Hello hello old blog. It has been a long while. Much has happened since the last time I even remember writing on here.

August to December 2016:
These months had me living my travel dream. I started in Vietnam travelling Northward, crossed the border into China where I fell madly in love with rockclimbing, had my trip end prematurely because of Visa problems, returned home in September and decided to go back to China again in October. I then spent almost a month in the south of China, climbing, hiking, travelling alone, meeting locals and other travellers, doing the travelling I've always dreamed of. I met a boy too and thought nothing of it until we met again in Laos. With him I experienced Laos and quite possibly the most intense connection I've ever had with another human being. It was 3 solid weeks of pure travel. He was beautiful, we were beautiful, the experiences were beautiful and life was a different shade of beautiful. I then spent about 5 days heading home overland, zipping through Thailand and Malaysia via its Eastern railway land.

2017:
A huge part of 2017 was spent trying to close the chapter with the boy. We ended it after the trip but started texting each other again in March. The connection still intense and present but there was no intent to take us anywhere. 2017 was emotional. Me trying to take things easy and learning that I couldn't be less or take things chill when I really like someone.

January 2017:
2017 also saw me going to Krabi again to rockclimb. I was still trying to get over the boy and the travelling reminded me of him. But I trudged on and had a great climbing trip, meeting people I'd climb with from China and Laos again.

June 2017:
I planned a trip to Taiwan for the family...an undertaking I am not prepared to do again for it was tiring and uninspiring. I was also an emotional mess and Taiwan's manicured places didn't appeal to me. The bright side of that initially uninspiring trip though was the 5 days I spent alone after the family headed home. It cemented my love of being alone and for the easy travelling of staying and leaving places as you so desired, with no plans or expectations, like China and Laos.

July 2017:
I started work with OBS and dove straight into a 21 day camp. I discovered my willingness to share and be open and vulnerable with people. Learned that it is good to have people too, that despite my love for alone time, the people are important too. During a 3 day 2 night solo camp, I again appreciated my absolute comfort at being alone with me and my thoughts, something not everyone is comfortable with.

The OBS training journey too, stretched me. It pushed me physically like never before and I definitely grew stronger from it. Being a non swimmer to one that was able to do laps is a testament to that.

December 2017:
In December, I decided to check Myanmar off the list. Spent about 9 days there. Yangon - Bagan - Kalaw - Inle - Yangon. It wasn't a mindblowing trip, the boy was still on my mind a lot, but looking back at photos, it was a wonderful experience. The people friendly, the places rustic, the city charming. I thought I got some of my groove back and found my inner peace but alas, texting the boy upon my return proved my thoughts wrong.

I digress. This isn't supposed to be a post about the boy but he was very much intwined in the things I did and in my thoughts so I think it only appropriate I mention him.

Anyhoos, I recently discovered he's dating someone else now which definitely helps with the moving on but sucks too. I think I'm moving past the sadness and just trying to really truly truly let things go now.

March 2018:
That aside, I took my first trip of 2018 last weekend. Tioman with Lynette to get my AOW done. It was a good trip, did things for the first time, had plenty of heart to heart talks with the childhood friend. I love her dearly and I'm So thankful we're still in each other's lives.

The short trip has left me feeling pretty inspired though. I watched Expedition Happiness during it which is possibly the main reason for the inspired feels. I want to get more travels done. Keep trudging on through my emotions and thoughts and see the big picture and find my peace and learn more about myself and this world.

I want to take my parents on trips so Hokkaido is probably happening in October. I'm thinking over the next couple of years, during my time with OBS, these are some trips I would want to do/could potentially take during course breaks:

1) Sri Lanka + Maldives for safaris and diving
2) Hokkaido, Japan with the parents
3) Mongolia, hopefully via the train from China, stay in a yurt for several days
4) Philippines for climbing and diving
5) Hong Kong, visit Sophia, climb and hike
6) Israel if time permits, for climbing and holy historic reasons haha, possibly with the parents too.
7) Australia, to hang with Sherman and rockclimb maybe

The trips may not all happen but it's good to have this excitement to travel again. In trying to adapt to this new job I put all travel plans on hold but I think it's safe to start building those sandcastles in the air now. We'll see how things go.

Life is good. I'll trudge on through and keep living like I always do.

Some place else is calling now

Several years back when I first started this travel focused blog, I did a post about how Yangshuo was calling. I remember at that point in time, I watched a documentary and then photos of this place kept popping up on my Tumblr feed and social media. I felt this bubbling excitement in me as I made a mental note that I would have to visit Yangshuo in the future. I felt the place calling me.

Today and these days, just like those days many moons ago, I feel that same call from the Middle East and North Africa. More specifically Israel and Oman and Algeria...

Israel is a no brainer as to why. I knew I had to climb there after climbing with Vladimir and Aahron in Yangshuo during my first trip there. The Israeli boy I met and travelled Laos with contributed to the fascination with the country as well. Today especially though, my social media feed has been sprinkling me with posts related to the country. Short trips out of Jeruselem, a girl living in Jaffa, Tel Aviv night life. Desert landscapes, old buildings, historical places, a different culture, an intriguing religion, beautiful women and men.

