And man oh man, was I in for a treat.
I have learned so much about myself these past four months. Some things I like whereas other.. not so much. Here is a list of some of the things I have learned.
- The idea of travelling VS actually travelling = very different
- I am not sure if this is unique to South East Asia, but the entire experience has been very different from my expectations. For example I assumed lugging around a 45L bag would be easy, especially in +30 weather.
- I have learned that I was living in excess in North America. Although I miss my clothes, I had way too much junk. Living out of a bag makes you realise what you actually need.
- I have severe motion sickness: I knew this, but Laos' lack of paved roads made me discover just how severe it is. Being crammed in a mini bus for hours with terrible road conditions and crazy drivers is enough to make anyone sick.
- You should ALWAYS have toilet paper on you. ALWAYS. Oh and hand sanitizer too. ALWAYS.
- Haggling is so fun...until it's not: At first, I would just try to haggle to see how low salespeople would go (ha) with no actual interest in purchasing said item. That soon became old when I saw how aggressive salespeople sometimes get. Point is, don't haggle unless you have the intention of buying it. And when in doubt, walk away.
- I am way more naive than I thought: I trust too easily I've come to discover and I have been caught up in scam after scam. I have paid way too much for things simply because I assume people aren't trying to rip me off. But alas some are. Some salespeople don't look at me with empathy, they see travellers with dollar signs in their eyes. This has made me become incredibly sceptical of everyone.
- If it sounds too good to be true, it is - When I got to Chiang Mai, I realised my flip flops were terrible for walking and my joggers were too hot. I stumbled upon a pair of really good Birkenstock replicas. The price was so good I had to buy them (after haggling, of course). Let's just say they fell apart within a month. You get what you pay for. Same goes for cheap pedicures - obviously it's cheap because it doesn't include the polish. And obviously you only find this out AFTER the fact. Live and learn.
- A little goes a long way: living off 20-25$ including accommodation has proved to be quite easy here. Hostels are usually between 5- 10$ per night, food ranges from $0.29 to $5 and most places we've stayed at have had free breakfast. Although our plummeting Canadian dollar isn't great.
- Learning about local culture is hard: we really wanted to be immersed in these various cultures and learn about everyday life in the countries we visited. This is actually really hard because if you're in an (usually rural) area that offers more genuine interaction with local people, you won't actually be able to meaningfully communicate with them in their language.
- You can actually get sick of eating Asian food: I know I posted about wanting to eat Thai food and Banh Mi's forever, but by the end of every month spent in that location, the only thing I wanted was Western food.
- Patience is a virtue, especially when you're travelling as a couple: I think I am way more easy going than I was before. Things don't often go as planned and I have learned to go with the flow. As long as I have had a coffee and am not starving, I can easily keep busy until things get settled.
- I actually love Rice. So much.
- No prescription? No problem: you go to a pharmacy, describe your symptoms (or at least make a hand gesture) and you've just scored some antibiotics. Pretty great when you're in pain.
- I think 3 months is the perfect amount of time to travel. 4 is proving to be a little too long. Our friend who has been travelling for 8 months also agreed with this theory.
- South East Asia will make you become cheap: it changes your entire perspective on what you thought was an acceptable price for a sandwich.
Here is what I miss:
- A closet: a wardrobe with more than 3 outfits to chose from. I had to make some decisions. I knew I couldn't bring everything because I was aware that I would be the one lugging it around. Once I got to New York, I actually threw out at least 5 articles of clothing because my bag was too heavy.
- Cooking: you would think eating out every meal is a real treat, but I kid you not, it gets old. Not to mention I feel like absolute crap and the pants, well, they are tight. I miss thinking of recipes and baking healthy treats. Apparently produce in Seoul is quite expensive and even locals eat out more than they cook. Sigh.
- Using my brain: I feel like grammar is so difficult now. Forget even speaking french. Skyping with my mom makes it quite obvious that I am losing my French. Hopefully living in Montreal after our contracts in Seoul will restore my French.
- Makeup: whatever I'm super girlie and everyone knows it. I haven't really worn makeup these past months and although at first I felt really empowered and proud that I could get ready so fast, now I just feel like a slob. What I learned through this trip is that I see makeup as a hobby more than a necessity. Without this creative channel, I feel pretty uninspired. This also includes painting my nails. I will miss my 100+ selection.
- Working: Having a purpose and making money. I never thought I would say that I miss working but I definitely do.
- Alfred: At the beginning, I didn't know how I would be able to be apart from my pup for 2 years, but now I feel much better about it. I have made so many furry friends (those who have me on snapchat can attest to this) that is has definitely helped with the puppy-sickness. You're furry, you'll do.
All in all, I wouldn't trade this experience for the world. I have learnt so much about myself and I have seen some of the most wonderful things. I have met amazing people and have eaten ALL OF THE FOOD. I'm not sure how to sort through my feelings as the end is fast approaching, all I know is that I am already planning the next trip (which will be under 3 months haha).
