Reality is a mess, but “if I just go, things will work out somehow!”

"I'll Live My Way" is a book that contains the travel stories of Wonji, a travel YouTuber who runs the channel "Wonji's Day."
The book contains vivid travel stories along with the concerns of youth that everyone experiences as they pass through their 20s and 30s.
Career path after graduating from college, low pay and overtime, the pressure of turning 30, the difference between what you want to do and what you have to do, etc.
As such, the stories are diverse, from a solo female trip to Africa, to her days as an office worker when overtime and low pay were a must, to starting a startup after quitting her job and passionately pursuing what she wanted to do, to another startup in Uganda, to her sudden departure for an internship in the United States at the age of 30.


These seemingly unrelated events became the foundation for her to grow into a 'travel YouTuber' with over 60,000 subscribers, and now she is happily living her life doing what she loves.
She said that she lived her life following the voice of her heart, always anxious in front of the wall of reality, wondering, "What will happen at the end of this day?" and "Will all the things I've done so far be meaningless?" and that she ended up living the life she wanted.
Her story will bring comfort and encouragement to many.

For me, traveling has always been a question of whether or not I follow my heart's lead, rather than whether or not I go.
Occupation, residence, and even the ever-changing mood.
As I lived my life going with the flow, eventually traveling became my job.
This book contains the story of his life from a salty shack life, to his escape from reality through a journey across Africa, to his startup adventure from Seoul to Uganda, to his subsequent employment in the United States, and finally to his current career as a travel YouTuber.
It's a story that feels more like everyday life than a trip, but more like a trip than everyday life.
Looking back, I was always poor, and the vague possibility that anything could happen always frustrated me.
But at every moment, I thought of it all as a journey, so it was bearable.
If there's anyone weighing the difference between reality and ideals, I'd like to tell you that it's not as bad as you think.

--- p.20

As I was getting into the car, a child ran up to me and put something in my hand.
It was vivid in my memory because he kept giving me those shy, childish looks throughout the entire trip.
I thought it was my imagination, but it wasn't.
To receive such a look from a child, which may or may not be a misunderstanding or a genuine one.
I opened my hand and found a small note.
Oh my god.
Why is this confession letter here again?
But when I opened the note, I couldn't hide my bewildered expression at the unexpected content.
On the small piece of paper was written a request for none other than support.
I felt a mixture of sadness and disappointment in my heart, thinking that maybe my friend was jealous of all the gifts he received.
The boy's shy gaze toward me was literally a temptation to be chosen.
--- p.132

After blocking the passage with a large scarf from France, they took their seats one by one.
During that time, I learned how to take a full body shower, including washing my hair with a bucket of water.
First, leave about half of the water in a small bowl, then soak a handkerchief in the water and wipe away any dirt or dust that is on your body.
Squeeze the remaining water on the handkerchief towards the top of your feet to wash away the mud from your dirtiest feet.
Pour water again and wash your face.
Wet your hair with the water you washed your face with.
Wash your feet again with the shampoo and rinse water.
Finish by washing your face with the remaining clean water, rinse your hair with that water once more, and then pour it over your feet.
That day too, the same process was repeated without fail.
But the sky gradually became cloudy.
The water drops that had been falling one by one suddenly became a heavy rain that made it impossible to see ahead.
It was a squall.
A cold wind, full of moisture, brushed my body.
I could hear the sound of raindrops hitting the leaves of the densely packed trees.
Okay.
Those who had been playing foot volleyball in the yard were quickly running into the building.
The smell of damp earth wafted in the air.
--- p.146

I felt a lot of pressure before the event started.
Since it was a precious trip away from the repetitive daily life, I thought I had to take responsibility for all of the time, money, and happy memories of those who participated.
However, the 10 subscribers I met while feeling very nervous were more cheerful and cheerful than anyone else.
They revealed that they had been silently watching the video since the first video, and even cheered me on, saying that they had overcome difficult times by watching the video.
On the day that my trip with good people ended, I shamefully cried in front of everyone.
Through this trip, I was able to get rid of the impatience that made me think, "I've done my best, but why can't I do this?"
They always say that unhappiness comes when you look at what you don't have, so when I focused on what I did have, even though it wasn't much, the answer began to appear.
I had much more than I thought and was living a life I was very grateful for.

--- p.264