Oman was because of a expertvagabond, a traveller blogger who roadtripped through the country with his girlfriend. Amazing landscape, blue pools, empty spots, campsites. Urrgh so appealing! I had no idea Oman was that beautiful and the exposure through this blogger definitely put it on the list for me.

Algeria is another no brainer considering my Bro in Law is from there. Imen is there too and I would have someone to show me around!

My brain is already cooking up my next big trip. Central Asia, Middle East and the US of A. I'm not sure if it is going to be too ambitious but one can dream. I'm already putting together a road trip playlist for the US of A hahaha

I'll build my sandcastles in the air for now and when the time is right, I'm going make these sandcastles real like I always do.

Sometimes I can almost imagine myself driving down these desert roads, Monument Valley in the distance. Sometimes I can almost feeeel myself at these places. I get this familiar surge of excitement in my body like I did when I was a young 18 year old burning with passion to travel. I'm glad I didn't lose that fire and that I made these trips happen.

I am excited for whatever's going to happen next.

Movement and stillness

Movement is essential to life, but so is stillness. If you can’t appreciate one, you can’t fully appreciate the other.

http://matadornetwork.com/bnt/travelled-nonstop-5-years-heres-learned-im-glad/

Back and going again?

SO. I have not been updating this space but I feel compelled to type today. I find that everytime I'm going through a transition, from happy to sad/high to low and vice versa, I need to type. I need to get my thoughts out. I just got back from China. The trip was part of the big SEA trip that I've been wanting to do.

The original plan was supposed to be Singapore - China but I guess given the practicalities of my situation - I'd covered most of Malaysia and most of the other SEAsian countries in the past years, I didn't want to do the whole stretch alone, I had Mengying to do Vietnam with -  I decided to let myself let go of my fixation on SEA Overland and just cover Vietnam and China. I used to think a trip like that would need a lot of planning and pre-arranging but after all the travelling I've done and because I wasn't rushing against time, I let this trip be super chill and relaxed. We came up with an outline on our schedule, threw in stuff we knew we wanted to do and basically just went with the flow for the rest of it.

Initially I wanted to just cover Vietnam and a bit of China but my plans developed and I became fixated on the possibility of staying in China for longer. I tried to get a 3 month visa in Singapore but was met with the need of having evidence of travel out of China. How I'm expected to have something like that booked when I don't even know if I'll get a visa - I don't know! So I decided to give up on getting the visa in Singapore and decided to go to Hanoi to do it instead. At this point in time, I was leaving it up to fate and was being very chill about it. If it worked out, I'd stay longer, if not, I'd come home. BUTTT as the trip went on, my fixation on staying longer in China grew. I reaaaally wanted to at least get my butt to Yunnan. We had a small window of 4 hours to do my visa application in Hanoi but that window closed when we arrived in the city later than we expected. Met with yet another bump in my  plan, I calmly decided that I would get an extension in China instead. It was my last resort. I wasn't sure if it would work but I would try it. My gut already told me when I was back in Singapore that it might not work out and as always, my gut was right. Free visas can't get extensions in China. Info was scarce online and I couldn't have known. Given that I had already told my family I would come back if the visa didn't work out, I decided to do that. Bought a flight home and decided to spend the rest of my time in Yangshuo.

I told myself it would be fine, Yunnan can wait, I shouldn't push it, I should keep to my word, my family wants me home. I was doing good making peace with my decision until I got to Yangshuo again. I started rockclimbing, hanging out with these guys, getting into a bit of a routine, getting comfortable. As 7 September drew closer, the inner battle became louder. I didn't want to leave but I had to. I was legitimately sad the whole way to the airport and had a shit time trying to keep my emotions together. I kept wanting to cry, tearing up thinking about the past days, the moments, the people. Waking up in my own bed that first morning back broke my heart. I cried. I don't think I'd ever gotten withdrawal that bad before. I wasn't ready to be back and yet here I was.





Fast forward a couple of days, my emotions have calmed down a bit and I'm now playing with the possibility of going back to China. Not to go back to how amazing my last couple of days in Yangshuo had been but to go back to do what I wanted to do. Yunnan. I woke up yesterday morning, scrolled through my insta feed and it dawned on me that I wanted to do a good hike. I hadn't done it this year. Rinjani was supposed to be it but that didn't work out, Sapa fed that craving but it wasn't enough. That was what I wanted. I want the freedom of just travelling without commitments or a fixed plan and I want to feed the adventurous soul in me. The one in search of a good cycle in amazing landscape, a good hike that'll leave me breathless.

I'm not saying for certain what I'm going to do next but it will involve one of those things. China is a definite consideration. We'll see how things go. Cup half empty is I'm sad and moping about the days past and cup half full is me realizing I still have all this freedom, there is no pressure to settle and I can figure out what I want to do next in terms of travel. It is all good.

2016

I am at a bad place. Emotional.

Another month of firsts!

I'm into my second week of university! Trimester 4 and just 1 more to go! How time has flown.

