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!