# What 67 Countries Taught Me

> 67 countries. Not as a tourist — as a resident. What the road taught me about product design, trust, and the feeling of enough.
>
> 2026-05-30 — y7.hk

## Beyond the number

"67 countries" sounds like a stamp-collecting contest. But the real numbers sit elsewhere: seven places I lived for three months or more, more than forty returns to countries I'd already been to, and every time "see you again" actually meant something.

## Design principles the road teaches

**Friction is cultural.** A flow that feels perfect in Japan feels sluggish in Thailand. Southeast Asian users tolerate waiting but not boredom. A sense of progress beats a loading screen.

**Trust comes before UI.** Everywhere, people first look at who made the thing. That's why personal sites never died — they're coming back.

**Offline is a feature.** Learned in the mountains of Vietnam: connectivity isn't a right, it's weather. Products that work offline are loved for exactly that.

## Knowing enough

Somewhere around country sixty-seven I noticed: the depth of a place I already know can be richer than a new pin on the map. Products are the same — depth over features.

The map is still open. But for now, I'm digging in one place 🌏