It’s been three months exactly since I left London to begin my travels (!!). So now seems like an appropriate time to pause and reflect on how I’ve found it all so far. I’m also starting to put some plans together for 2019, which is an exciting yet daunting prospect.
It’s 9th December: everyone at home is getting prepared for Christmas festivities, and some friends I’ve met along the way have gone home to celebrate the holidays in the company of their loved ones. I wouldn’t say I’m homesick yet, but the idea of missing Christmas at home is bittersweet, as it’ll be the first one I’ve ever spent away from my family. But a Christmas and New Year spent in Bali awaits!
I’m already feeling a sense of nostalgia for the beginning of my trip, which I know sounds ridiculous but like a friend said: when travelling, three weeks feels like three months. So, being gone three months essentially feels like three years. Maybe a slight exaggeration, but emotions are heightened x100 out here. I’ve now parted ways with two of the people I have spent the most time with along the way, so right now feels like the end of a small chapter.
I’ve enjoyed the beautiful places I’ve visited, as well as the hikes, the beautiful sunsets, the ocean, the food, the spontaneity, and the uncontrollable fits of laughter. I’ve adored getting to know all of the gorgeous humans I’ve come across; learning about them and their lives (when I truly connect with someone, I feel like it’s more than a random coincidence that we’ve entered each other’s lives, however cliché that is). I’ve loved challenging myself: learning and experiencing life in a way I never have before.
The end of a chapter of course means the beginning of a new one. I’m looking forward to what will come over the next few months. In the new year, there are pencilled in plans for a friend to visit, and for my Mum to come out and spend my birthday with me, which would be super special.
I have also recently confirmed that from February, I will be taking a job in Northwest Vietnam, teaching extra-curricular English to young children! Although it wasn’t originally on the itinerary, I think it’s going to be the perfect opportunity to settle somewhere and make it home for a while. I am looking forward to meeting and creating relationships with the children, who I’ve heard are adorable.
(I’m aware of all the ways that teaching English can be problematic across non-native speaking countries, especially in South East Asia. But I feel reassured by the fact that classes are supplementary and lesson plans are according to a curriculum: it’ll be less formal and more fun.)
I intend to carry on seeking, learning, developing, exercising my curiosity for everything and everyone as I continue, I’m HUNGRY.
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