IT’S COME TO THIS. After an agonizing amount of soul-searching, mental wrangling and internal debate, it appears The Daily Transit has reached its Seattle P-I moment. I’ve run this blog for more than two years and poured much into it — and received much in return, in the form of comments, insights and new friends. But you handful of readers who have continued to stay close have surely noticed the posting become thinner and thinner still.
Since taking a full-time job last June I’ve been stretched between the office, the blog, a pile of half-baked projects and something like a social life. Try as I might to accomplish all that I jot down in my planner, I am regularly and exhaustingly reminded of a well-worn truth: there are only 24 hours in a day. Thus, if I hope to focus and bring to completion any of my other endeavours, something must give. As much as I would prefer to ax the desk job, unfortunately TDT can’t put rice in my bowl or coffee in my cup.
There are two paths ahead. One is that in the semi-near future, this blog will be reborn in a new, more focused format; probably with a name that lets me off the “daily” hook. (I’m the kind of person who needs to stew and digest before scratching out a narrative worth reading.) The other is that this is simply the end. I look forward to devoting more time to writing longer, in-depth pieces to hopefully submit for publication elsewhere, and to journaling my observations in a way more honest and personal than is fit for a platform such as this. I’m also hoping to spend my hours outside the office switching off, going analog and restoring a skill I fear my whole generation is losing — handwriting.
This doesn’t mean, of course, that I will vanish from the Internet entirely. For those interested, I will still be micro-blogging on twitter and hopefully posting even more (organized and edited) photos to flickr. My sincere thanks go to everyone who has made writing here an even more enriching experience. Please stay in touch, and safe travels.
Sincerely,
Ben Hancock (The Daily Transit)
The Daily Transit 
I have very much enjoyed reading your posts and seeing the pictures. I have kept TDT as a tab on my browser and have clicked on it daily looking for the latest from you. I do understand the need to prioritize down to what you can do well and enjoy doing in the time available and still have a “life” but I will miss this contact with you. I know that you will continue your writing and I look forward to seeing what’s next.
I’m sorry to see this chapter close, too. Have so enjoyed your writing, and it has been such a treat for me to share in your life through your prose and poetry. I sure understand not wanting the pressure of posting daily ~ that’s was quite an ambitious undertaking. Am looking forward, though, to continuing to read your marvelous writing, and to seeing how the next chapter unfolds!
say it isn’t so! I will miss our time together but understand life has given you many options – which is good, great, in fact.
I find that when I read something now, for instance in the NYT, I often say to myself….gosh, that wasn’t well written. Ben writes much better than this guy! So let’s not abandon those remarkable writing talents.
Aw, Ben, I was just starting to get into your blog too! But I know what you mean about only having 24 hours a day. Even if it were longer, you would still have more things to do than hours of the day… that’s just how life is. I’m glad I get to continue talking to you about your ideas at work. The real problem is when I leave Korea and Yonhap. Well, that’s something I will have to deal with when the time comes. Anyways, I had fun reading your entries from your trip to Japan till now. Maybe I’ll explore some of your past entries too.
Ben — I just saw this! A shame, but of course I completely understand. I’m always amazed at the amount of dedication bloggers like yourself put in every day, so if you will not be putting your work here, I know I’ll find it elsewhere. And I look forward to all of your future writing, wherever it may be.
– Sung
Having a full-time and running a blog(which can be considered a full tiime job) is something to ponder. I completely understand your descision as you don’t want to stretch yourself too thin.