So this trimester break, I had about three full weeks to gallivant but I decided to take it easy and do short trips instead of back to back trips like the last break. I needed to work more anyways and I wanted to spend more time at home (lazing haha).

Even though I wasn't travelling around as much, in true Desiree fashion, I made sure I was doing shit! And do shit I did!
 
It was yet another holiday break of firsts. I see a pattern forming with my school breaks. I'm always pushing myself to experience new things whenever I get the chance to. Last holiday it was filled with some good Malaysia loving, volunteering at a turtle conservation centre for a week on Tioman and tripping from place to place for 11 days around Malaysia .

When one travels, it is basically doing stuff for the first time and gaining new experiences and feeling alive. I guess that's largely why I love it. Waking up in Juara/Ipoh/Penang/Langkawi, finding street art on your own, exploring places without your parents, ziplining through Langkawi's forests, rockclimbing on granite walls, beach patrols for turtle nests at 6.30am in the morning, snorkelling alone.

This holiday I didn't pack my 3 week break as much as the last and it was exactly how I wanted it to be. I had just any many first experiences though.

For starters, I am officially an Open Water Diver! Woohoooo. Spent 10-14 October with Lynette on Salang, Tioman and got certified with B&J Dive Centre. We really lucked out with a great instructor - Faizal! He was super chill, knowledgeable, clear in his instruction and he was hilarious. So thankful we got him and so glad I got to do this with Lynette! Travelling with her is easy and always so chill and fun.

I now know why people get hooked on diving! It truly is a completely different realm for one to explore. I said to someone, "It's like a blessing and a curse because now you have this whole new world to explore but that just adds on to your already long list of things you want to do before you die." Haha. We got lucky and got to see a turtle twice during our first fun dive! Unfortunately, no photos of us diving but here are some other photos!

 

 Oh and something else I did for the first time! Beer funnel!! They called it the "Snorkel Test" and said it was something we had to do after we passed. Haha. I downed a bottle of cider and some weirdass mixture and within 5 minutes, I was not able to function normally. It was quite an experience. Haha. Not sure if they're laughing at me in the photo below but I love it because it captures how ridick that evening was. In my semi-functionable state, I actually managed to take photos of people with my horrid phone flash. Haha.

 
Next on the list of firsts - rockclimbing and tree climbing at Dairy Farm Quarry! I rockclimbed on a natural rock wall for the first time in Singapore! That was a pretty awesome day with Nina. I joined a 3 in 1 rockclimb + tree climb + trek activity with the Singapore Adventure Nature Lovers group on Meetup. We got to explore Dairy Farm - a place I had not been to since I was a child during dad's SHHH Family Day. It was great fun experiencing a new place in our own backyard. I did not think I would ever get the chance to rockclimb at Dairy Farm but alas, I now have that under my belt! Also tried tree climbing, the professional arborist way - something I'd always wanted to try ever since I started working with NParks.

24-26 October! Kayaked 36km around Pulau Sibu and Pulau Tinggi!

Most days I'm me

Somedays I'm thankful and content,
Somedays I wish things were better.

Somedays I'm high strung and chatty,
Somedays I'm low and I just want to keep to myself.

Somedays I'm fulfilled and I want proclaim how good life is,
Somedays I vacillate between sadness and telling myself I'll be okay.

Somedays  I'm all postivity,
Somedays I struggle with demons of negativity.

Somedays I'm confident as hell,
Somedays I struggle with loving myself.

Somedays I love being alone and I embrace my independence,
Somedays I feel lonely and I wish I had someone.

Somedays, most of these days, all these days, I'm me.

I Lived

I love this song. Every line resonates. I hope when I'm dying/dead, I'll
be able to say "I lived.". So far, I like to think I'm on the right
track (pun not intended haha).



Hope when you take that jump, you don't fear the fall
Hope when the water rises, you built a wall
Hope when the crowd screams out, they're screaming your name
Hope if everybody runs, you choose to stay

Hope that you fall in love, and it hurts so bad
The only way you can know is give it all you have
And I hope that you don't suffer but take the pain
Hope when the moment comes, you'll say...

I, I did it all
I, I did it all
I owned every second that this world could give
I saw so many places, the things that I did
With every broken bone, I swear I lived

Hope that you spend your days, but they all add up
And when that sun goes down, hope you raise your cup
Oh, I wish that I could witness all your joy and all your pain
But until my moment comes, I'll say...

I, I did it all
I, I did it all
I owned every second that this world could give
I saw so many places, the things that I did
With every broken bone, I swear I lived.

It has been a long while

Hello blog, my old friend.

It has been a while.

Uni has been great. I love that I'm studying what I'm studying. I have an increased interest in the natural world and I often find myself marveling at how much there is to know and learn - how the tiniest parts on creatures have names, how there are people studying stuff I never imagined anyone would study (i.e. flies that are attracted to dung...say WHUUTTT?), how evolution works, how sustainability can play a part in the economy, in policies. It has been such fun. My mind has been expanding.

Travel wise, I managed to squeeze in trips during my trimester breaks. Mainly to Malaysia.

