2022+

8:00pm December 26, 2022: 回到家了，今年应该可以结束了。(Finally home, I'm done with this year)

That's what I thought when thinking back about the trip and this year. Words can't describe what I wanna express now, as I have been always bad at wording. So I chose to burst into tears instead, just for like 10 minutes, to release all the emotions that I've been holding back these days.

满意有

There's a sense of fulfilment

There are lots of reasons why I went on this trip:

To travel. Yup, I had a 'revenge' trip with my sister earlier this year to Singapore and Malaysia. It was great and it triggered the desire to be back in Southeast Asia one more time before this year comes to an end. 5 days in April wasn't enough, I wanna discover more. And more importantly, be quick before the Chinese occupy this world.
To seek some summer sunshine. I've been living in the longest winter ever since July and possibly to next year's October or even November.
SEA is home. Years ago when I was still learning Mandarin Chinese and got very influenced by the mainland culture, I felt like Vietnam is like a small version of China and is different from other countries in SEA. This trip let me know the true root of my culture, from anthropology, history, culture, and people. I feel more connected with this region than ever after this trip. Before this, I wouldn't believe that I came all the way to Sumatra (lots of time and travel to get there!) just to see something that was even more Vietnamese than Vietnam. It's home because Grab and Shopee services are everywhere to be used. And people's behaviours made me feel home too, crossing streets with hands waving and saying sorry to the drivers lol
To speak Chinese xD Gosshhhhh I would never think that I would have this idea earlier to this pandemic time. I promised myself that I'd be back to China and Taiwan every two years to practice my Chinese. I know it's not that bad and I just don't have the urge to speak it out loud if I have another option: English. That's why I'd check in every Chinatown in cities I visit to force myself to speak Chinese. It's fun, and a little bit weird also since it's a mix of Chinese and Singlish lol. “This one cannot ma?” “Yes, cannot lah”
To go to Chiang Mai. I had prepared for my graduation trip since early 2018, when I was in my sophomore year, 2 years away from the expected graduation. No matter what got changed in the following drafts, Chiang Mai was always included in that plan. For some moments I did ask myself if I should go to Siem Reap instead and save Chiang Mai for some time in the future, when I could be there for the lantern festival. However, seeing the direct flight to Hanoi made me think it was time, I couldn't postpone, I could wait no more to be there. I think this is how I've become less stubborn than I used to be.

千里之行始于足下。

I wanna challenge myself. Travelling alone is something I both love and feel scared of. I had gone on solo trips from time to time, but in just 3-4 days at most and to places that I'd made myself very familiar with. This would be the first time I was solo for around 2 weeks, to alien places where google translate is how I communicate with local people!

And I received much more after the trip:

I'm finally back to my pre-pandemic self. This trip marked the end of the covid-19 era. It officially ended my 2 years of being indifferent to everything and opened a new chapter of my life with the new blue passport.
I met Ngoc Anh after 4 years, since that trip we had in Busan. She came back to Vietnam 2 times but I wasn't in Vietnam both. So yeah, when she asked me to go to the Philippines with her, I was like, woah, what a life. Never thought we hadn't met for four years~~
I met so many cool people, and also warm-hearted strangers that some became friends. Unlike the cold me that people may see in a coffeeshop, tired of work and study, I can be come very chatty while travelling. Met some startup owners in Manila, then a German lady and Holland couple sharing about their trips after quitting jobs, and then Whan, a new friend that I made in Bangkok. There's this thing when me and NA were in Manila, when we got off from a taxi because the fare was too high, a young girl came to us just to ask if everything was alright and offer help because she had seen us from afar. People are so sweet and this brought me a question, what I've done that people are so good to me? Am I good enough?
Achievements. I consider those little things my achievements. Knowledge about the peoples in SEA. Survival Indonesian. Motorbike riding skills (without Taodo by my side). Friendship and gratitude.
Emotions. I hadn't laughed so hard for quite a long time. I hadn't seen such a breathtaking view for a long time that I even forgot to take a picture of it. I hadn't known what 'fear' meant until the moment I was waiting to board the plane to Bangkok.
I came to realise that I would love a place that is recommended by someone with the same taste as me. Lake Toba is another example, after Tamsui and Lang Co (even though it's a double failure).
Another lesson maybe? That when a door is closed right in front of you, it doesn't mean that there's not another door that you are very close to. All you have to do is to be more patient.
Finally, lots of seasonings from each country.

遗憾也有

There's a sense of regret

I'm greedy and there are thoughts of regret that I can't get rid of:

Philippines without islands. In almost every conversation I had in Manila, I gotta explain why we wouldn't go to the islands lol.
Sabah. Another recommendation from someone I knew years ago. I could have flown from Manila to Kota Kinabalu directly but I booked the flight to KL instead with the hope to wait for my friends to travel to Sabah together. Then plans were changed but Medan was a great replacement anyway.
KL. It's alright, I'd be back there for sure. Together with Taipei, it's the city that I knew there's always next time, that's why I almost didn't do anything there.
The observation tower in Lake Toba. It's 60 km away from my hostel. It was raining af when I decided that I'd go there anyway, since I thought I might be able to go through the fog. Then when there's only 30km left, I saw a rock in front of me and recalled the landslide in Malaysia that mom just shared some days ago. So I went back 🙂
Couldn't meet Ning as she was busy with her job and I shortened my time in Bangkok. 4 years after we left Korea, she's now a government official and I'm still a student lol. Yet she's still as warm and friendly as she was and still gave lots of recommendations.
Chiang Mai's Yi Peng. It's been my dream as a Tangled lover. I could have made it this year if my old passport wouldn't expire next April meaning I couldn't immigrate to another country with it and have to apply for a new one. 君子报仇十年不晚！
That immigration stamp to Laos.
The rains!!!!! Why is it always raining when I'm being solo? Whyyy?

但最重要的是想好了接下来的计划

But the most important thing is I've made up my mind what to do next

Fully charged with happy energy to kick-start my upcoming plans.

An unforgettable trip in my definition is what comes with endless memories and stories to tell. This is one of them.

What makes it even more of a trip is that it sparks some travelling ideas in me, which I hardly have in earlier trips.

Sabah, Krabi and Chiang Mai. The question now is just, when can I get one more chance?

-Phuong 🐯