Tag: thoughts

#25- My Photobook- “Wanderlust”

Back in 2013, I made a photobook based off my travels up to that point in time, where I was in an entirely different state of mind. This was when I first started traveling in my bid to do some soul-searching as I entered into a phase in life where I was completely confused and direction-less. I did the bulk of these with friends. I was more focused on checking places off the list, rather than being introspective.

In 2015, I have had the opportunity to travel to so many more places, and meet so many more new people, solo. Almost all of my trips were solo, and it really gave me heaps of insights into the biggest mystery of all time, me.

With the new insights, I am inspired to create another version for 2015!

Meanwhile, sharing this version from 2013. 🙂

My Book -wanderlust

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#22- Time for another adventure

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I am all packed, and ready for another adventure. The last two months saw a complete change in terms of lifestyle, maturity, and the focus of my life. Its nice being on the road again, as it reminds me of the free-spirited and adventure parts of me. Really excited to do a short solo stint before catching my friends in Iceland. And as I receive texts from my friends who made the effort to send me a “safe travels”, I am really really thankful.

Being in Manila last weekend got me super pensive about life, how I have settled so much into routine, and forgot the importance of being thankful. Sometimes we get some busy with our lives and forget to thankful for those around us. Even the very fact that we are kept so busy with our lives is something to be thankful for, because it keeps our mind away from having negative thoughts.

I am way behind in uploading travel photos. (will work harder at this!) This trip to Scandinavia  is something I’ve been looking forward to, initially with someone I thought would always be there for me. Now, I’m going to do it with people who have been instrumental in keeping me sane! Just 2 hours before I leave for the airport. 

Having had stability for two months, I feel that I’ve become less adventurous, which sucks. I need to reconnect with the real me, deep within. I hope being in nature will help me do that!

My travels are always laden with surprises, and I can’t wait to see what is in store for me!! Meanwhile, I’ll keep being positive, awesome and try to find the steps to happyness!

The picture above is my favourite spot in Yosemite. In the middle of the valley, you can see waterfall, blue skies, and most importantly, I have had really fond memories of the place each time I visit. I miss the U.S so much!

xoxo

X

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#21- What “Closure” really means

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More often than not, the door is shut on you without you really getting an answer from what you “think” you need to move on to find closure. It could be a relationship, friendship, or family.

Sometimes we spend all our time thinking of finding that closure, but that in itself is not moving on. Actually, closure should be about what you think, what you need to think to make yourself feel better. Most of the time, the closure that you are seeking for, is just your excuse to stop yourself from facing the fact that you are refusing to face up to.

It is definitely very tough to face up to facts. But the moment you let go of your ego and face up to those uncomfortable emotions, your road to recovery begins. Feel what you need to feel, no one has the right to judge you. Recovery is not linear, and you will find that you seem to be on a roller coaster all the time, but that’s alright, because if it makes you feel better, who cares? It may seem impossible, but full recovery is definitely possible, and you will find a new love which makes you so happy, and that is self-love. Happiness is within reach, you just got to take that first step!

Xoxo

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#19- Happiness Comes From Within

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“Happiness comes from within.”

This is something I’ve tried to “religiously” remind myself of since the beginning of this year. I’ve had plenty of down moments this year, but these are definitely decreasing as I try to fill myself with more positivity each day. Today, I was drowning in nostalgia, and was feeling pretty damn terrible as I allowed myself to dwell in self-pity.

What saved me was a text message from a really good friend in the states. He told me that this photo is now the newest piece to their household in the form of a canvas print.

After seeing this photo, his father commented, “It’s something I’ve seen for over 30 years and took for granted. For someone who’s from outside the US to come here and caption that photo as the American Dream makes you appreciate more and realize it is all about perception.”

I never thought that my photos would make that much of a difference to someone. I was really happy. This sense of happiness came from within, from genuinely being happy that my photos got people thinking deeper. At this moment, all that negativity I had been feeling today dissipated. The happiness that I am feeling comes from me, and nobody can take this away from me.

And yes, it is all about perspective. Do I want to keep myself happy with positive thoughts, or to dwell in self-pity and negative thoughts? I think, the choice is clear. Funny how a simple change in perspective brings about so much more happiness.

That being said, Happy Mid Autumn Festival to all!

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#18- Thoughts on why we go through unhappiness

Queenstown, NZ-1We are all shaped by the experiences that we go through, or the people we meet. You can never erase the impact that people leave on you when they come into your life, both positive and negative.

Maybe there are life experiences that you think were too painful, and you think it would have been great if you didnt have to go through it. However, without those periods of pain and agony, would you be who you are today?

We all emerge stronger after going through difficult times, and that is all part of being human. Without going through the pain, would you be able to fully appreciate the moments of happiness? If you were always happy, would you take happiness for granted, and stop growing as a person?

Everything happens for a reason, and all of it contributes to making you a better person. As you work towards a better version of yourself, you will also start appreciating life so much more.

“The more you know, the more you don’t know”, this quote encapsulates everything that I feel right now. After the last few months of soul searching, I find myself a really different person, but I am definitely loving this new version of me so much more, even though I am still trying to find out more of this new person residing inside of me.

Xoxo

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#16- Disconnect to reconnect

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We are all addicted to the internet, social media, and the whole notion of staying connected. For those of you living in cities, take a look around you, you will notice that everyone is using a smartphone, laptop, tablet, etc. The onset of the digital age has fundamentally hindered our ability to live in the moment. When traveling, the one thing we look for upon arrival is whether we can stay connected, and whether the airport has WIFI connection, etc.  This desire to be connected seems to be an addiction. I am guilty of it myself. When I got to Myanmar, my first purchase was on a SIM card. I told myself that I needed Wifi lest I got lost, but come on, who am I kidding? I obviously wanted to get data so I could connect with my friends on whatsapp, facebook, instagram, etc.