6-10 February:
During my first break, I took a 5 day trip to Malaysia. The trip had two parts - Malacca with MY and LX and then KL with Lynette. It was initially just going to be a weekend trip to Malacca with the girls but I was dying to rockclimb and Lynette was keen to try it so I extended the trip!

The first part of the adventure was heading to Malacca via Larkin Bus Terminal! Dad was pretty pissed that I was going via Larkin, said it was unnecessary and dangerous but I did it anyway. It wasn't as bad as dad made it out to seem so I was glad I didn't give in to his fear. Malacca was easy to get to and get around, I think mainly coz I had been there before. We didn't eat as much as we thought we would but we explored a lot more of Malacca. Chose to cycle around Malacca so that was a first. Visited Bukit Cina for the first time, hiked up to the top of the hill. Always lots of fun when it's the 3 of us.We even cycled to Baba Charlie's house to get kueh!

On the 8th, I split with the girls as they headed back to Singapore and I to KL. Lynette and I managed to time our arrivals perfectly and I met her within 30 minutes of arriving at TBS. A first for both of us, heading to KL alone. Also our first trip together alone! We travel so well together, it made everything really easy. We only had one full day at KL so we rockclimbed, saw a bit of Batu Caves and then spent the rest of the evening shopping even though we were exhausted from the morning climb. Batu Caves was challenging to climb but so much fun! Helped that the company we climbed with were professional - Verticale - would definitely recommend climbing with them. Met a charming ah beng hostel assistant haha and also bedbugs but all part of the adventure I guess haha.

15-21 June:
Juara Turtle Project! I had my eye on volunteering at Juara for a while now and I finally got down to doing it! I wanted to stay for a week but had to cut my stint short because of Baby E's 1 month celebration. Was prepared to go at it alone but N joined me literally one week before the trip. It was nice having her along, someone to break the silence and share it with me.

Volunteering at JTP was an amazing experience and I would do it again in a heartbeat. I did things I'd never done, learned stuff I never knew. I loved living in a kampung, I loved having to do chores that involved manual labour. We cycled on bicycles with no brakes, shoveled composts with cockroaches, I learned to use a machete and chopped my first log all by myself! Within the first day I had so much new knowledge about sea turtles that even I was amazed at how much I had absorbed. We snorkelled, kayaked, did beach patrols at night. We released baby turtles and witnessed them raring to go in their nests. The whole experience was so much fun. I loved that JTP's focus was conservation and education and that their staff were committed to keeping it that way. Throughout my stint, I was so glad that I was finally getting involved in a conservation effort and I was even more thankful that it was at JTP.

Unfortunately (or fortunately haha), we didn't get to see a mother nesting while we were there but I think that just means another stint is due..

Oh and I even managed to rockclimb! One week before the trip I had the rockclimbing itches again and I googled for places to rockclimb on Tioman and lo and behold! There was rockclimbing right on Juara! Such luck! Unfortunately I only managed to do 3 routes because the guys that brought me climbing were fasting and tired. I was a bit disappointed but was glad I managed to get on some rocks so I let them earn my money pretty easily.

We left Juara on the 20th but ended up staying on Tioman another night because of our ferry misadventure. I sometimes surprise myself with how calm I can be. Coz calm I was when I found out the ferry wouldn't be showing and we'd have to stay another night. It was a nice bonding sesh with Sukhi and N though so even though shit happened, the most of it was made. Haha.

24 June - 3 July:
KL-Ipoh-Penang-Langkawi with MY! An 11 day trip which strangely, felt much longer. We ate in KL, trained to Ipoh, wandered around Ipoh's Old and New Towns and stuffed our faces with good food, explored Penang's streets and had one heck of an adventure at Langkawi. Langkawi was amazing. We stayed at Soluna Guesthouse which was nestled in the countryside and was very kampung-ish - reminded me so much of Juara. We drove around during our time there, chased waterfalls and hunted down beaches. Saw the most dramatic sunset at Tanjung Rhu Beach and amazeballs scenery from one of her Gunungs and had one of the most amazing snorkelling experiences at Pulau Payar! Langkawi is beaaautiful and so easy to navigate. I drove for the first time overseas too and almost got into an accident but that's a story for another day haha. 

I shall end this word heavy post with this instagram post - my favourite moment at the end of everyday at Soluna Guesthouse

 I want to remember this.  The sound of crickets and cicadas, cows mooing, the call to prayer from a mosque in the distance, the smell of burnt wood, the gentle breeze, the dancing leaves of the tree beside me, the occasional sound of a motorbike, the floor boards of the owner's house creaking, the clear night sky, the swaying of my hammock. Peace. Being in the now. Living. Thankful.

 
Until next time!

Thank you, New Zealand

 

"You fill up my senses like a night in the forest, like the mountains in spring time, like a walk in the rain"
-John Denver

Thank you, New Zealand.

I did it!

I returned from my 3 week maiden voyage to New Zealand 4 days ago. It was probably the most empowering and adventurous 3 weeks of my life and it was such a great experience.

