I’m at Haneda airport in Tokyo.

Today, I’m flying to Beijing, China.

Despite being ethnically Chinese, I’ve never actually been to China before.

I’m excited.

But also slightly scared.

Besides a poorly pronounced Ni Hảo,

I can’t speak a word of Chinese.

And I’ve heard how closed the tech ecosystem is in China.

But this is why I travel.

To push myself into environments I feel completely uncomfortable in.

I can do nothing but surrender to the experience.

To feel what comes up.

To ride the lows.

To enjoy the highs.

It’s exactly the same feeling with long-form writing.

You can bullsh*t in short-form writing.

But when you write 800-1,200 words, you’re exposing yourself.

You’re vulnerable.

Without depth, your long-form writing becomes meaningless.

Every time I open my laptop and start typing, I’m completely immersed.

I surrender to the creative flow.

When I first started, this was an uncomfortable feeling.

I hated it.

But it’s amazing what comes out at the end.

Sometimes I didn’t even know I thought something until I wrote it out.

Whether it’s travel or writing, I do it to learn more about myself.

Because both are a form of self-discovery.

Travel to find out about the outer world.

Write to find out about your inner world.

My long-form writing now powers my entire business.

My Medium articles have paid for this flight.

I even upgraded to Business Class.

Got access to a business lounge.

Priority boarding.

Because I know the extra productivity, I can write and make back the money.

Plus, it’s an awesome experience.

Because nothing feels better…

than flying Business Class on words you wrote online to help strangers.

Stay Limitless,

Michael ‘insert 3-4word witty pun related to email’ Lim

P.S - I look like a cheap backpacker while everyone in business class is dressed in shirts and slacks. Even the Business Class lounge receptionist thought I was lost.