Last summer I started my first ever learning marathon — a 6-month learning journey that is shaped around the questions that participants themselves generate. My learning question was ‘How far is it possible to build a meaningful, connected, socially impactful life that is also in-between, uprooted and transitional?’. To be honest, I wasn’t entirely sure what I wanted to do and if my question even made any sense to others, it felt too broad and too personal. Most importantly, I was keen to try something different, something creative and wanted to make a small change in my life that could motivate me and help reconnect with my inner journey.
I wrote the text below at the end of my learning marathon to share some of my personal reflections and experiences that led me to create an initiative called ‘Project Home Office’. I hope reading my journey is helpful if you are still thinking about whether or not a learning marathon is the right thing for you at this moment in your life.
“I’ve been living in London for more than 5 years now. After so many years living away from my home country, I asked myself if I wanted to return to South Korea, but I wasn’t sure if it was what I really wanted at that time.
Six months ago I set myself a deadline — I was going to give myself half a year to choose between South Korea and London. First, though, I wanted to give myself dedicated time and space to reflect and explore what ‘home’ really meant to me. That’s when I discovered Enrol Yourself.
Whilst I was initially interested in exploring the wider societal implications of living a meaningful, in-between and impactful lifestyle, my learning question quickly became deeply personal. I explored myself through conversations, coaching and creative expression; the journey was heartfelt, unravelling many layers of my story. Most of all, I learnt to be at peace, embrace whatever I feel, and not force anything.
My reflections led me to devise a project called the ‘Project Home Office’, a creative space allowing me to explore the notion of ‘home’ with others, express emotions and reflect on our respective, personal journeys. I came up with this idea whilst creating a set of handmade cards for myself, externalising emotions and thoughts by bringing out questions from deep inside my heart and writing intuitive answers to them.
I have learnt through my Enrol Yourself journey that home is a deeply subjective concept lodged in one’s heart, mind and dreams; yet, paradoxically, it is also wrapped up in bureaucracy, laws and red tape. To live in a foreign country is to feel this particularly keenly: access to a safe home feels like it should be an inalienable human right, yet it can feel out of reach for those who are leading transient lives and being forced to tick boxes to prove that they ‘belong’.
My six-month deadline has passed now, but I will continue to search for different ways to live between the things I love and care about without committing to one place or another. Meanwhile, I will carry on with the Project Home Office, celebrating people’s journeys across different countries and cities. In contrast with the UK government’s ‘Home Office’, the project will celebrate the beautiful and unique stories and pathways that we all follow in seeking a place that we can call ‘home’.”
It’s been a couple of months since I finished my learning marathon. I can say it was one of the best decisions I made last year, so just go for it, don’t hesitate. Take the opportunity to explore something that has been in yourself and needs some proper attention. If I ever end up living in South Korea again, one thing I’d love to do is to run a learning marathon there (before someone else does it!). On reflection I don’t believe you need to dedicate a significant amount of time on your project or feel you need to attend every single meet-up or buddy coaching. You just need to trust yourself, be okay with uncertainty and be honest with yourself and others. If you can do that, the journey itself will energise and inspire you.
