to downtown Toronto to try a new restaurant or food. I’d love to go visit sunflower farms, lavender fields and I would love to do a train ride trip to British Columbia (not only if it wasn’t the same price as a plane ticket to Japan… then maybe I would have already done it but all I’m saying is that it’s still an option).
MENTAL HEALTH
My friends and I were just talking about this the other day [because here in Canada, one of our largest telecommunications company holds an event every year where they make a donation for every interaction to support mental health services - most likely for a tax write-off but still great for awareness and better than nothing…] where people only really ask “how are you feeling” when there’s some sort of incentive (might be using the wrong word here) to do so?
I don’t think you (we) should feel good about ourselves if we ask our friends and family, how they’re (really) doing one day in the year. Why do we feel obligated during this particular day to reach out and ask? Is it because we feel we have to? Does it make us feel like we’re doing our part in this battle against the stigma on mental health, suicide prevention? What exactly is it? Do we feel superior? Do we become a saviour when we help our fellow humans (especially ones we truly care about) with their mental health issues?
I want to put a disclaimer here as I will be talking about my PERSONAL experience and this PERSONAL experience would not apply to everyone [trigger warning here, skip to the next paragraph if you wish]. I think when I went though my own depressive and suicidal experiences (a collection of being bullied for years growing up, the uncertainty of what I wanted to do after university, having no real plans in life like other people I knew, suffering with trying to find out who I was, struggling with my self-esteem and image of my self… and I had been on Accutane (or isotretinoin) multiple times and anyone who knows of Accutane’s extreme side effects (hint: its possibly depression and suicide) so that didn’t help) I always thought that I wanted someone to tell me that everything was going to be ok and that I would one day be happy and thriving but of course that never happened.
I think I was lucky and my mind had a thought of: I can’t (and I don’t) rely on other people for anything in life and that I live my life for myself only. There are things I need to see and experience. But moving forward, I decided to write everything down because I didn’t know how else to express myself which I turned into a book [side note: its live on Amazon, search “Just Thought You Should Know” and you’ll find it. I am donating ALL proceeds to support mental health programs for children and teen]. I’ve definitely got responses of people being worried for my wellbeing, which I totally understand, but my thought is - why would I have wrote it and published it for EVERYONE and ANYONE to see if I was not somewhat ok? You know what I mean? And this experience isn’t just something that I’ve gone through for months or even a few years, its basically been a decade (plus a few years). I never had your “help” to get me through all that to this point in my life. Again, don’t get me wrong, I’m not not grateful that people care about me. I guess what I’m trying to say is, just ask the people in your life once in a while if they’re ok and really mean it when you ask… you never know what they might be going through. Even if they don’t tell you their life story, just knowing that someone cares is nice.
Plus, with COVID: being stuck at home, employment uncertainty, etc - people are really struggling with their mental health right now. I will say, if you experience any mental health issues, please please please speak with your health care provider. Besides that, and possible for less severe mental health issues (whatever you may take that as) sometimes it is really up to you to take yourself out of that state. Go outside and take in the environment, clear your mind, breathe - whatever helps you calm down. Take care of yourself.
FINALE
2020 was full of unexpected, less than ideal situations. Considering how things are going in the world, I’m not sure if anything is going to return to “normal” anytime soon - especially not if we are going to do it safely and with EVERYONES wellbeing in mind. That doesn’t mean we can’t do anything…
I think this is the part where you need the power/strength to be able to tell yourself that you need to be doing something and if your thing is to just relax and watch shows and you don’t complain and have no problems with that, then that’s great! But for those who want to do more, 2021 is the time… we are continuing to stay at home, so may as well use that extra time to work on yourself: projects you’ve been wanting to do, open up an online store, practice that instrument, start that blog… whatever it is you want to do. Go for it.
I think I’m rambling on about the same thing and it’s kinda messy, so I’ll leave it off there. You get what I’m trying to say - I’m no inspiration speaker. So until next time!
-Thomas
P.S. I do have a shop, so you can shop here.
Or if you want to purchase my book, you can find it here on Amazon (if you’re not .ca, you can find it on whichever Amazon you use!)