A couple of months ago, I was backpacking solo across Europe. My trip took me from the sunny island of Mallorca, across the continent to the bustling city of Istanbul. I traversed a total of six countries in a month! The wonderful new experiences I gained and the beautiful new friendships I forged made the trip truly unforgettable. The month of July was full of life, to say the least. But, what was the true purpose of my journey?

In all honesty, I needed to get lost. I spent most of the year living in Amsterdam, rooted in one spot during the lockdown. Don’t get me wrong, I love the city but I feel most comfortable while travelling. Ironically, I feel most at home when I am not at home. I just knew that I needed to pick up my backpack and hit the road. And I did exactly that. This trip was rather significant to me, being my first time backpacking since the pandemic began.

The pandemic caused many things in my life to change, especially the way I travel and interact with people. Heading into this journey, I must confess that I was a little apprehensive. I was afraid that I would have trouble making meaningful connections with people, compared to the way things were before the pandemic. You could say that I was a little rusty after spending most of the year stuck in my tiny apartment. Nevertheless, I wanted to push the boundaries and put myself to the test.

Getting back out there

It did not take long to get things going again. Once my social gears started spinning, there was no stopping them. The hostels were less packed than before the pandemic, but I was happy to find the true-blue travellers still chasing adventure. Each day was spent with the best people, creating the most beautiful memories. I was travelling solo but I was never really alone. I met someone new every single day.

New connections

I wish I could tell you of my crazy adventures right now, but I shall save that for another day. When travelling, the connections you make are short but intense. You could have the greatest time with someone and never see them again. Living in the moment is what makes those connections so special to me. Is it not magical, how the universe brings strangers to exactly the right place, and the right time, to meet one another? May our paths intersect, even if only briefly, and may meet we meet each other again, in the future perhaps!

I began my journey with the aim of getting lost, and I’d like to think that I achieved some clarity by the end of it. Everyone knows that I love to travel and make content, but what makes me different from others? Someone I encountered on my journey asked me this very important question and I finally have the answer. What makes me different is the amazing people I meet along the way. The people I meet on the journey is the whole reason I travel.

I can start the day all alone, in a country whose language I do not understand, and end it with excellent friends and one heck of a story. The universe seems to send me exactly who I need whenever I am alone; I have been rather lucky in this respect. I plan to start up my YouTube channel again, documenting my greatest adventures with my new friends. All good friends first start as strangers, and strangers becoming friends is one of the most beautiful things in life to me.

So, stay tuned for new content on my YouTube channel!

Old friends

As I made new connections, I thought back on those I already made. I thought about the connections I kept renewing, year after year. I cannot help but think of my Aunty Biserka, a dear family friend. I was fortunate enough to run into her in Zagreb while visiting Croatia back in May. We spent a short but sweet weekend together. I had an excellent time catching up with her as she showed me around her city.

Most times, you travel for the place, but sometimes, you travel for the person. Aunty Bis was certainly worth travelling for. My father and her met over 40 years ago when he used to tend bar at the Raffles Hotel in Singapore. Many years and many trips between Singapore and Australia later, they are still the best of friends. I now have the honour of calling Aunty Bis my friend as well. Some friendships stand the test of distance and time, they keep growing stronger as you continuously nurture them.

Friendship

I believe that friendship, a truly good and pure connection between two people, is one of the most enriching parts of the human experience. A friendship like the one my dad and Aunty Bis have is not easy to come by. Friendships like those don’t just happen, they take work. So, find something worth fighting for! As I journey forward as a young adult, I hope to make meaningful connections that stand the test of time.

Not every single person you meet is going to be a lifelong friend, but that is okay. Those connections can be meaningful as well! The quality of a friendship should not be based on how long you know each other or how close you live to each other. True friends are those who walk into your life and never leave. I count myself lucky in this department, I have met some truly wonderful people over the years. Here’s to my friends, thank you for always sticking by me.

How lucky am I to see Aunty Bis not once, but twice this year! We managed to link up again in Dubrovnik over the summer! It may not have been the best of circumstances with my mom’s injury but any time spent with my aunt was a good time. My dad always reminds me to make good memories, and I think we would have done him proud. Now, I have some pretty special ones to look back on from my time in Dubrovnik!

I have been having a great time talking about my thoughts and feelings in the pieces I write. It brings me much joy to write from the heart and I hope you enjoy reading it as well. Stay tuned for the next posts, they are all about my crazy backpacking adventure. Once again, thank you so much for your attention and have a great day ahead!