Laying flat down on my tummy, typing on my laptop, listening to "Dreamer - Isbells", occasionally stealing glances on my dogs, one sprawling with his leg wide open on the sofa and one by my side, snuggled up next to me.
I'm feeling thankful for the past year, being able to experience things I never knew I would/could. I have learnt so much throughout the year and it has made me who I am today.
Sending my other half off to UK, crying when my dad cried. She FaceTimed my dad today and both of them cried over the phone and it made me cried too, just looking at them cry.
I was 55kg before I left to the States last year and when I came back to Malaysia 4 months later, I was at 63kg. I came back with more muscles and fats than when I left, it's crazy. I love the food there eventhough it makes people gassy, but holy shit, all the cheese you can eat??? I worked out a lot too, having to carry trays and carrying them one shot because I refuse to do the same work twice.
This year though, I decided to do SEA for my 3 months summer break with the money I had leftover from working in the States last year and after backpacking for a month in San Frans, Seattle, Grand Canyon and Hawaii. I had RM10,000 in my bank account from a combination of the leftover money, RM2000 tax return from US, and from working for a month part time in a juice bar during my study break.
I am really bad with directions and geography. I honestly and shamefully didn't know where any of the SEA countries were, except Thailand because I've been there. I didn't know where to start initially and how much to budget for. I was actually hoping to use only RM1,000 per country and coming back with at least RM5000 but total failure.
I bought a one way ticket to Philippines and from there, travel my way through and bought tickets when I think I should leave. In the short span of 3 months, I managed to cover Philippines, Bangkok and north of Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia with a budget of RM9,000.
I bought a ticket back when I think I should come back and spend time with my other half who will be gone for a year.
Laos has never crossed my mind the whole entire time and Laos was supposed to be my cross-border country to reach Vietnam by land because I refuse to pay for the air fare. And yet, Laos turned out to be my favourite country (tie with Vietnam). I love Vang Vieng and Luang Prabang, how there's so much to do and also so much to not do (if you get what I mean).
You can rock climb, go tubing while bar hopping, smoke joint, all day long while watching reruns of Friends, lookout at the Mekong River, rent cheap bicycles and scooters, Kuang Si waterfall (thus far the most beautiful waterfall I've been to).
My phone died on me on the first two weeks of my travel, so for the next 2 months and 2 weeks I was without a phone and wow, I never knew I could travel without Google Maps. Backpacking for a month in US, I depended so much on Google Maps because I can never remember my way back and I'm someone who would walk if it takes less than an hour to reach the destination.
Coming home though, after 3 months, is amazing. I don't have to move, lug around my backpack, worry about whether I have enough money to spend, debating on whether I should spend that RM5 on a doughnut or a proper meal. All of a sudden, everything is just, stabilised, I'm no longer on the move all the time. It feels great, but at the same time, empty.
I learnt too, a lot about myself and in a sense, grew.
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