I had travel highs and travel lows. I missed my flight, probably spent way more than I should have overall, stayed in a shitty hostel, did minimal planning and left a lot of days flexible for myself and had things just work out for me. I didn't get the adrenaline rush I thought I would get when I bungy jumped and skydived. I skipped some places I had originally wanted to visit. I met so many people and had so many fleeting conversations and connections. I hiked, cycled and explored alone. I met my childhood friend down South and family up North. I did a 2 day tramp which turned out to be a bit of a bummer due to the weather conditions but I did it, I loved it and I  have no regrets. There were awesome days and some days that didn't quite cut it. There were good experiences and bad experience but the best part of it all was that I did it. I was living the trip, no longer dreaming or planning or anticipating it.

This trip wasn't one of those, far out, leap of the edge into the unknown trips - I wasn't completely alone as I was going to meet family there and I had been to New Zealand twice before but just having done it, is a huge huge milestone for me. Dad did not want me to go at it alone but I pushed through. I forced my wings to spread and I let myself fly. I realized how brave and independent I could be and how much I could push myself.

I am so incredibly glad that I did it.

When I first got back from NZ, I told myself that I needed to get my head in the Uni game and stop thinking about travel but it's been less than 5 days and my itchy travelling feet are itching again. It's all still a sandcastle in the air but perhaps once my 2 years in Uni is done, SG - China Overland and the US of A might happen(!)?

We'll see how things go. Uni calls for now...

Living, fleeting

I want to live a passion filled life. I want to do adventurous things, visit places, experience unforgettable moments, get to know other people, embrace conversations with them, however fleeting, and just live.

When I die, I want to know that I have lived a life worth living. I want to remember these moments and these people with no regrets.

Everything in life is so fleeting. You snorkel with a whale shark for a couple of minutes, dolphins surround your boat and while you're on the way back to the island, you chat with locals and get to know a bit more about the person behind the friendly face, you stand by the crashing waves and look up at the night sky filled with stars, you catch a fish with your father beside you. These moments. They're all so fleeting and special. Once they pass, they pass and only exist in your memory.

I just got back from the Maldives yesterday and I feel this strange mix of happiness and sadness. Withdrawal symptoms. It was an 8 day trip and it passed so quickly. It was also filled with so many special moments - encounters with beautiful marine creatures and conversations with lovely local people. I feel blessed and grateful to have experienced all that but at the same time, there's this sadness that it's over and that the moments have passed.

I guess the saying "Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened." rings true now. I need to focus more on the blessing of having had these moments and people in my life. Moments pass quickly and I must remember to always make the most of it while it is happening.

Anyway, here's a quick poem that my father shared with me when I was younger:

"What is life?
It is the flash of a firefly in the night.
It is the breath of a buffalo in the wintertime.
It is the little shadow which runs across
the grass and loses itself in the sunset."

Crowfoot, Blackfoot warrior and orator 1830 - 1890

He explained it to me then but I didn't really get it. Now I think I kinda do.

Adventure, travel, death, living

I found out recently that a blogger from the travel community was kidnapped and murdered while he was attempting a motorcycle adventure across South America. I'm a pretty regular follower of several travel blogs. They help fuel my wanderlust and I draw travel inspiration and advice from them. They're an avenue that tells me that I can do the trips I want, that I can travel, that I don't have to conform to societal pressures because there are so many out there living passionate and travel filled lives. They also reinforce my belief in all the good and beauty that is in this world. These blogs are mainly positive influences and you don't usually read about the dark side of travel, the side that takes lives or changes them in ways that aren't so positive.

When I read about what happened to 32 year old traveller, Harry Devert, it was a reminder of the bad things that could happen. The kind that would hurt your family, the kind that my dad worries about, the kind that many fear. These things are not limited to kidnappings and murders. There is so much else that could go wrong when one travels and the longer one is on the road, the more trips one takes or the more far flung and dangerous these places, the higher the chances of something unfortunate happening.

It's tremendously sad what happened to Harry and a stark reminder of the bad in the world. He was a lover of life, of people and of the world. How he lived resonates with how many of us hope and/or strive to live.

When I found out what happened, I visited his blog and read his most recent post titled "Sense of Adventure". I would just like to reproduce several parts of his post that resonated with me. These paragraphs do not only represent how I view adventure, they also offer a non-judgmental perspective of other people and also captured what an amazing human being Harry probably was. I hope to be more like that, without prejudices or judgements. I hope to love and accept and understand others like Harry did. I also hope to jump headfirst into life, without fears or inhibitions, just like he did. He may have passed, but his words live on and I believe he lives in the hearts of many who knew him.

"People talk about things in different ways. There’s a different tone that someone has when they’re talking about work, about news, about the weather. Everyone has had their own adventures, to whatever extent they may be adventurous or whatever extent their life has presented them with the opportunity of being so. Everyone has different adventure tolerances so to speak. Some of my friends will tell me about the time they took a walk on a deserted beach outside of their resort with the same light in their eyes and passion in their voice as another friend will tell me about climbing a mountain. The particular adventure doesn’t matter as much as the feeling one gets when one is being adventurous. "

"Some people have a greater sense of adventure than others, undoubtedly, some people more cautious and some more carefree, but I can’t help but think that everyone has it in them. Some people dream of traveling the world, climbing mountains, sailing across oceans or down jungle rivers, and some people dream about owning a house, getting a promotion, buying a new watch or eating at a new restaurant. No matter what it is however, I feel like adventure is that delving into the unknown, and everyone has that desire in them. For some that unknown is a far away country, for others it’s a different part of town. There’s not one that is ultimately greater than the other since in the end it’s the emotion that results in the individual that matters, and if I get the same sensation, the same thrill sleeping in a cave in a jungle as someone else gets from walking down to a deserted part of a beach, who’s to say one person’s adventure is greater than another’s?

