Hi, I’m

Very Lost is about wandering (both literally and figuratively), home, and what a sabbatical has taught me.

I started Very Lost after an unexpected layoff from Amazon. I had just moved to a new city the week prior, and so — in the spirit of going with change — I went all in. Two weeks after my layoff, I arrived in South America, spending 8 months there before moving on to Europe, Africa, and Asia. Soon enough, I started referring to my travels as a grown up gap year.

I’m still traveling, though hungry for a return to home. Each month, I’ll share about 2 free essays about exploring new places, living new experiences, and examining new ideas of work, home, and identity.

Some of my most popular essays include:

• Courage without Fear: Trekking in the Himalayas when I really didn’t want to, and how I re-shaped my preconceived notions on courage and bravery.

• Ayahuasca: One of my first essays about looking for life’s answers in the Amazonian jungle.

• A Pilgrimage: A recap of walking 300km, or 186 miles, along a medieval European pilgrimage.

• Notes from the Monastery: Reflecting on what I’d learned about attachment, emotions, and religion during a stay at a Buddhist monastery.

I initially started this newsletter as a way to share my most awkward thoughts with friends and family, and since then the Very Lost community has grown. So with that, here are the best reviews of Very Lost that I’ve ever received:

See you in your inbox.

-Zefan