Around the World

When I was younger,

That phrase, “around the world”

Seemed to be like mere aimless fantasy.

That “world” we’re talking about is a real deal. It’s big. With so many places most of which are even untouched. So I took it for granted, treated it like another popular term I never considered seriously, and lived on believing that it’s just a beautiful proverb too good to be true.

But as I grew up, as my thirst of exploration deepened, and as the trend of traveling bloomed, somehow that so-called proverb seems...

Possible.

It’s been four years since my first ever solo trip abroad. And it hasn’t stopped. I’ve been here and there, slowly crossing places I’ve been dying to visit off of my list. The plans were neat and carefully thought, leading me to bigger journeys and greater places. Making me able to actually start dreaming of traveling around the world—no longer treating it as a fantasy.

It’s a big deal, yes, but I didn’t notice about it,

Until I got in touch with this masterpiece. A book.

“Around the World in 80 Days”

Pic's from here.

You must know about this one. It’s a classic. From around 1800s, talking about a wonderful adventure of this guy around, well, as the title suggests, the world.

Let’s not talk about the book. It needs a separate post because, God, I really loved it. The guy, Phileas Fogg, is basically me. With all his plans, all his calculations of departing from one city and arriving in another to catch trains or steamboats to even further places, yea, that’s what I’d do in each and every single trip of mine.

So following his journey, from London crossing mainland Europe to Greece, sailing the strait to the gulf countries towards India, riding trains and elephants to reach the border of Southeast Asia, entering Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan and China to cross over the Pacific Ocean and land in America, only to head back to England it was like, damn—if he could do that, in just 80 days, and it was for God’s sake the year of 1800s where even no one dared to dream about flying, well, how could I not do the same??? It makes much more sense to do it now, to actually live my long lost dream.

But then you can’t call it a dream if you don’t have any obstacles.

I have a life. And responsibilities. Traveling for 80 days is actually possible, but, maybe not now. I did travel for nearly 80 days in Japan two years ago, but it was partly business. While for pure exploration, I don’t know, I should’ve done that in three years back or so, when I was free as a bird. But then I didn’t have the money. Now I have the money, but responsibilities got me caged like a... bird.

Well I’m not that trapped though. As I said, I have travel plans to do. Even now as I’m typing this, I’m currently lying down on my capsule bed in Malaysia, just finished a chapter of that book I’m currently loving, now trying to get some sleep because I have to wake up early and head to Sepang for an F1 race. So yea, I’m not THAT trapped.

And something inside of me is convincing me that, what I’ve achieved since 2013, it deserves a massive recognition.

So I made a deal with myself, right here when I’m on a trip, and with Jules Verne’s travel bible on my hands. A deal to complete my exploration of the world, just like what Mr Fogg did—even wider, but with a twist.

“Around the world, in 80 months.”

These are the witnesses of my oath.

Just because I had to keep my lust to travel always on, yet I had to be realistic.

Let’s do the math. I began all this traveling thingy on January 2013. 80 months from that, and my deadline would be on August 2019. Nice, I still have time.

Now let’s do geography. Mr Fogg’s journey may be damn long, but he didn’t reach Africa and Australia. Yet his book is still called “around the world” anyway. My story, therefore, should be complete for me to be able to call it “around the world”. Well of course by ‘complete’ I didn’t ambitiously vision myself to visit multiple countries in one region.

So my version of "around the world", is to complete my continent visit. The number of countries won’t matter, it’s the continent that I’m counting. I’ve been around Asia many times. America once, to The US, and Australia just this year, visiting three states. I’m traveling to Europe for Christmas New Year so, right, there I am! I only need to land my ass in Africa!

God I'm so excited about this project!

Excited because I never realized I'd actually make a phrase I took for granted 15 years ago to actually come true. Excited because all the jealousy I felt towards all the characters inside Jules Verne's book will soon pay off.

Excited because I'm on the verge of telling the world

That there's no such thing as "Impossible", to travel

Around the world

한국의 계획

Back in college days,

When I still had difficulties in saving money and managing my own agenda, yet I, being reckless and impulsive as a college student in general, had a big trip planned -and fixed- without knowing much about my financial status nor availability—I used to make a deal with myself.

Like just before I went to Bali in 2011 and Malaysia - Thailand in 2013, also Vietnam - Cambodia in 2014 which all happened during my university period. I was so blinded by how cheap the flight fares were, that I didn't realize that I had to work extra hard to save money, and secure my calendar so I could actually go. Growing up as a better traveler, I could manage to overcome all those matters so, as you might see in this blog, I never made any more oath ever since.

But then.

The long lost me strikes back. Another airline promo came, and me, being reckless and impulsive as a college student I used to be, booked another ticket for a big 10-days-long trip abroad to

South Korea

Pic's from here.

So? What makes me act like this is something big?

Considering I said I've grown up as a "better" traveler?

Because this time, it's neither just about money which I need to work on, nor it is about the schedule I have to settle with.

It's freaking both.

Remember that I just finished my Australian trip? Yea? It was a big one, financially included. This Korean trip will actually happen exactly one year after that, and of course I can save money in such long period of time, but hey, it's not as simple as it sounds. I have five other planned trips coming my way from this second to December -and I-don't-know-how-many-other from January to May, two of which are fixed. Now yea, you do the math.

