The Essences of Thoughtful Wanders

I wanted to elaborate on the "essences" (a.k.a core values) of Thoughtful Wanders in a separate post from the About page since it is kind of long. This post is for those more interested in learning about what "thoughtful wanders" is really about and what are the primary values I am prioritizing as well as the definitions I work with.

travel, wanders & exploration

Travel has been a primary method for me to see, engage, and learn about the world and continues to be a priority. However, flying to the other side of the world to a far away place is not the only way I would define travel. I would define "travel" as going to places that are unfamiliar, new, and different. "Travel" could be exploring in the next door neighborhood or traveling to a town 1 hour away by train. "Travel" could mean trying another culture's food in a nearby restaurant or checking out a museum not too far away. It could mean striking up a conversation with someone you don't usually talk to and learning more about their stories and experiences. Then again, considering all modes of movement and learning as "travel" is also unique to my background, having grown up in different countries and spending a lot of time in different places. There becomes no one "home", so travel has become my constant way of being. I consider myself "always traveling" which is how I honestly feel. This is why there is nowhere I am not down to visit, if that makes sense, because I think there is always something to see and learn. If there have been or are people somewhere, that means, there are stories. Similarly to my concept of "travel", "wanders" encompasses beyond just the physical wandering (travel). Wanders can also be done emotionally, intellectually, spiritually, and more. It's about wandering, often aimlessly, just exploring, along for the ride. Thoughtful Wanders is a space to hone in on one's travels and wanders be it in the external or internal world.

creativity, curiosity & play

Taking in the world with curiosity, play and letting myself lean into my imagination and creativity has been a vital source of joy and meaning throughout my life. My modes of creativity are through drawing, painting, comics, photography, writing, collage-making, video making and a mix of all of the above. Play, for me, includes humor and not taking myself so seriously. Play also includes being present and leaning into whatever arises in the moment, leading to spontaneous choices that spur on creativity. Getting to "play" and cultivate my inner child is another top priority and something I hope to help others re-nurture and lean into as well. To be honest, it's not easy to be in the "create and play" mode all the time because I, as I'm sure many readers can relate, have also been conditioned to societal norms and "shoulds" that are hard to unlearn and let go. I have to make it a core value to remember to continue aligning myself with "play" and to keep trying to lean into it, even when it feels difficult to do so, especially when fear of judgment and rejection start showing up. My goal is to keep trying to overcome those fears, and to keep creating in spite of it.

critical thought, progressive politics & social awareness

Thoughtful Wanders and all the work I create is rooted in progressive politics. Most of the way I take in the world and interpret it is through an anti-capitalist*, anti-colonial, anti-racist, anti-sexist, anti-homophobic lens. In other words, my values align with that of intersectional feminism and in the belief that, quoting Maya Angelou, "the truth is, none of us are free until everybody is free." The goal of my work is to inquire into our everyday, how it's connected to these larger systems, how we make sense of it, how we learn and unlearn, and how we can be open to being challenged and changing our minds.

Studying sociology and critical theory, along with engaging with various activist work has played a huge role in my own political radicalization and is something I care a lot about. I am personally a fan of reading social theory, as difficult and boring it can sometimes be, but getting to read these thinker's ideas and discussing it with other people is something I enjoy a lot and has helped me grow as a person. However, I do believe academic writing and research is often quite detached (ivory tower) and not immediately relevant to the lives of people who the writing is about. It's why instead of going on to pursue a PhD in these topics and spending my days reading and writing about it, I've decided to do something in the in-between. Making art, sharing, and creating spaces for these conversations, reflections and (un)learnings to happen is a better fit for me. I'd also like to help make all this interesting work and research in the academic world more digestible. It's a top priority here at Thoughtful Wanders to be a bridge in sharing important (un)learnings about the world in ways that center play and accessibility.

*Just want to note that though my values and politics are anti-capitalist, this does not mean I have decided to "exit" living outside of capitalism, since I don't believe that is possible. I am against living in a world with such extreme wealth inequality where the top 1% owns half of the world's wealth. I believe in people making a living however they can, ideally doing something that they find fulfilling (whatever that may mean), and can make the income they need to support themselves, their loved ones, their communities. A book I really enjoyed and helped shape my financial philosophy is "Your Money or Your Life". Thoughtful Wanders is a business at the end of the day and one I'd like it to become a self-sustaining one. I do not believe in "scaling & growth" mentality but do believe in creating quality content and providing valuable and helpful services and being compensated fairly in exchange. Another platform with a financial philosophy and values I align with is The Financial Diet. I'll be sharing more on my thoughts around managing personal finance and growing a business while holding "anti-capitalist" politics over time. At the end of the day, I try to balance both my practical and idealist sides.

