The Trip That Never Happened. Not all journeys are meant to be taken… | by Jesse Chang | Oct, 2025

Then came the harder parts – quitting jobs with no backup plan, his defensiveness when I raised financial concerns, the quiet resentment toward my family for seeing what I could no longer ignore.

Love was still there, but logic had moved out.

It became evident we had no shared future.

When the trip fell apart, I cried – not just for the cancelled plans, but for the version of us that could’ve been.

But somewhere in the middle of that ache, a quiet truth surfaced:

Maybe the trip didn’t fall apart because of us. Maybe it was never meant to happen, so I could finally see the truth before it was too late.

Because had we gone, I know what those ten days would’ve looked like:

I would’ve been the one checking maps, arranging routes, reading signs in traditional Chinese, managing logistics, budgeting, and calming the tension when things went wrong.

He would’ve been lost, frustrated, adamant – or worse, mentally checked out.

And I would’ve smiled through it, pretending everything was fine, then wonder why I felt more exhausted than recharged when I got home.

In an unexpected way, the universe saved me from a potential catastrophe.

Because the version of me who thrives on adaptation, curiosity, and movement was never meant to carry a man who mistakes comfort for safety, and control for care.

And the version of me who has lived abroad, travelled solo, and navigated whatever uncertainties life throws at me, was never meant to wait for someone else to grow up before I can live my life.