Hello everyone. It’s been a while. I am sure you have many questions like where on earth have you been and why haven’t you posted in so long? Well, it’s a long story, but before I begin, I would like to apologize for disappearing so suddenly and for so long. In all honesty, the last couple of months have been a blur. I found myself trying to get the maximum amount of work done every single day. My days had become an endless to-do list, one I could not seem to complete.

Summer Vacation

To understand how I got into this not so pleasant mental state, a brief recount of the last few months is necessary. Over the winter, I had grown into an extremely comfortable routine with my girlfriend. The weather outside was harsh, and there was not much to do anyway due to the corona lockdown. I was certain that winter would never end when suddenly, it did. The seasons changed just like that; it was like God snapped his fingers, and the cold went away.

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The greenery around the city came into full bloom, and you could feel the sun’s warmth on your skin. My body was itching to travel again. Summer also brought about an easing of the corona restrictions, and countries all over Europe started opening up again. The opportunity I had been waiting for all year finally presented itself, and nothing would stop me. I had an entire continent to explore; the possibilities were endless.

The Solo Backpacking Journey

I grabbed my backpack and hit the road as soon as I could. It turned out to be one of my most intense journeys yet; I covered a total of six countries in one short month. It was fast-paced, just how I liked it. I was not looking for a chill summer anyways, so this crazy adventure was right up my alley. There are so many stories I wish to share from this insane voyage, tons of content that I have just been waiting to release. Life got in the way for a bit, but now, it is finally time to do so.

Moving Houses

After a month on the road, I returned to Amsterdam to close a chapter of my life. It was time to move out of the FIZZ and into a new apartment. It usually is very easy for me to move from one place to another but, I must confess that I got a little emotional this time. I had created so many beautiful memories there over the past year, and it was hard to say goodbye. But, as my dad always says, there are even better memories to be created in new places.

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Moving was an adventure in itself. Juan and I had the bright idea of moving everything by ourselves instead of hiring a moving van. For some reason, this plan just seemed to make sense, the more we discussed it. Juan is my good friend, the one with crazy ideas. We carried that couch for 20 minutes, right through the city centre, only to find that it did not fit up the stairs. Moving my stuff across Amsterdam with Juan was fun, but it was still a very demanding task. I was entirely exhausted by the end of it.

The Family Vacation

There is nothing like a relaxing family vacation to rejuvenate the mind and body after a hard move. This trip was eventful, to say the least. My family and I ran into some pretty unfortunate circumstances on our journey. Pictured above is my mother, a warrior, with a huge smile on her face even after fracturing her ankle. The conditions were far from ideal but, that’s life, shit happens. A small broken bone was not going to stop her from enjoying her retirement trip, and I am glad it did not.

We pushed on and completed the trip, but not without other obstacles. My dear sister, unfortunately, tore her ACL whilst mountain biking. At that point, I was sure that our holiday had been cursed. We had somehow managed to sustain not one but two injuries within the same week. It was hard to relax after this incident. On this trip, I learnt that travelling was not all fun and games. Things can go wrong. The real question is, how will you react when they do?

On a brighter note…

My mom is better now!!!

Months have passed since the fall took place, and my mom has made a full recovery. I admire her grit and determination in the face of the many obstacles that stood her way. A fractured ankle at age 61 is not a trivial injury, but that never seemed to bring her down. She left Singapore with a desire to see more of the world, and nothing was going to stop her. Equipped with her very own ‘moon boot’, she took many small steps forward, but one giant leap in the direction of freedom.

Today, my mom stands on her own two feet, fearless and ready for adventure. Together, we managed to add Germany and the Netherlands to her growing list of countries. It is never too late to live the life you want to lead; age is but a number. I am happy to say that my sister is on the road to recovery as well. The last couple of months have not been easy on my family and me, but things are finally looking up.

And the house is finally set up!

It took some work, but my new place slowly came together as well. Step by step, we transformed it from a house into a home. Since then, many people have come and gone, having their wonderful experiences in this crazy city. My father was right; we made some wonderful memories together here as well. The last couple of months have been extremely busy but so full of life and happiness at the same time.

Between, the people I hosted over the last few weeks and the amount of school I had to get done, I did not have time to myself. Don’t get me wrong, it was extremely fun but, sometimes, too much of a good thing is not good as well. I found that I was just chasing one experience after another without really stopping to reflect. I had not sat down, even for a few moments, to just be grateful for all the things in my life.

I love writing

It pained me to stay away from writing for so long, considering it is one of the things I love the most. Amidst everything which was going on, I am sad to admit that writing just seemed like another task on my endless to-do list. I did not want it to become yet another thing I HAD to do. I love to write and I WANTED to write. Stepping back has helped me to reflect on the things which are truly important to me. Going on adventures and sharing them with the world was one of those things.

Life got away from me for a bit; I felt like I was the one being led, not the one doing the leading. This time of reflection has helped me to slow down and think about the things which I want from life, and the things I like doing the most. I took the time to CHOOSE the things which made me happy once again. I spent some time just doing the things I loved with the people I love. It has been a process of learning and re-learning.

At the end of the day, I am glad for my life. I am glad for the ups and the downs, and I would not have it any other way. How can you appreciate the good times without the bad? Most of all, I am grateful, for the things, and the people I have in my life. Often, we move so fast, without stopping to think and give thanks. So, this is me, stopping and saying thank you, to all the wonderful people who have stood by me on this journey called life.

I am happy to say that I am back, doing the thing I love the most. This has been a raw and unfiltered account of my life over the last few months, and I hope you enjoyed reading it. Once again, thank you very much for your time and what can I say, it feels good to be back.