Southeast Asia

I absolutely loved Thailand. The food, the prices, the people—everything except the air quality. My three weeks went quickly as I worked and spent my weekends doing trails with new friends.

Exactly one year earlier (plus or minus 14 hours), I had made a wish to celebrate NYE outside the States—and there I was, at a huge outdoor party in Thailand, making friends with other foreigners. And getting a haircut for only 200 THB ($6 USD), because why not go into 2020 looking fresh?

Soon after, I left for Indonesia to meet up with two coworkers for a client project. We were there for three weeks and I got sick as many times.

I spent a couple weeks in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia before heading back to the States for a few weeks.

On February 4, 2020, my connecting flight through Xiamen, China was canceled:

we are sorry to inform you that your flight MF829 on FEB06,2020,from XIAMEN to LOS ANGELES has been cancelled due to public security.

I rebooked through Hong Kong and made it back to the States just fine.

In early March, when I left the States for New Zealand, there were 45 cases in California and 0 in Long Beach.

I felt like I was getting out of the country just in time to avoid COVID completely.

A man wearing a mask takes a selfie on a city street at night, with one hand partially blocking the camera. The dimly lit background shows tall buildings with lights, street traffic, and a lamp post above.A wooden table with two clay stoves heating a metal and a clay pot, surrounded by raw ingredients on plates including marinated meat, green noodles, garlic, baby corn, and okra, with a bottle of Chang Classic beer on the side.Runners follow a dirt trail through a grassy field and wooded hillside at sunset, with orange light casting a warm glow on the sky and the silhouettes of trees in the distance.A man smiles while getting a haircut under ultraviolet lighting, with a barber in a glowing wristband holding clippers. A neon sign above them reads “The UltraViolent Barber” with vivid colors and blacklight accents.Two men stand inside a high-rise lounge area looking out a large window with a view of a cloudy city skyline. A potted plant is centered between them, and armchairs are positioned along the wall.A peaceful backyard with a tiled pool, lounge chairs, a thatched gazebo, and lush greenery. The traditional-style house surrounds the pool, and the water reflects the sky and nearby trees.A man smiles at the camera with a flower tucked behind his ear, standing at a rocky beach with waves and a partly cloudy sky. In the distance, cliffs and scattered trees line the shoreline.A smiling man stands in front of a wide grassy field bordered by a red-roofed, half-timbered building. Behind it rises a modern white high-rise against a blue sky with scattered clouds.An airplane entertainment screen shows the flight path from Hong Kong to Los Angeles across the Pacific Ocean. A digital globe highlights continents and the plane’s position along the curved white route.

Leaving for Spain

I spent the summer of 2019 laying the groundwork to be away for years: I got rid of most of my belongings, packed up the rest, transferred my phone number, set up a PO Box, drafted my trust and will; you know, the usual “I’m not living in this country anymore” stuff. My goal was to be gone for years, with pit stops in the States between continents.

Every “see you later” made me feel more loved and appreciated than I had ever felt. The last ones with friends in NOLA really hit hard as I left the country.

My salt streams were replaced with jet streams as I made my way to Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain. I made local friends and we went for little adventures all around the island.

I frolicked in Germany at Oktoberfest with American friends.

I drank wine in Lanzarote, where the vines grow in pits on the ground.

I ran a half marathon in Havana… and then another one in Vegas.

And when I came back to Long Beach for a bit, my friends graciously put a roof over my head and welcomed me, even for Thanksgiving.

In December, I headed out for the next leg of my adventure: SE Asia.

A smiling man stands on a sandy beach with the ocean and sunbathers in the background.Red dresses hang from a line across a street lined with cars and colorful buildings.A view between buildings shows a palm-lined road stretching toward the sea.Beer hall setting with a man in Lederhosen holding a pretzel and people in the background.A volcanic landscape with rows of semicircular stone walls on dark soil, with grape vines peeking up in the pits.A man takes a selfie near the starting line of a race in front of a historic building.Smiling runner stands with arms full of refreshments in a lively night setting.Flight map showing route from Los Angeles to Qingdao crossing the Pacific Ocean.A KFC with Chinese branding shows people walking in and a drink ad near the door.

Shortly thereafter, my heart and mind were freed from obligations and I knew…

It was time to go.

On NYE 2019, I wrote on the party’s wish-board that I wouldn’t be in the US for the following NYE.

And I wasn’t. But that’s a story for a couple days from now.

I’m a Long Beach boy, through and through—a year later, I wrote:

I absolutely love my hometown. The food, the culture, the people, the weather… I could happily spend the rest of my life there.

And that’s exactly why I had to leave.

A person wearing a dark jacket and wireless earbuds smiles while taking a selfie on a sandy beach at sunset, with soft orange and pink clouds over the ocean.A smiling man dressed in a black vest, white shirt, and black hat holds a small sign reading Kiss Me in front of a gold sequin curtain backdrop.A younger and older man take a selfie outdoors in front of a green apartment building with a sign reading Forty Nieto.Close-up of a man in a light athletic shirt and earbuds, leaning against a brown wooden slat wall.Railroad tracks lead into the distance under a dramatic sunset with orange and blue clouds, flanked by industrial buildings.

Hi, it’s Chasen. Six years ago, I quit social media.

We have some catching up to do.

Last time we talked, I was heading back from Europe to the states. I was all alone in a hotel room when I made the call.

I felt like being on social media was a distraction from living a more fulfilling life.

A man in sunglasses and a t-shirt stands with his back to the camera, looking out over a blurred cityscape under a partly cloudy sky.A monochrome hotel room with a large bed, a desk and chair, a wall-mounted TV, and full-length curtains covering the window.