[One Sip of a Book] A Mapless Journey in Search of Freedom... Experiences from Over 90 Countries Worldwide

Editor's NoteSome sentences encapsulate the entire content of a book, while others instantly resonate with the reader’s heart, creating a connection with the book. We excerpt and introduce such meaningful sentences from books.

This is a new essay by a travel writer. Having traveled to over 90 countries and lived abroad for 15 years, the author skillfully blends travel and literature in a unique style. The book introduces experiences from around the world, including six months spent at the independent bookstore Paris Shakespeare & Company and a visit to Hemingway’s writing room in Cuba. The episodes encountered during travels are also fascinating. The extraordinary happenings at airports and on airplanes, the stories of a guesthouse owner and a refrigerator repairman met in Cuba, all exude a human touch.

“Students may be too young to understand yet, but freedom is lonely. Only those who can overcome loneliness should choose freedom.” His intense gaze met my eyes. His strong look seemed like a warning, and I felt tense for a moment. - p.31

When his ambitious work Ulysses was banned as obscene and blocked from publication in the UK and the US, Sylvia Beach came to the rescue. As a novelist who highly regarded James Joyce, she first published this novel in 1922 in Paris under her bookstore’s name, Shakespeare & Company. It is said she printed 1,000 copies of the first edition on credit at the printing house. Without her passion for literature and foresight, Ulysses, which transformed modern literature, would have seen the light of day much later. - p.59

Despite being called a ‘stingy miser,’ Whitman was far from stingy when it came to generosity. For decades, he provided makeshift beds placed in every corner of the bookstore free of charge to strangers who needed a place to sleep. For people like me who wanted to stay long-term, he willingly offered the ‘writer’s room’ without charging a penny. Thanks to the unexpected kindness of the owner, some people spent a night at the bookstore and left the next day, while others stayed for several days or weeks. Whitman never checked passports or IDs. He never asked about nationality, religion, ideology, or occupation. The only requirement, or rather recommendation, was to read one book a day while staying at the bookstore! - p.74

Leaving when you want to settle down also means a strong attachment to life. Hemingway left the women he loved and departed from his home and friends in search of a new world. Through this process, he left traces of himself in many people’s hearts and around the world. These are the marks left by his relentless struggle with life. Paris, France, where he grew from a young unknown writer to a famous author; Pamplona, Spain, where he fully enjoyed his passion for life; Key West, Florida, which called him back to his homeland; Tanzania, Africa, where he saw the snow-capped Mount Kilimanjaro; and Havana and Finca Vigia in Cuba, where his last remaining passion was ignited. - p.118

Various incidents also occur in the confined space of an airplane isolated in the sky. I have personally experienced more than a few episodes. After finishing a trip to Latin America and waiting in the lounge at Houston Airport in the US for a flight transfer, a CIA agent approached me suspecting me of being a drug courier. On a flight from Alaska to Seattle, USA, flight attendants mistakenly thought I was a ‘agent’ legally carrying a firearm. Once, I had to endure five hours sitting next to a violent criminal (charged with murder and rape) being forcibly deported from Germany to an African country. (A German police officer sat on the opposite side of the handcuffed man.) - p.126

Walking in the city, I sit and relax at an outdoor caf? near the National University of Mongolia. When traveling abroad, it is natural to want to see as much as possible in a limited time. The body becomes busy and tired accordingly. I prefer to give up one or two tourist spots and instead spend an hour or two leisurely at a caf?. I have long enjoyed the pleasure of closely observing people chatting at nearby tables and those walking by. Their clothing, hairstyles, expressions, body movements, language, and tone of voice may seem trivial but actually reveal a lot about the country and city. Where else in the world can you see people wearing ‘malgai’ hats, ‘gotal’ boots, and ‘del’ robes strolling so naturally through the city? This is not a Halloween party costume! - p.198

Ultimately, I believe Che Guevara offered great comfort to all who suffer because of humanity’s insatiable greed, dissatisfaction with what they already have, and the reality of clinging to tangible values that can be seen and touched. Che gave up many tangible values and pursued intangible values that his true self sincerely desired. Before being a revolutionary, he was a traveler. Despite having many more reasons not to leave, he kept leaving again and again for intangible dreams, ideals, and true self-realization. - p.295

I equate freedom, travel, and diversity of situations/environments. To enjoy freedom, one must travel, and only by traveling can one encounter new and diverse situations/environments. And in the process of freedom and novelty, we sometimes experience ‘serendipity’: unexpected meetings, unforeseen discoveries, and unanticipated luck. - p.334

Why Do We Leave? | Written by Choi Beomseok | Jidom-eopsneun Yeohaeng | 340 pages | 16,800 KRW