Realizing I was living in a bubble prompted me to leave my job, among other reasons. All the people around me worked at big techs. I felt disconnected from the broader reality. I believed traveling would connect me to this bigger world. Unable to travel then, I embarked on a “virtual travel” project, where I planned to experience the world from my home through books and the Internet. However, I soon realized that I needed more than the intellectual experiences from screens and paper; I wanted direct, hands-on experiences.