self-awareness, personal growth & the metaphysical

Another facet of Thoughtful Wanders that is really important to tie in is integrating the topics of personal growth, mental health, spirituality, and one's connection to ourselves and to whatever is bigger than us that connects us all. From mental health struggles to navigating intergenerational trauma to existential questions related to the human condition and life in general...they are all linked and something I cannot separate from travel, creativity, social justice and all that I do.

safe (un)learning environment; it's okay to not know; a beginner's mindset, embracing diverse learning style, #ADHDBrain

Thoughtful Wanders strives to be a safe environment to learn and unlearn. From a young age, I always had a lot of questions to ask and tended to default to "I don't know anything / I don't know enough." I've had to work over time to trust myself more and trust that I do know some things. But on the questions-asking aspect, I recall in school in my younger years, that many of my peers were afraid to ask questions because they were afraid to be judged by other classmates for asking a "stupid question". I would typically take the plunge and just ask the questions. My heart rate would skyrocket due to anxiety, and I would still have the thought that I may be judged by others, but that wouldn't stop me from still asking the question. At the end of the day, my curiosity mattered more than other people's perceptions. But also, I kept asking because consistently, in my experience, peers would approach me privately after class and let me know that they were glad I asked the question. They'd share with me that they had the same thought but was too scared to ask in front of everyone. Over time, I learned that 1) it was important for me to keep asking questions even if it seemed like a "stupid question" and 2) people are afraid of asking questions because they don't want to be judged.

I am a firm believer in that there is no such thing as a stupid question, especially if it's coming from a genuine and curious place. I am also okay with exhibiting the vulnerability associated with publicly acknowledging that I don't know something. Nowadays, when asking questions, my heart rate still jumps up but it doesn't stop me from asking anyway. When it comes to learning things, I believe in having a beginner's mindset. I first learned about the beginner's mindset in a Buddhist context, which emphasized staying curious and removing preconceived notions so one remains open and eager to whatever arises and can learn more genuinely. As a beginner, it's especially okay to not know, to ask questions, to ask for clarification, and to stumble while being compassionate with oneself throughout the learning process. I end up trying to assume a beginner's mindset as my main mode of being because I believe there is always so much more I don't know and can learn.

On the topic of learning, I also want to highlight that everyone learns so differently. Another part of what I aim to do with my work is to convey complex nuanced information and thought in ways that are more engaging, fun, and interesting (at least, for me). I've struggled over the years with conventional teaching and the way information is shared, because it can be hard to follow along, especially when my brain jumps around so much (#adhdbrain). I'm interested in alternative learning and education styles that may be more friendly for neurodivergent ways of making connections.

community & connection

The final core, and one of the most important, essence of Thoughtful Wanders is valuing and fostering community and connection. Community can mean so many different things and come in all forms. As much as I am an advocate for in-person communities, I do also believe in the power of online communities. I've been loosely part of many online communities — some centered on travel, some on identity, some on hobbies, animals, or memes, and others on political engagement and a shared interest in cultural criticism, and even a few on the topic of friendship itself (how meta). As a result, I've witnessed the power of online spaces in connecting people. It's quite wholesome to watch others form lifelong friendships through these communities and at times, have also made friends this way. I do believe it is possible to maintain important relationships no matter where in the world people physically are. It just takes a bit more intention and effort, but definitely possible! I've moved around a lot in my life and all of my closest friends and loved ones are scattered around the globe. I spent a phase of my life mourning this fact, because no matter where I am in the world, I will always be missing someone. But now, I have learned to be grateful for my circumstance because I get to know and connect with people all over. It's definitely doable to have community far away and up close, physically and digitally, if one sets their heart on it.

I intend to build a Thoughtful Wanders community of like-minded people with similar values and interests around connecting the personal with the political, to make and create together, and to learn and unlearn together. I've been inspired by many online communities out there but haven't found one bringing together the same things I care about, so here I am creating what I wished existed in the world.

A space that is a home for those...

• Who are always navigating the in-betweens, like other third culture kids, children of immigrants, diaspora, anyone living in hybrid/mixed/hyphenated/multicultural modalities
• Who want to stay critically, politically, and socially engaged with the world
• Who want to continue to travel and see and learn about the world, but in a socially engaged way that aligns with one's values
• Who want to process out loud their lives and everyday through art and creating together
• Who want to find others with the same values and interests to travel, learn and grow together

Thanks for reading ~