Balcony in Batumi @ Batumi, Georgia, January 11, 2020
For the past 5 weeks, I lived in a rented flat in Batumi, Georgia. The goal was to prepare written proposals and applications for some programs that I consider as my potential next step after travels. The lifestyle was almost completely sedentary and non-social, which made a clear contrast with the one I was having before. In this comfortable modern ‘cave’, my best friend was the balcony. It let me feel the fresh air and helped me keep things in perspective, both physically and figuratively. I...
Arrival @ Batumi, Georgia, December 1, 2019
Arrived in Batumi. I had been looking for a place where I can get some work done for a while. Yerevan seemed friendly but the physical warmth around the Black Sea won me over. I’ll spend the last moment of this year here. @ Batumi, Georgia, December 1, 2019
Khurjin, Tolma, and pomegranate tea @ Lavash Restaurant, Yerevan, Armenia, November 22, 2019
Armenia often fails to attract travelers’ attention due to other popular destinations in the region, such as Georgia and Turkey. But during my 10 days of stay in the country, I was pleasantly surprised by its charm in several aspects. Despite the small land size, Armenia boasts a long history, a strong sense of identity and rich cultural heritage both in tangible and intangible forms, which includes its cuisine. ‘Khurjin’ in the Armenian language means ‘pouch’ or ‘bag knot’. This traditional Armenian dish contains a large...
Family with love @ Sevan and Yerevan, Armenia, November 19 and 21, 2019
Family with love It was only my second evening in Armenia but it already felt like it had been a lot. The first day I had to drive for hours at night on unpaved roads trying to find a guesthouse that is still open during the off-season, only relying on offline maps. The second day, I realized that the exhaust pipe between two catalytic converters came off, probably due to the shocks taken from the roads. And it took several hours to find a confident mechanic...
Arrival in Georgia @ Tbilisi, Georgia, November 8, 2019
Arrived in Georgia. Already from its neighboring countries, I’ve been well-informed about its growing popularity as a travel destination. I feel I’d need to stay here over a month in total. I’m excited about what I’ll see. (I already ran into an army of sheep today) @ Tbilisi, Georgia, November 8, 2019
Detours @ Lipetsk Oblast, Russia, October 29, 2019
Detours After over one month of living like a Muscovite, I hit the road again to the south. In Moscow, I had focused on some of the longer-term projects while moving around predominantly with Moscow Metro. From now on, I’ll be constantly driving each day as I explore the Caucasus region, probably until I finish visiting Armenia by the end of November. Russia is very big. And sometimes there is no ‘next big city’ during the next five hours of driving, which is the amount...
Listening to myself through Ekaterina – some questions about my travels, Moscow, Russia, October 2019
It was my pleasure to meet my friend, Ekaterina, again in her home country, Russia. Just like the last time I met her in Mexico years ago, she’s still a curious and energetic person. I appreciate that I got to listen to myself and see how I’ve changed after two years, if any, about some topics concerning traveling. I’m also grateful to have learned about my friend more through her questions and comments. Things she asked about: 1.How do you support yourself financially? 2.How do you...
A map of feelings @ The State Russian Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia, September 28, 2019
A map of feelings St. Petersburg is often called the ‘cultural’ capital of Russia. The nickname was originally given by Boris Yeltsin, and some Russian people I met found the idea puzzling or controversial. In any case, I know that the world-famous Hermitage Museum is on the ‘must-visit’ list for tourists visiting the city. But during my 3-week-long stay there, I ended up not visiting the museum, and I still don’t regret it too much. During the past two years, I’ve visited 55 countries and many more...
This website chronicles Leebong’s journey around the world for 2+ years, for the time being. To find out more, see The Travel & The Why.
To catch me, see Itinerary.
Impressions Series
