I’m currently sat in a western world once more. In my Gran’s house in Hastings, New Zealand, the country I promised myself ,at age 13, I would visit and travel one day. I’m drinking home made Lemsip, in the cosiest bed I have ever encountered, reminiscing about the most fantastic 5 months of my life so far (with the odd interruption here and there. The world pisses on us occasionally, to keep us grounded!). Now I’m starting a new chapter of my journey. I hope the next 5 months will be just as fantastic.
I am going to be working and staying with family in Hastings for a while, until I feel ready (and rich enough) to go out and travel again. I ran flat out of money in Bangkok (not a place you want to be broke) and I’m now rushed to find a job. I have a trial shift at a bar in town next Friday, thanks to an English girl who has been in New Zealand for 7 years.. she probably saw a little of herself in me, coming over for the first time, looking for work!
I landed in Auckland at 9:00am on the 28th August. It was 13 degrees. I had come from a pretty constant 30 degree climate. My body was shocked to say the least. I am sniffly. The amount of drinking I have done in the last four months is probably coming back to bite me in the arse too, no doubt. Better rest up, I have to get drunk with my cousin tomorrow night! ;) ‘Kiwi Detox’? You didn’t really buy that, did you?
I think I’m going to like this place. As far as western countries go, it seems pretty chilled. The scenery is gorgeous, wildlife is plentiful, the roads are wide and open, the majority of people are friendly and I have my lovely family here, who drop everything in a heartbeat to help me out (unless I stop them!). Much like anywhere though, as I’ve learnt the hard way - keep your wits about you while you have fun!
I just want to take a moment, to tell you a few things I learnt from my travels in South East Asia…
Chill the fuck out, first world. Just, chill out. Seriously. Do you have to rush, like there’s a fire? Drive like there’s a fire? Generally walk around like there’s a fire shoved up your behind? SLOW DOWN. You’re going too fast to enjoy your life. Laos PDR. It’s written everywhere in Laos. ‘PDR’ stands for ‘Please don’t rush’. I read a brilliant story in Laos - an elderly man from Germany was diagnosed with a serious heart condition and was told he had a few months left to live. He moved to Laos, ceased taking the medication that his body supposedly needed, even though he was told he would die. Two months later his heart rate had slowed right down, along with his blood pressure and within a year he was almost completely cured. Amazing what relaxing can do for one’s body.
The media is the devil. Not that the Thai, Laos or Cambodian people are completely kept away from the Media’s eye, but they are not hammered every single day with consumerist values - you have to have THIS product, you have to look THIS way, you have to act THIS way. Ok, granted, some drive around in fancy cars, have iPads and want to bleach their skin and all that carry-on, but really, materialistic goods are not a massive deal to them. For the majority of the South East Asian people, as long as they have their family, shelter, enough food and clothing etc, they seem happy. I don’t hear them complain about being paid the equivalent of five/six pounds a day. Who was I to complain about getting paid six pounds an hour, when I had all the necessities and much, much more? Sort it out.
Live in the now. Thai’s (particularly those who practise Buddhism) believe very much in taking life day by day, not dwelling on the past or worrying about the future. I now look back at when I was at home and think I was wishing my life away a little bit. Looking forward to something bigger or better, or thinking about the past rather than paying attention and making the most of the present. Something I’ve tried to work on since.
I learnt many things about myself in Thailand too. I won’t bore you with those, but I thought those few over all lessons I’ve learnt might be of interest to you. I cannot thank those of you that I met and befriended in Thailand enough, you have truly changed my life and made my trip so far something extremely special. Particularly Piers, Ka (you absolute BABE, cannot thank you enough for all you‘ve done for me), Tom, Laurice, Hendrick, Monica, Tim, Trish, Natalie, Mike, Prig, Abby. Not forgetting a couple from Ipswich in England, who were my heroes at the beginning of my trip and I cannot wait to reunite with them in the UK, Gemma and Jack J
The most exciting thing about my life right now is that I’ve no idea what’s round the corner. Literally anything can happen from here. All I know for sure at the moment is that I need to earn money, need to travel New Zealand and I need to see Piers again. It’s no secret that Piers played a huge part in my many returns to Nong Khai over my 4 months in Asia. He flies to Australia this week. I shall have to earn money quickly and pay the land down under a visit before I go insane. He may have an ego too big for his half Asian head, and I may have thought he was too camp upon meeting him, but I’m so glad I did. What a sweetheart. Leaving him in Bangkok last week was one of the hardest things I’ve done in a while. So much sadness. Could. Not. Handle.
He picked me mangoes from his mango tree as a leaving present back in June :’) That’s as romantic as it ever got, but still ;)
If I earn enough money in the next few months, it could well tempt me to travel some of Australia as well as New Zealand … maybe even with enough time to squeeze another Thai New Year celebration in there before I go home.
FAQ: Nadya, when are you coming home?
Dude, I just don’t know. The world’s fucking huge.
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