Plot Twist: I'm Going to Hong Kong
Issue #18 · Skyscanner made me do it.
September 26, 2023: Remember all that talk about slowing down, not taking quick whirlwind trips, and having my entire travel schedule mapped out months in advance? Remember how I said I was craving a more regular, settled, slow life? Remember all that from just three weeks ago?
Well, keep up buttercup, because things happen fast around these parts. Blame it on my obsession with ramen and discovering a $280 flight from Japan to California.
So yeah, change of plans. I’m going to Hong Kong next month. And Tokyo, too. Let me explain:
My shitty original plan 😒
A 7am flight out of Larnaca (where I am currently), which would require a 4am wake-up call, followed by a tight self-transfer connection in Milan (assuming they even allowed me in with one day left on my Schengen visa). Then, a 9-hour overnight layover in the not-so-luxurious Cancun airport. Fortunately, this calamity of an itinerary was also mostly refundable.
My new exciting plan 😃
I realized that if I can instead get to San Diego, not only could I spend a few days scoping it out as a potential home base, but I could also hop over the border and fly directly from Tijuana to Oaxaca, my ultimate destination on this ridiculous pilgrimage.
It also turns out that Cyprus is 7,500 miles from San Diego, so it’s just a tiiiiny bit longer to fly the other way around the globe (excuse me while I nerd out on this antipodes calculator). So the other day, I dove deep down another Skyscanner rabbit hole and concocted an itinerary that gives me three days in Hong Kong and four days in Tokyo for just $400 more than my original plan. I’ll still need to cover an extra 10 days of accommodation and neither Hong Kong nor Tokyo is exactly known for its affordability, but all in, it still feels like a steal.
I’ll only be able to scratch the surface of Tokyo in four days, but I definitely intend on returning to Japan at some point, so this will just be a bite sized warm-up (food pun intended). Although to be honest, I think I’m actually more excited for Hong Kong — again for the food, but also because it feels just slightly more like a random adventure. Plus I could stare at that photo of Victoria Harbour for days.
This is far from how I ever expected my first trip to Asia to unfold, but I’m beyond excited as I’m seriously overdue to step foot in this part of the world. Not to mention, I’ve got to be a bit spontaneous if I’m ever going to write a book about this whole traveling schtick, right?
Recommended related posts:
Everything in Limbo — An end-of-year Spotify Wrapped-style recap of my 2023 travels.
Schlepping It — A reminder that more often than not, this full-time travel lifestyle isn’t so glamorous.
PS: I’d love to hear what you thought about this issue. Email me directly at hello@emilyannhill.com and I pinky promise I’ll reply back.