although we didn't make the most out of this trip, but i truly enjoyed every bit of it. thank you for giving me an unforgettable memory to keep.

happy anniversary, my dearest husband

Labels: Lifestyle, Travel

i love the kind of midnight ride when everything and everywhere is still a patch of black and the only thing alive is our perpetual laughter in the car. we could merely contain our excitement in the dark and the anticipation that we longed to feel grows a little with every traveled miles. for a moment, this surreal reality freed us from our heavy life burdens.

i guess it's always the smallest, insignificant gestures, actions, moments and things that doesn't seem to matter mattered most. my body now has a few new scars from the snorkeling trip, and as much as i hated scars, i particularly love these new ones because they carry stories and meanings. when i look at these scars scattered around my knee, ankle, elbow and palm, i realized what i fear the most is not having a few new scars but the lack of courage to try new things.

i'll never forget our drunken night, a night so wild and free i feel a little shocked and privileged to experience. i like how alcohol can get me to a state of becoming the person i'd always wanted – but too afraid – to be. being intoxicated is such a guilty pleasure, which is why i love it – amazing yet so destructive. that particular night gets a little too personal when we started spinning the empty beer bottle. there are a lot of screaming, truth talks, bathroom trips, throw ups and hilarious behaviors. it's the kind of night that knows no boundaries and i'm missing it secretly.

one of those night, i fell in love with an 'acquaintance' after our drinking session in the chalet room. he laid his head on a pillow and fell asleep on my crossed lap while we were having a hyped up group chat on the bed. i enjoyed these insignificant yet affectionate gestures and allowed myself to sink into crazy fantasies. maybe it's the alcohol, maybe it's my heart, or both, i can't tell but i'm conscious about my feeling – insane, delicate and thrilled.

i think the fun part about traveling is certainly not just about the destination, your partners and companions mattered. i believe travel experiences are part of growth and i'm grateful to be able to learn and grow with people i cherish, people i never wanted to say goodbye to.

to all my dear solanhais, thank you for coming into my life and giving me these unforgettable memories.

Labels: Travel

220 miles up north ; 3 days ; 4 backpacks ; a car ; complete unfamiliarity

we discovered a museum full of cameras that are older than everyone else in this world, accommodated in a hostel with foreigners from all over the globe, explored old buildings and architectures with modern twist, hunted mural paintings along the artistic street at night, met the friendly, quirky, playful, kind as well as rude people in the town, ate the best banana cake and russian cheesecake that leaves our tastebud dancing the whole night, drove uphill to an isolated farmhouse at the outskirt of town, walked on the street with only bikini for the first time, witnessed a breathtaking sunset by the beach, rode on a beautiful old horse called 'good luck'...

and i know the adventure doesn't end right here. someday we will explore places further away from home and learn about life in new perspectives. this backpacking trip has rewarded me with experiences that remind me of my dream and passion. i'm anticipating what's to come.

Labels: Travel

taking off at 0645 in the morning, i had to admit that i was rather lucky to be able to see the sunrise on my first plane flight. it's indeed one of the most significant moment i had witnessed during my trip to bangkok. being greeted by such hypnotic scene on plane felt so surreal, so vivid, so lively and perhaps, a little too inspiring. i admired it for as long as i could and secretly wish it'd stay longer.

i have never travel out of my country before. the fact that i'm actually going to travel on my own with a friend and two strangers whom i just met on the day we fly made me feel insanely nervous. somehow the thought eased a little as we started talking. we clicked after the first day. in fact we had so much fun shopping together at platinum mall and naraya, chatting and laughing away, leaving our laughter behind every single place we went. i'm very blessed to be able to know these beautiful individuals, especially the couple. i always think we don't get opportunity and chance like this often, travel companion that turned into someone who shares your common and inspire you in such a way you couldn't even explain. i guess it really does matter. travel companion is the key that decides if a trip is fun or the complete other way round. i didn't know these people for long, but they surely lifted my spirit to a point i hadn't before since my internship. the process of getting to know them through everything we did is a bliss.

bangkok, to me, sounded pretty much modernized. the impression i get from all the travel journals and blogs is a city filled with tons of vehicles bustling through the roads and streets day in day out; that when the sky turned dark, you get to view the city in the most significant picturesque form with all the street lights and headlamps breaking through the dark. a high fashion city with happening people everywhere. whenever i think about bangkok, the first thing that came to my mind is undoubtedly a busy city with cool people living the luxurious lifestyle.

however, i realized there's only a small part of bangkok that take these definitions. just like how people would describe the federal capital, kuala lumpur as a shopping heaven, but it didn't quite define kuala lumpur accurately. there are many cultural places in kuala lumpur other than just shopping malls. i assume this inadequate description comes from the famous golden triangle, a location for great malls, iconic buildings and landmarks people often heard about kuala lumpur. my opinion is the same theory applies to bangkok. i had to admit i completely overlooked the other side of it. true it has some of the best shopping places in asia that undoubtedly make it a renowned and famous shopping heaven, but it is also a city that preserve and hold on to its own culture despite the advanced world, a city with many cultural activities, which i find pretty amazing.

what i liked most about bangkok is, ironically, not the shopping malls but the floating market at damnoen saduak. it's worth every penny to pay 500 thai baht for a boat ride around the market. i like it because it appealed to me as a rural thai culture that thais practice up till today. i supposed it's not easy to preserve a culture from generation to generation, but the thais made it. it speaks more than anything else as this is a culture that symbolizes thailand in particular, and it's the exact thing i want to see and learn from this country. definitely an eyeopening experience.

besides that, what really caught my attention are the roadside stalls and vendors along the street. practically everywhere i passed by, even the back alleys, had stalls and vendors selling foods, clothes, drinks, trinkets and even souvenirs. it's almost like every street formed a market of its own. for this reason i love petchaburi road, although it's really not the kind of place i would usually love to go if we had it here. i love the architecture in wat pho temple and of course, wandering in the 7-11 stores because they carry so many products that i had never seen before in my country.

the people in bangkok are generally very welcoming, however it feels strange sometimes to see someone with typical chinese appearance approached us and converse in a language we couldn't fathom, that we had to use some hand gestures to communicate. one night my babe and i decided to try out the refrigerated sandwiches in 7-11. we both chose our desired flavor and the worker helped us to heat it up. receiving such a simple enthusiastic gesture in a completely unfamiliar part of the world is adequate to make us feel welcomed. it was one of the warmest night in bangkok.

i guess this is somehow like a chilling trip for us as i find ourselves relaxing in the hotel room and roaming around the streets most of the time. although we had visited a good amount of cultural and not-so-cultural places, i had to admit that i wish to see more of the cultural side of bangkok. i wish i had taken their tuktuk ride, watched the thai girl shows and gone to places like the railway track market, khao san road, chatuchak market and a cafe called cabbages and condoms. however, i had lots of fun during the trip and i get to taste some of the awesome local foods. i've been craving it ever since. it's a beautiful place that i would never forget and i am sure to go back if my financial status permits. and lastly, the best part of the trip? definitely the experience.

Labels: Travel