Albert Barnes Commentary Galatians 1:21

"Then I came unto the regions of Syria and Cilicia." — Galatians 1:21 (ASV)

Afterwards I came, etc. In this account, he has omitted a circumstance recorded by Luke (Acts 9:29) regarding the controversy he had with the Grecians or Hellenists. This was not relevant to his purpose here, which was to state that he was not indebted to the apostles for his knowledge of Christian doctrines. He therefore merely states that he left Jerusalem soon after he went there and traveled to other places.

The regions of Syria. Syria was between Jerusalem and Cilicia. Antioch was the capital of Syria, and in that city and the adjacent places he spent considerable time (Compare to Acts 15:23, 41).

Cilicia. This was a province of Asia Minor, of which Tarsus, Paul's native place, was the capital. (See Barnes on Acts 6:9).