The purpose in life..

It's been a long time since I'm here blogging. Most of the time I just share photos and articles. But this morning. I was reading an article in the newspaper which was talking about how a girl quit her job to travel and find herself. And it got me thinking. 

A little background about the article. This girl's a Uni graduate and came out to work in the corporate world. She got tired of climbing the corporate ladder and wanted to find herself. So she took off to Guatemala for 3 weeks. Hoping to find what she really wanted in life. There she met travellers who are as lost as her and did not know what they wanted to do with their lives either. Until she met a yoga instructor (who is now her boyfriend) and she opened a restaurant there and an agency helping others to look for jobs for Spanish teachers. That was 4 years ago that she left Singapore and she seems to have found her purpose in life. 

What I want to share here is this. If you want to find yourself. You do not need to leave the corporate world. Neither does it guarantee that once you leave and travel you will be able to find yourself. And I strongly disagree with the fact that travellers are lost. I have met and known travellers who know exactly why they are travelling. And travellers who are travelling to find themselves - but not lost. 

I've a full time job and in the corporate world. I face the corporate ladder and dog-eats-dog world every day. But do I know what I want to do with my life? I do. I know that this job I have now allows me to earn enough to continue travelling when I have the time. But it doesn't mean that I lose myself when I stop travelling. 

In the 9 years that I am in this full time job of mine. I travel. I travel to places that I grew up dreaming of. Never thinking they will come true one day. I travel alone. Living by the day.

Travelling opened up my eyes to the places beyond the horizon. It made me come back more appreciative of what I have and taught me things that education did not.

One of the first few places I travelled to alone.. Malacca, Malaysia.

Another one of the first few places I travelled to alone.. Taken at the foot of Mount Phousi, Luang Prabang, Laos. 

I didn't only take the less trodden path. But I splurged once in a while when I went to DisneyLand in Hong Kong. Universal Studios in Osaka. DisneySea in Tokyo. Of course with every splurge it came with a price. But have I ever regretted spending more money than what I brought over? Never. I worked so hard back home. Why shouldn't I treat myself a little better when I'm away?

With Mickey in DisneySea, Tokyo! 

I learnt to appreciate the beauty of Mother Nature. Especially when I started backpacking to The Philippines.

Kids playing on the sand bank in Batanyan Island, Cebu, Philippines. 

A 8 hours banca ride from Coron to El Nido, Philippines. 

Sunrise in Angkor Wat, Siem Reap, Cambodia.

I made new friends along the way and hung out with them.. Just like a local. =) 

My friend and I sitting on the ledge of a waterfall in Siquijor, Philippines. 

And a family and me rafting away in Bali, Indonesia.

 I went to places that I never even dreamed of sometimes. Learning the ways as I go along. 

On top of one of the 5 peaks in Mount Hua Shan, Xi'an, China.

Floating down the Yellow River on a pig skin raft, China.

Drinking horse wine - neat - once we got down the bus in Inner Mongolia, China. 

And to fulfill my dream of getting to Tibet. I planned and on a whim. Signed up for the tour and off I went! My first destination that was crossed off my bucket list! 

Beautiful beautiful Lin Zhi, Tibet, China. 

Of course a visit and climb to the Potala Palace is a given! Lhasa, Tibet. 

Another place on my bucket list was to backpack to Sri Lanka. I love the hospitality. The people. The nature. What I didn't really enjoy was the food.. Coz I came back home and swore off Indian food for a good 9 months!

Sunrise from our 'tent' in Madulkele, Kandy, Sri Lanka. Across us was the Knuckles Range. Breathtaking!

Finally seeing the fishermen on stilts in Galle, Sri Lanka!

Just not too long ago. I took a 3 weeks break and went back to the Philippines and decided that after procrastinating for so long. It's time to pick up scuba diving. Never have I accomplished something that I'm so proud of. Till the extent that I'm thinking of doing the divemaster course too!

My Open Water session in Camiguin, Philippines.

Fish feeding in process in Batangas, Philippines.

Heading down into the unknown off White Island in Camiguin, Philippines.

And seeing a white tip reef shark so close while down under in Maldives is the icing on the cake!

I learnt. Through backpacking and staying in hostels. And through driving on road trips. I don't need to leave the corporate world to find my purpose in life. I know what I want and I go for it! 

The perks of solo travelling..

I juz read this article written by Betsy Talbot and posted by Solo Traveler (http://solotravelerblog.com/build-confidence-travel-solo/) and I had a sudden inspiration to share. 

Excerpt: 

'“I can’t go into a restaurant by myself!”

Have any of your friends ever said something like this to you? I know I heard it a lot in my single days, and I wondered how those people managed to eat out, go to the movies, or take vacations.'

And then I realized I've been hearing more of these more and more. Hahaha. Not that it should be a surprise after all the trips I've taken solo. =P Yes. Eating and going out to town alone used to be a daunting thought. I could never understood how others can ever shop or eat or watch movie alone. Until one faithful day when I decided to give it a try by heading to a movie alone. Then it hit me that hey! I actually enjoyed the experience! And after the movie I went and had a good Jap meal at Tonkichi at Shaw. Well. At least that was what I remembered. Besides feeling awkward and out of place initially. I started looking around and saw that there were a handful of others sitting alone and having a meal. Some looked at their phones throughout (while I stare at them =P) while some looked like they couldn't wait to finish their meal and get out of there. Of course there were a couple of solo-ists who seems like they were enjoying their meal and taking time out to glance at others (read: people watch) and I guess it wasn't that bad after all! =)

In relation back to the article:

Confidence. I never knew I could even travel alone. Until that trip to Luang Prabang after going to Bangkok with a friend. But the friend had to go back to classes so I went solo to Luang Prabang to meet a neighbour (a neighbour whom I have spoken less than 10 sentences - I think - to in my 23 years of life.) But I did. It was big step forward and coz I had no friend with me. I literally had to pluck my courage from the sky. Do transfers by myself (in a country where English seems quite limited) and get around town alone (when the neighbour was at work in the day).

One of the photos I cherish to this day. A traveller standing atop Mount Phousi capturing the sunset. <3

Decisiveness. I did whatever I wanted. Whenever I wanted. I had no second opinions that I need to consider. The trip was all about me. Me and me. But perhaps it has come to a point now that when I do travel with friends. I'd rather the other party make the decision and let me juz stone away. =)

Couldn't decide what to have at the night market at the foot of Mount Phousi. 

Curiousity. I wandered the streets and alleys alone. Looking at knick knacks and observing people who seemed to have come from all walks of life. It was an eye opener for a girl like me who couldn't remember much about the kampung life I had. But kept me awake on some nights thinking of how life might have been if not for the rapid development of the current government. Don't get me wrong. I love living in a cosmopolitan city. Juz that as the times move on and work starts coming in. A break from the usual hustle and bustle of life is much much needed. 

An old lady I spotted making sarongs in an open house. 

Solo travel as personal growth. I never imagined that one day I would be making trips on my own. Neither would I have thought possible that I could be independent in such a way that sometimes I scare myself a little too. Through solo travelling I found myself again and loved myself in more ways that I could ever named before. I can pass the days not talking to anyone at all - besides ordering food and asking directions (which to many seems a bit too extreme) but I enjoy it. I enjoy soaking up the atmosphere. The culture. But most of all. I enjoy the freedom of being ME.

Trying to mount an elephant barefooted but ended up facing the wrong direction! What a laugh! =P

Solo travelling. Time to be with me. By me. Would I trade the chance to travel solo with anything? Most definitely not. Travel has become my addiction. <3

Waiting for the monks in the streets of Luang Prabang at 4am in the morning.