Everyone has different dreams. It’s one of the things that make us human. Having a family is an adventure, as is getting married, as is climbing a mountain. We owe it to ourselves to test our limits. To pursue our dreams. To see what we’re really capable of. To push ourselves. It’s one of those most human traits. To have a dream and figure out a way to pursue it. I don’t think many other animal species are capable of that. I doubt there’s anyone who, on their deathbed ever lamented pursuing a passion, pursuing a dream, I imagine in fact it would be quite the opposite. “The saddest thing in life is wasted talent,” Sonny told Calogero in A Bronx Tale. We all have talents, we all have dreams, the amazing thing being that everyone’s talents and dreams are unique. My dreams are undoubtedly different than yours, and that’s what makes us all interesting. It’s what makes us all beautiful."

RIP Mr Devert, I may not have known you previously or in real life but you are an inspiration. May you keep doing what you love up there in heaven and may God bless you and your family.

The side of travel that scares

Dad found out I was intending to travel New Zealand mainly alone. I would be meeting Lynette down South and then I'd be alone for about a week or so and then I would head up North to find Marcus. I didn't hide the travel plan from him but I didn't exactly tell it to him in detail. So when he realized I was intending to do a 4 week trip and that I would be alone most of the time, he sort of freaked out. Understandably so.

A lot of people who know me, knows my Dad situation (haha). Throughout primary school, secondary school and Poly, I would have to ask my dad for permission before going out friends or going for gatherings/parties. I would also always have a curfew. Usually 10pm. While my friends stayed on till midnight, I would have to leave around 9pm to make it for my curfew. It was a pain but I always knew it was just something I had to do and I wasn't going to piss my dad off by rebelling. Some friends would laugh at my predicament, some would tell me to just defy my dad's wishes, some would scoff or silently or even verbally judge my dad's over protectiveness.

Fiercely so at times. Some people say he's overprotective, some don't but quietly judge but I know what they're thinking. My dad is overprotective but it stems from love and a huge sense of responsibility to look after his child.

It took me years to realize that.

We spoke, or rather he spoke about his worries and concerns and I listened. It frustrated me that my travel plans would have to change but at the same time, it hurt me to know how difficult it would be for my dad to just let me go.

Giving thanks and a quick update

 I woke up this afternoon extremely thankful.

Thankful for being able to wake up in the afternoon and have the rest of the day to myself. Thankful for being able to sleep as late as I want. Thankful for the freedom that I currently have. Thankful for this feeling of life in me. Thankful that God has blessed me with the chance to travel. I am also thankful that turning 23 reminded me of all the beautiful people that have graced my life - colleagues, secondary school friends that I had drifted from, friends that have stuck by, an ever-growing family.

Sometime last year, I think it was when it was nearing the date that would mark my second year of work, it dawned on me that 2 years had passed and I still hadn't figured out my next move. Was I going to study? What was I going to study? When? What about all these travel plans? When was I going to get them done?

It was stressful to have to think about it but it dawned on me that the answers to my questions were not just going to fall onto my lap. I had to get off my ass, find out stuff, think and ultimately decide on something. I spoke to Tony recently and told him how happy I was to finally have some direction in life, and how I felt like the past two years I had just been floating and he commented that I wasn't floating and that I just needed to decide on something. How true, really.

I am glad I took the two years to work and gain experience first before jumping into Uni. Two years ago I wasn't sure about why I wanted to study. I wasn't sure if I was just going through the motions and studying because society said that I needed to. Now though, after these two years, I can justify my reasons for studying and know with confidence that they are my decisions. Back then I just felt so incredibly unsure, even as I was justifying myself, I was doubting myself. But now, I know for sure it is something I want to do and it feels good. I needed those two years and I needed to be jolted by the fact that it had been two years to realize that sometimes answers to your questions aren't just going to fall in front of you - it is a combination of experiences and you need to actively ponder over them, find out stuff and then decide.

After figuring out my next step, I decided to leave my job so that I would be able to start travelling without having to accommodate work. I came up with a To Do list for 2014 and I'm glad to say that I'm already halfway through it.

1, 2, 3 and 6 are done! 4 I'll be experiencing soon and 7, I am working on.

I wanted to do my SEA Overland trip but have decided to postpone it. My Kinabalu trip was in early July and I had initially allocated the rest of the month and August to do SEA before embarking on New Zealand but plans changed! My dad asked me to come along to Maldives with him and my mom and their friends and I just couldn't pass off on the opportunity. The dates for Maldives were in mid August and I would've had to cut my SEA trip down to a month. Other considerations also came into play - would I have the time to plan both SEA and NZ within such a short time frame? Given my rate of procrastination and the fact I would not have ample time to play around with for my SEA trip, I decided to postpone it. The SEA trip had been something I've wanted to do for several years now. If I do it, I want to be able to take my time and not rush or cut corners.

