Tag: travel

#28-2015, The Most Amazing Year Ever

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Spent the entire day sorting out travel pictures and my thoughts, at the same time preparing for my next trip, which is in about 5 hours time.

2015 has been an amazing year. I have no idea where to start. The year started off with a major heartbreak. The agony and pain that I have had to deal with was way more intensive than I had imagined, but on the other hand, this also meant that I had loved. I am glad that I had the opportunity to do that. Being in love meant that I had to leave myself vulnerable, and I think I have not regretted doing that, not one bit, for I have learnt so much more and became a much better person.

Learning to deal with the pain exposed me to another form of love, i.e, self-love. To date, I am still not too sure what it really means, but by my definition it would be the state of being at ease spending time with the most awesome person on earth, me! Learning to find the path to happiness on my own was a different game altogether, and I embarked on this journey filled with doubts and uncertainties. Nonetheless, a life filled with uncertainty is one that is exciting, especially so for someone as inquisitive as I am.

Mid 2015, as I was picking myself up slowly from the heartbreak, I was dealt with another blow. Losing my job. The financial and emotional uncertainties plagued me for a couple of days, until one day, where I woke up and decided to take the chance to do something I’ve always wanted to do but never had the balls to, and that is solo travel. So there I was, booking my first one way ticket to another country, without any plans or return date. Ironically, it felt amazingly therapeutic. Not having to adhere to timelines, schedules, compromising to the needs of others, getting lost, being on random ferries to random offshore islands, experiencing all the firsts in my life etc, these adventures actually made me feel really at ease with myself. Traveling on my own made me learn so much more about myself, and gave me time away from the crazy city life in Singapore to rethink so many things.

In those months, I traveled to places I’ve always wanted to go to, and revisited places which I had avoided so as not to expose myself to the memories that I was trying so hard to bury. Gathering the strength to face up to these memories, and creating new ones on my own gave me a new resolute to live my life so that I do not regret at my deathbed, so that one day, I have stories to tell my children and grandchildren, and to inspire them to live their lives for all that it is worth in the future.

Traveling made me appreciate so many things in life that I have been taking for granted, especially the people. 2015 is really the year where I learn to be thankful from the bottom of my heart.

1. My Family – Thankful for an amazing family that has accommodated my sporadic trips, been there for me all the time, made me feel so much warmth in my heart even though I took you guys for granted for so many years prior.

2. My Friends – I do not even know where to start. Some of you joined me for parts of my journey, some of you sat through my grouses, some of you were there for me whenever I was down, some of you hosted me when I traveled to your city, some of you made the effort to meet me wherever I was traveling to, some of you became friends with me during my journeys, etc.  I am really thankful for each and every one of you. Believe me, every one of you made a difference to me.

3. My Colleagues – You guys made life so much more amazing and interesting for me. All the late night drinks, dinner, partying, heart to heart chats, I am so so thankful for you guys!

2015 has been the most amazing year ever. I am actually really thankful for everything that has happened to me this year, and yes, that includes the heartbreak. Life is actually really meaningful, and it largely depends on what you make of it.

Really looking forward to 2016, and I cannot wait to see what the future holds for me!

Have no expectations, and let life take you to happiness and awesomeness!

P.S. One of the most amazing experiences this year (in this lifetime), was watching the northern lights in all its glory in Iceland. Hence this photo! 🙂

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#27-What happiness really means

Sometimes having absolutely no expectations works in amazing ways. I love the element of surprise, and because I have no expectations, I end up being pleasantly surprised. Letting go of all judgments allows us to see people or events before for what it really is. That is really the most amazing feeling,ever.

Just got back from the festivities from the Union of two really amazing people, who have made huge differences to me; and I have to say, it feels really amazing to see people around you basked in joy. It makes me really happy to see those around me happy.

Happiness is not an end state, it is a state that you choose to be in, there and then. Life is filled with constant ups and downs, and that constant moving between the emotional states actually account for the true meaning behind what life is. Learning to enjoy and appreciate these changes is an art that I’m still trying to grasp. I won’t say I like sadness, but I believe that the downs are there to remind you not to take things for granted, and that life is full of uncertainty.

Being the usually inquisitive me, I start questioning what happiness entails. Is it making that extra money? Or finding that special person? Or is it simply sharing the happiness with those around me? It seems that nobody has a definite answer, but for now, I choose to remain comfortably lost, sharing in the joy of those around me, and genuinely being happy because those around me are happy.

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#26- A Change in Perspective…

Life is a lot about perspective. A change of perspective goes a really long way. This principle can be applied in every aspect of your life, and more often than not, helps you get out of the rut or the dilemmas that you are facing.

If you choose to see events as positive, then it is something positive, because that is your perspective of it, and it is in effect a “unique relationship” between you and the event that nobody can take away from you.

Positivity takes you to better places. Negativity, on the other hand, drags you down into the deep abyss of the unknown, and with negativity, you just get increasingly negative, and not forgetting, you draw negative vibes towards you.

