Days 153 to 155: Three Days in Warsaw, Part 2

October 07, 2025

Days 153 to 155: Three Days in Warsaw, Part 2

I was in Warsaw with Magda for three nights and four days. I didn’t do much except accompanying Magda when she wasn’t at the Chopin piano competition. I was planning on going to the Chopin Museum, but I was too lazy and tired to do anything that day.

Magda and I are just friends since I didn’t sense any affection from her. But it’s nice of her to store my bicycle in the basement of her apartment building until I come back in the spring of next year.

I bought a flight ticket to Larnaca, Cyprus, from Wrocław. I’ll leave on the morning of October 25. But last night, I thought about just leaving Wrocław and backpacking farther south in Europe. I will have to forfeit my plane ticket to Larnaca if I don’t return to Wrocław. Not a big deal.

For the next three nights in Wrocław I will be staying at a hostel and decide what to do from there.

Now, for some reflective thoughts.

I’ve been listening to an audio book called Moral Ambition by Rutger Bregman since it was recommended to me by Dineke, my friend in The Netherlands. The book is about working for greater causes, but I’ve been wondering about even greater questions, such as the meaning of life, what’s my purpose, what’s the purpose of the human race, what’s the point of knowing the universe, and what should I do now. All these are just mental exercises since I have too much time on my hands, but they do make me think.

To get a better understanding of myself, I made a two lists a while ago. One is the things I like and the other is the things I don’t like. I guess they are inventories of myself. Here are the two lists.

Likes

Adventures
Beauty
Cleanness
Comedy
Computers
Documentary movies
Environmentalism
Freedom
Good food
Good weather
Growth mindset
Independence
Indie music
Individualism
Internet
Learn new things
Long distance bicycling
Minimalism
Natural food
Nature
Nonfiction books
Peace
Photography
Play guitar
Punk rock
Quality things
Quietness
Reading
Reflections on life
Reggae and ska
Self improvement
Self sustainability
Simplicity
Technology
Thinking
Travel

Dislikes

Close mindedness
Crowds
Dangerous activities
Dirty things
Fame
Fixed mindset
Global warming
Greedy people
Ignorance
In the spotlight
Materialism
Money
Pollution
Public speaking
Risky things
Wars

It is my hope that looking at these two lists I can figure out what I want to in the future. For example, I don’t think I’ll be a successful entrepreneur because business is not on my Likes list and I dislike money. Not to mention that I don’t like risky things.

I can also look on my past and figure out what I want to do next. And judging by my past, I like to do different things and have various kinds of experiences. Maybe the past is not a good indicator for my future other than the fact that I can eliminate the things I’ve already accomplished and don’t want to do again.

Another way to look at life is to see what I want to do now, not in some distant future. Right now, I don’t really know what to do. I’m transitioning from bike touring to backpacking and I feel excited and tired at the same time. There are certain things I definitely don’t want to do right now, such as going back to the US. So by elimination, I have to travel. But I have to do it in a way that doesn’t burn me out.

I wish I can say that I have some grand goal in mind, but I don’t. I’m just following my desires since I have the freedom to do whatever I want at this moment. Maybe that’s my way of going through life. Just follow the flow and do whatever I feel like.

Ok, that’s the end of my reflections for the day. I’m sure I’ll be thinking more about the questions that have no answers. It’s my way of torturing myself.