Now about schedule, oh schedule... As a full-time employee, in an advertising agency, my schedule is kind of, unexpected. I could be having this campaign or that campaign, with plannings and preparations stretched way back to months before. Not to mention about the limited number of annual leave I still have yet to use. I've dodged all the similar bullets for Australia, but, remembering all the plans I've made so far, I'm pretty sure it's going to be a tough one to get a go for Korea.

So yea, here I am, kneeling with passion and perseverance, about to make an oath I haven't done in almost FOUR YEARS.

"I, Rifky Ramadhan Amin, will officially announce that on this THIRD YEAR after college, I will rarely spend my MONEY and TIME for flash-term pleasure things such as watching movies, eating out and buying things prodigally, by working EXTRA harder to IMPRESS MY BOSSES, get BONUSES, and earn PERMISSIONS." 

-South Korea Trip Oath-

So, what makes me act like this is something big again?

I didn't make any oath for my Hong Kong - Macau trip,
Not even my big six-freaking-week journey to Japan!

The answer is simple.

It's because I've grown as a better traveler.
Whose plans, whose future and what not,
Are somewhat planned, but better be

Unpredictable

The Ulterior Motive(ation)

You know about the final thesis assignment I'm currently working on? The one with Whiskas? Yes the thing that lately distracted me from the real world? Yea? Yea it's getting intense.

I'm reaching the end.

My thesis adviser thought that it's about time. I'm just this close to being ready facing the trial. She kept rushing me about the date and stuff, and I'm so glad that she looks so excited.

When I imagine about the trial day, I swear I'm not ready.

But if I remember what I'm going to do by January, I'm super moved.

Mhmm, it's another trip.

To Vietnam and Cambodia.

Here's to get the picture of Ho Chi Minh, and here's to get to Phnom Penh.

Okay so I'll fly to Ho Chi Minh City on January 21 and will be back on February 4, just 4 days before the ceremony of my graduation. Get it? Four days. I won't have enough time to take care about the administrative shits, unless I have it all settled before I depart.

The same thing also goes to my thesis. After my trial, there will be a major revision I have to finish at least for a month. So if you do the math, the trial should be done no later than December 21!!

So now here I am, -instead of- rushing myself to finish everything like EVERYTHING -I just sit in front of my laptop, blogging- so I can go traveling with peace! And you know what, I'm gonna make an oath out of it.

"I, Rifky Ramadhan Amin, will officially announce that on LAST term of my college, I will rarely spend my TIME for flash-term pleasure things such as watching movies, eating out and buying things prodigally, AND HAVE MY THESIS DONE SO SOON."

-Indochina Trip Oath-

And I really meant it.

I want everything to be done by Christmas.

So I can "Ho Ho Ho" all the way

Re-Calling: Piggy Bank

You do remember about the AirAsia promo I told you about earlier right?

Well...

I got those freakin' cheap airplane tickets to Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok woohoo!! It means that by the early of 2013, if we made it on doomsday, I'll be flying to Malaysia and Thailand yaaayy!!

The image of Malaysia is from here, Thailand's from here

So do you remember back then, well, if you've been my loyal reader since 2010, in which I'm kinda sure I've lost some of my old readers already because by 2011 I happened to stop posting things due to some personal issues and--whoa, whoa easy, Vick! You're out of control...

Okay let's start over.

You remember back then, on 2011 when I planned to go to Bali with my friends, and I promised myself that I would save my money for the whole semester just to make sure I'm living in welfare on that trip? Okay if you forget, or yet if you don't know, just click here...

So yes, that's why I'm here. To state another oath to myself, to save my money for the rest of the year, and make things easy on my trip abroad! And here it is,

"I, Rifky Ramadhan Amin, will officially announce that on this fourth-to-fifth term of my college, I will rarely spend my money for flash-term pleasure things such as watching movies, eating out and buying things prodigally."

-Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok Trip Oath-

Soooo psyched!! Never done this before! And you know what, when I find out about these tickets, I got panicked and started to hunt them aggressively until by the time I had the tickets purchased, I just realized that...

I didn't ask anybody else to go with me.

And now the promo has finished and I'm still on my own.

This is so fvckin' awesome!! I'll be going abroad, ALONE!!

But ssshh, please don't tell my parents, cause if they know,

I may ruin my finest trip ever

Piggy Bank Rules!

On my story where I went to Bali, I said by the end of the post that I would go back there no matter what. And so, on July, if God allows, some of my silly buddies and I, will fly there!

http://dronqiestz.wordpress.com/bali/

Cool, isn't it? Having vacation on the island of fun with friends! Note it, F-R-I-E-N-D-S! I just can't imagine how wild it will be. Roll over the beach together, surf after high waves, dive into the deepest point of the ocean, dance like there's no tomorrow--okay it's way to excessive.

But wait, it wouldn't be that easy if...

I don't have lots of money.

Okay, money.

People said that money isn't everything.

Oh be realistic dude! Money is, everything.

Well, not in all aspects but

STILL! MONEY IS EVERYTHING!

And a trip to Bali? well....

It will cost so much money to spend, for sure.
So that's why on this post,

"I, Rifky Ramadhan Amin, will officially announce that on this second term of my college, I will rarely spend my money for flash-term pleasure things such as watching movies, eating out and buying things prodigally."

-Bali Trip Oath-

Damn, this should be working.

Please God oh, please...

I'm longing for this trip so bad!