As we approach the end of 2015, I am now taking the time to reflect on how much I have grown in the last year, and what I am thankful for from the past year. Even though I still feel like I am searching for something in life which at this moment, I still haven’t gotten any clarity on what it exactly is. Until then, I guess I will have to just keep doing things that make me happy, and love life in a positive manner. Looking forward to more travels and learning more lessons in 2016.

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*Photo taken over sunset at the amazing glacial lagoon in Iceland.

Xoxo

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#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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#24 – Violence is NOT a means to an end

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Today I woke up to another wave of attacks across different entertainment spots in Paris. It seems to have become a norm, for people to use violence as a means to impose what they believe in, onto civilians who are deemed to be on the other side by their standards. It is also unimaginable for one to believe that by inflicting massive damage and destruction onto others, they can achieve what their version of the world means.
 
How is it that people can believe that they can achieve what they want by taking away the lives of innocent people? How is it that people can believe that they have the right to take away the lives of other people? Which “religion” would ever propagate that? There is just no reason for all this craziness. This has got to STOP.
 
Even if they feel offended by what others have done, does it give them the right to be offensive about being offended? This world needs to learn respect. Violence does not gain you any respect, at all. There is no reason, absolutely no justifiable cause for anyone to kill others. You do not prove anything at all, apart from the fact that you do not deserve any respect. We have had so many lessons across history from wars, revolutions, uprisings, and it appears mankind is actually moving backwards in terms of civilisation, as we increasingly revert to using violence to resolve any difference. Does the show of power really get you what you want?
 
I look forward to the day where mankind truly learns from history, and stop mindless acts like these ones. Maybe, we just never learn from history.
 
My deepest condolences to those who have lost their lives amidst this mindless and crazy series of attacks. #prayforparis
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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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#17- Defining Yourself

“The more you know, the more you don’t know.”

The above encapsulates everything that I feel right now. After the 3 months of traveling, I thought I had a much better understanding of myself, and would be more than ready to face the world again. However, whilst traveling, I think I have changed so much that I am struggling to understand myself again. Certain things that I used to enjoy have become a burden to me.

Comparing myself to how I was before, I definitely love who I am now so much more, and I feel increasingly at ease with my identity. However, I have a problem trying to understand the way I analysed and behaved before the “enlightenment”. There are certain elements of me which I find ridiculous right now, and on hind sight, I cannot believe that I thought that was normal. Who was that person that I used to be?

To me, the process of finding yourself includes defining your identity, what you believe in, and what you care about. I guess I am still in the process of coming to terms with this new person residing inside of me, and I hope to enrich my life experiences so that I never forget to live everyday with counting my blessings.

Maybe life is never about finding an answer about who you are, because experiences will shape your worldview, which would in turn alter your understanding of yourself again. I am still struggling to come to terms with who that person was before, and one thing I am sure of is, I am never going back to that person. We can only work towards becoming better versions of ourselves, and growing stronger with each challenge that life throws at you. And that, is my goal for the year, not bowing to the challenges that life leaves me with.

Keep moving,for life will not stop surprising you!

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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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#14- Change is the only constant

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Looking back on everything that has happened in 2015, my greatest realisation is that change is the only constant. Heard of this statement before? Because it is so true!

People, feelings, circumstances, plans, jobs, partners, friends etc, everything in life is subjected to change. Nothing remains static. Personally,  I think the main reason why people feel pain when they end a relationship or when they lose something in their lives, is basically because of their inability to accept abrupt change, and the sense of attachment which they have with whatever they are losing. It is definitely easier said than done, and dealing with constant changes is a really stressful process.

One of my girlfriends just got out of a long term relationship recently, and conversations about life with her always get me reflecting about some of the changes I’ve had to go through this year.

When someone we love decides to leave us, the first thought that occurs is usually, “I cannot live without this person”. That, in essence, is resisting change. In life, there is no one person who is indispensable, and the moment you start accepting that change is a constant, the time taken to heal shortens by so much, because it means you are placing the focus back on yourself. More often than not, when we fall in love, we lose sight of who we are, and you find your identity becoming a collective one. When you do not evolve together with your partner in a relationship, then the identity crisis comes along. Eventually, when one party decides to leave, one resists the change, because it would mean that the collective identity that one is so comfortable with gets removed, and it is hard to readapt back to life on your own. The whole process of “moving on” is in essence, accepting the change, and then realigning the focus of your life back to yourself. At least this was the case for me.

How do we keep ourselves unfettered by these changes? The answer is, we cannot.  The only way to go about it is to basically embrace change as a constant. Sounds simple, but it is in fact an uphill task. Humans have a tendency to stay attached to the things they have and letting go actually entails accepting that life will change from now on. Tough, but I think a good thinking to have is to live in the moment, and be grateful for everything that you have. This thought on its own, will put you back on the path of healing, and leave you amazed at how far positivity can take you.

I hope those who are struggling to cope with change will have positivity to guide them to greater happiness!

~~ululatetravels

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