I do sometimes worry that I might not be able to do the trip after graduating from Uni as I'll be in debt and probably broke but the past years have shown that if I set my mind to something, I'll get it done. So fingers crossed, SEA will happen in 2016 instead. Like LW said, there is no need to rush and I don't have to do it all this year. And like someone smart said, "Where there's a will, there's a way.".

So yeah, that's that! I'm currently planning my NZ trip and I hope to start updating this blog with my actual travels soon. Till then, happy travelling and planning!

The Months of Travel

My last day at work is 12 June 2014 and I will most probably be starting school on 20 October 2014.

The period between 12 June 2014 - 20 October 2014, shall be dubbed The Months of Travel. During these 5 months, travel will be my priority. I will have no job commitments, a lot of time and sufficient finances to take trips that I have been wanting to do.

The travelling officially starts on 22 May 2014 -12 days in Taiwan with MY and LX:) This was a trip I was not planning on taking because (1) I was supposed to plan a trip to Taiwan for the family sometime next year and (2) I wanted to save money for other trips I had in mind. But how could I resist a trip to a place I've never been, planned by someone else, with some of my favourite people? How was I to resist when their travel chat kept popping up in our Whatsapp group convo?! I rejected their offer initially but the girls convinced me with their excitement and sales pitch when we met up one random evening. I was sold, and decided to stop thinking so far and just grab the opportunity that was right there in the now! I'm glad I did it!

On 13 June 2014, I'll be visiting Krabi again with Christine, Nina and Sue. I had initially wanted to fit this trip into my overland SEA trip but I foresaw it would be pretty difficult to find available dates, what with Sue starting work and Christine having internships. The monsoon season would be at its best in its later months as well, so I figured a separate trip on an earlier date might be a better option. We'll be going to Railay (the place that stole a piece of my heart) and Ko Lanta. I wanted to find some other place to visit other than Railay and chanced upon Ko Lanta while reading travel blogs. Rustic, whole stretches of beach to myself, not too touristy? SOLD. This trip will be our first overseas trip together! It's going to be interesting and we're crossing our fingers and toes for good weather!

On 1 July 2014, I will be answering the call of Sabah. 8 days in Sabah with my sister and brother in law. We'll be climbing Mount Kinabalu (but of course!), relaxing on lovely beaches and maybe visiting the great Kinabantangan. I wanted to climb Kinabalu this year and of all people, my sister approached me to ask if I wanted to do it! She really didn't need to ask because HECK YES I WANT TO DO IT!! I thought my sister was probably one of the last few people who would subject herself to climbing a mountain but alas, I was proven wrong! Kinabalu will be a challenge but it is one I take on with open arms. Really looking forward to this!

After Sabah, I hope to be doing my Southeast Asia overland trip but I have not properly planned this one yet! I know my route but not exactly - Singapore - Malaysia - Thailand - Cambodia - (maybe) Laos - Vietnam, China. I have a list of places I want to visit in these countries but I still haven't gotten down to figuring out my exact route, transport options and what nots within these countries. I'm worried I may not have enough time to plan this one! But I think it's possible if I really set my mind to it. Krabi and Sabah need my attention at the moment but I hope to focus my attention on SEA once the other two trips are settled!

In September through to October, I will be setting my sights on New Zealand again! Trails, hikes, family visiting and maybe some WWOOFing await!

It's going to be an exciting couple of months! We'll see how it goes!

I'll try to write about my trip to Cambodia when I stop procrastinating and stop being so damn lazy. Heh.

Till then! Happy travelling and planning!

Cambodia Trip Update 2

What was I doing in my previous update fretting and worrying so much!??! I sound so depressed.

ANYWAY. Tickets have been bought and most of the accommodation has been booked. Transport  from Phnom Penh to Battambang and Battambang to Siem Reap is still unconfirmed but we'll figure it out.

I'm not as worried about the protests but I'll keep an eye on the situation.

TWO MORE WEEKS! I'll probably update this space again when I'm back!

Yangshuo, China is calling

There are times when I feel a place calling out to me. It may be after watching a documentary or a movie, or I may come across the place in articles online or in photographs or even in books.Times when I see or read about a certain place and I'm like "I have to get my ass there one day.".

I have that feeling for Alaska (even though I had the amazing opportunity to visit her back in 2002 during a family trip) and many places in the US for that matter, the Appalachian Trail, Half Dome in Yosemite, for Iceland, Mount Bromo, Mount Kinabalu, Morocco, Xinjiang, to name a few.

Recently, Yangshuo, China has been calling out to me. Appearing on TV, in articles online, on the Instagram feed of this person I follow stealthily. It is one of those places I think I will enjoy.

These photos will tell you why.