In the last 3 months, the only times I purchased data was Myanmar and Hong Kong. Ironically, I think I enjoyed myself so much more when I was disconnected. I could take the time to think about my own life, where I am at, and soak myself in the sights.I definitely enjoyed the interactions with the locals so much more too!

When I got to Myanmar, there were many times where I had to stop myself from looking at my phone, and refocus my attention on everything that was before me. It was the interactions with the locals that got me thinking about how addicted I was to the internet. Most of the locals did not have Smartphones, and they connected with one another via interaction at the marketplace, which was a boatride away for most people. This was the point where I decided to disconnect and refocused myself on my trip. It was at that point that I began seeing so much more, and captured more precious moments on my camera.

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I doubt I will be getting data for my solo travels in the future. With a more stable schedule in place now, I think I need to #disconnect to reconnect when I travel, as these travels will now be the best time for me to be introspective. Moving away from narcissism and addiction to the social media, I hope to be someone with a bigger heart, focused on reconnecting with the people, the environment, and living in the moment.

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#16- In love

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I think I’m in love. Not with anyone in particular, but with this world. I think this world has way too much to offer. The nature, the people, the animals, the architecture, the history, the universe, everything comes together concurrently to create this world that we see before us. Ever since I got back, I find myself being able to appreciate the people around me better, being more aware of the things going on around me. I’m used to cruising through life here because it is so familiar that I take it for granted. Maybe it is time to start focusing and exploring home once again, with this sense of newfound awareness.

Thanks to those who shared my last post; I’m glad it meant something to some of you!

Xoxo

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#13- Because home makes me smile

DSC_0355-1Been back in Singapore for awhile now. I think I am slowly integrating “back” into my life. Much as I try to think that things will be the same as before, it will never be the case. I think I have grown on so many levels the last 8 months, having gone through many major changes which required a huge level of maturity and commitment. Time continues to move, people change, and things change so quickly these days that I find it really difficult to continue where I left off before I started my journey.

One big change upon returning here is the newfound sense of appreciation and gratefulness for my life in Singapore. Indeed, I think I have been fortunate enough to have had the opportunity to grow up in Singapore. I’ve been checking out my own city skyline in the last week a couple of times as I’ve had friends visiting, and suddenly I realised how beautiful home is. The people, the sense of familiarity, food, and everything else is really amazing. I have to admit I have always taken all of these for granted.

Even though I still miss the simplicity of village life in Myanmar, coupled with the innocent laughter I hear each time I see kids there, I am still really happy to be back at home, with my family, friends, and everything else. Life is beautiful, and everyday, there is a reason for me to smile.

~~ululatetravels

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#9- Hong Kong and Spontaneity

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I chose to travel without my camera this time round, as I figured that it would provide me with alot more mobility, so please excuse the lack of quality in terms of photos.

Just got back from Hong Kong this morning. So many things happened, and reflecting on all the serendipitous encounters and experiences in the last few days, I feel some parts of me stirring as I start pondering about the next steps and priorities in life.

This is the first time in my life where I allowed myself to act on complete spontaneity even though there were financial considerations involved for that decision. I extended my stay, at the very very last minute, cancelled my existing flight ticket back to Singapore, and ended up paying a premium for another ticket back to Singapore.  I also had to bear the cost for additional nights of accommodation as well. I have never done this before, and it was really liberating (albeit the slight tinge of regret when I looked at the bank numbers). However, I do not regret the decision, as the extra time allowed for me to meet so many people, and reconnected with so many different parts of me.

I have always had a sense of detachment with Hong Kong, because it was always just a stopover for me. I never felt any connection with the city even though I spent my formative years here.  There is just this part of me living in nostalgia, thinking about how I used to be really happy, when I lived a much simpler life back in HK as a kid. Taking the time to explore the city all over again has got me rethinking my relationship with the city, and maybe, just maybe, there is so much meaning in this city. It is the people that make the difference, I have no doubts about that. But, there is also that element of reconnecting with the me, before I moved to Singapore.

Maybe, just maybe, Hong Kong might be the answer I am looking for, as I continue on my journey to find that missing piece of me. Which begs the question, what is one’s priority in life? What should be the most important to me right now?

~~ Ululatetravels

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#8- Thoughts Post Taiwan

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Back in Singapore and my second solo trip ended last night. Its been an amazing trip full of firsts. First time trying 檳榔，first time visiting and navigating random offshore islands on my own, driving an electric scooter, crashing a motorbike while trying to drive it for the first time, taking day trips with random strangers who are now my friends, etc. I’ve definitely found out so much more about myself and even reaffirming certain traits, such as how poor my sense of direction and balance are. Despite these,  it has still been amazing finding out so much more about myself. Revisiting old spots just made me realize how far I’ve come from my past, and the need to keep moving forward without looking backwards. Thank you so much Taiwan, I learnt alot the last few days!

Meeting new people and learning more about others makes me appreciate the little things in life so much more. Take for example Jili and his owner, featured above, the bond shared by them is something that I found really precious, and made me think about my lack of time spent with Camry as I have been traveling quite abit the last few months. Perhaps, it is a stark reminder that I should remain in town next week so as to spend more time with my family, friends, and my precious Camry.

~~Ululatetravels

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