From Lonely Planet's Best Adventure Travel for 2014

National Geographic's Travel 365

 

Top 3 photos from Mark Wiens of Go Backpacking

Moon Hill Arch. Photo by Keith Ladzinski

 

From Tumblr

Cambodia Update 1

Less than 2 months before Cambodia and I still haven't booked the tickets or settled accommodation. I really don't want to delay this any longer but the current situation in Phnom Penh is worrying. The protests have been put down but it all still seems pretty unstable...what with people getting shot and all. There isn't much word about how safe it is for tourists which probably means it should be okay but I just want more assurance. Dad's thinking of skipping Phnom Penh and flying to Siem Reap straight and I'm considering doing that too but it'll mean spending waaay more than I hoped on airfare:( But yes, money shouldn't be an issue when it comes to safety. I've been reading Tripadvisor forums and the situation doesn't seem entirely dire. I just wouldn't want to get caught near a protest...especially since people have been shot. Perhaps I'm worrying too much.

Ahhh, I just want to buy my tickets and start booking accommodation. The trip just doesn't feel like it's happening until all that is done. You know that feeling??? Haha.

On another note, I've been reading First They Killed by Father by Loung Ung. I'm not even halfway through the book but it's already making me think twice about visiting The Killing Fields and the Genocide Museum. People have been telling me that I should skip Phnom Penh because those places are depressing but I feel like I should still visit them though. I want to and I feel like I should face the harsh realities of Cambodia's painful past. It's going to be sad but I feel it is a sadness I should experience especially since I'm visiting the country.

Ahh, we'll see how this trip pans out.

Where Do You Want to Go in 2014?

Inspired by Twenty-Something Travel

Read Twenty-Something Travel's post and decided to put together my own list of places I want to visit in 2014!

Cambodia
The return tickets have been bought. Now I'm just waiting for a good deal on the tickets to Phnom Penh. I've planned out the route and more or less figured out the places we want to cover. We'll be landing in Phnom Penh, taking a bus or car to Battambang and then a 6-7 hour boat ride to Siem Reap. All this over 7 days with visits to The Killing Fields, Genocide Museum, Bat Cave, Tonle Sap and Angkor Wat. We're going to ride on the allegedly soon-to-be-extinct Bamboo Train as well...(at least I hope to get my dad to do it. Haha). It's going to be a pretty short trip so I've got to make sure things are figured out before we embark.

Likelihood: Very high! :D

New Zealand

I've been telling my friend and cousin studying in New Zealand that I want to visit them while they're there and I think it's about time I actually go! I'm going to try my best to make this trip happen. It's going to be a longer than usual one, probably 3 weeks to a month . I'm waiting for cheap tickets and hoping like hell that I don't regret missing the sale that Jetstar was having about a month back! Bus and train will be my main transport options and I definitely want to do some treks, climb some glaciers and bungy off some ledges. Am considering couchsurfing and maybe WWOOFing for a bit too. We'll see how it goes. I'll probably be starting with Auckland and then heading down South. My sis and nephew might join me in North Island for a while too. We'll see how things go. I'm waiting for cheap tickets now so *fingers crossed* My eye's on the prize!

Likelihood: High!

South-East Asia

THIS is THE TRIP. The trip I've been wanting to do for years. Inspired after reading Tony Wheeler's blog on his Singapore - Shanghai overland trip years back, I made it a goal to do this is the near future. No planes, just land/sea travel.Years have passed and the near future has gotten further than I would have liked. Haha. Not anymore I hope! I wanted to do this after graduating from Poly but I never got around to actually doing it. I guess perhaps the time was not right? The universe has its way of fitting things unplanned into your timeline. Several years on now and after working full time for more than two years in an uneventful job, I think the time might be 2014. Although my dad has taken a step back and given my rein of my life, he still worries for me and if he worries enough, he might grab the reins back so I'm not sure if this trip will happen. I'll probably know for sure next year.

Likelihood: Maybe?

Sabah, Malaysia

To climb Mount Kinabalu of course! I would like to do this with family or friends though. If I can just find someone/ some people up for the challenge...

Likelihood: Who knows?

Vietnam

If my SEA trip doesn't happen, I want to visit Vietnam or more specifically the Mekong Delta and places around it with MY! She keeps saying she wants to sit in a boat with a straw hat. So this is the place to go. Haha.

Likelihood: Medium High

United States of America

There's talk of visiting Florida again with the kids. But talk is cheap. Hopefully this year it happens and if the time is right and all falls into place, I will be able to tag along!

Likelihood: Low

China

My dad's friend is organizing another trip there. This time to Xinjiang (if I'm not wrong). I would absolutely love to tag along if the dates don't clash with work. China has proven to be quite an amazing place and after my last trip there, I have been yearning to see more of her. I really did not give her enough credit before. The trip's not entirely confirmed yet so hopefully the dates will change and I will be able to go!

Likelihood: Low

Krabi, Thailand

I want to rockclimb again at Railay!!! And I want to check out the rest of Krabi too.

Likelihood: Medium High

Malaysia

It's just next door so why not put it in the list? I would like to visit Penang again if possible! Or maybe a family trip to Taman Negara?

Likelihood: Who knows?

Where do you want to go in 2014?