Best Number So Far

When I turned 20, I freaked out like a chicken. But then I explored that being 20-something wasn't that bad.

So last year when I turned 21, instead of crying of getting a lil' bit older, I was excited like a kid riding jetcoaster for the first time. And what came to me all year long, were the best twists I could ever asked on my life.

Now in 10 mins I'll be 22.

A friend who's 24, right before she turned 23, said that the number, 22, was like the best for her. She started everything, moved to Indonesia, found the best job, made friends with the sickest individuals on this planet and closed the age with a very mind-blowing birthday party I never even imagined before.

I want that kind of 22.

I'm sure I'll get that kind of 22.

22's damn good. 22's a fancy number.

Even American Sweetheart has a song about that.

So thanks 21, thank you so much.

I had such great times entitling you for this last year.

You gave me chances and I rocked everything.

Now let's have a great-10-mins flashback

To cherish all things I did while I was 21.

Before I open my eyes and realize,

That I'm a 22 year old guy

Untouched

Good evening.

To you. And to my blog.

Classic me, eh?

Got busy with something, abandoned the blog and left all the wonderful stories I experienced untold. Yea I have tons of things I need to spill in here. I got tons of blessings I urgently have to praised, in here.

But I have not much time.

So is this how working actually feels like???

Yea well keep the answer, let's make a brief blog post and go.

And so it efficiently showed that this is how working is like: rushing.

So let's get back to what happened after I flew back from Vietnam and Cambodia. Yes, graduation ceremony. The rehearsal, the day. Said goodbye to the lecturers and staffs, to most friends I never met again with after, and to weekly money. Yes, mommy and daddy were so proud of me finishing college, but it meant that I now had to stand on my own, eh? :)

Then came the jobless phase. Well, jobless from the outside. Internally, I made myself busy with some initiative project of my own. It's my long lost dream I've always had when I was a little. And now it's entering the last phase of finishing. Lord I'm so grateful for everything. Excited as well. Well sorry I can't tell you now because I want this to be a sweet surprise for everybody. Especially for myself.

Anyway, that I'm-looking-jobless-but-actually-I-was-doing-something-big time was the best for me. I got to enjoy my post-graduation lazy days, free as a sophomore on a summer break, except this kind of summer wouldn't turn to autumn because there were be no more semesters ahead of me. Yea it was good. Until I realize, I need money.

So I got myself employed part time as a social media staff. Cool eh? Part timer. I'll earn money, but I don't have to go to the office. But things got more complicated so the next thing I knew, I had to go to the office twice a week. Then I got employed as a freelance writer. Compacted. Now the free time I had for the last 30 days, just swept away like dusts.

I didn't intend to apply as a full time employee because I had two upcoming trips. One upcoming trip for now, because I just finished the one to Bali last weekend -will tell it on a separate post. So it'll be Macau next April, and I have to work my ass off so that I'll be able to waste some cash in China.

So umm, whoops, I typed too much already.

Felt so great to be able to write again.

Sorry, blog, for being too busy.

Wish me luck in everything.

Well.

Brief post, eh Vick?

Ya that's fine, it's been so long anyway.

This blog's losing the sense of its humanity.

It just needs constant touch

Return from Home

I don't know what else to say. You knew the destinations. You knew the length of stay, it was two weeks. You knew the challenges I faced. Well now what you didn't know is, the bottom line of everything. Everything that I had in

So based upon the experience, I discovered some other new ways I could really use while traveling. That suits me really, really well.

That I can do things spontaneously, as if I'm home

I made plans. Of how many days I should had spent, of where I should had slept, and stuff. But most of them, well, changed. My head and my heart conspired to cheat me, convinced me to stay longer in each city. I acted like I was at home, thinking less and doing whatever I desired. No worries, no wonders nor questions, just kept living like mom and dad were next door.

That the other side of the globe is actually my home too

Those cities. Nha Trang, Mui Ne, Ho Chi Minh City and Siem Reap. Swear to God I never visited them before. But yea when I was there it felt like, some place I was familiar with. Exploring here, walking there, taking shortcuts and eating by street stalls, was I born there?

That I'm now a part of the world, the home of every traveler

Maybe it sounds too much but, I don't know, people didn't seem to see me as a boring Indonesian they usually -maybe- think us about. They talked to me. They opened discussions with me. Asked me stuff, wondered about my background, got excited about visiting Indonesia, they considered me as one global traveler they usually met along the trip. It was, hmm, kinda important to me, you know, being accepted internationally, as an Indonesian traveler.

It boosted a significant level of my travel desire. I wanted more. Well that's what I always felt after one trip. More and more trips. But seriously, what I got from this trip, was more impact-ful to my confidence in traveling.

That now, nothing can stop me from traveling

Because everywhere is simply home

Stop Four: Last Energy

Siem Reap, Cambodia

Planned: 2 days, 1 night

Reality: 3 days, 4 nights

I arrived late on my first day. I lost my interest anyway, because I was in love already with Vietnam. And I blacklisted Phnom Penh due to some reasons. But I got to go, because my flight back home was from Bangkok. And the nearest city to Bangkok is? Siem Reap. And better yet, the biggest temple complex were just right around the corner. It'll be your one and only visit to Cambodia, Vick, so be it! I said to myself.

But then again, as I always been doing along this trip, I changed my mind again. And perception about Cambodia -Siem Reap, to be honest, because I won't ever change my perception about Phnom Penh. So yea, the city, once again, had my mind blown away. Temples aside, you know it's fascinating, Siem Reap's atmosphere was, oh well, so damn convenient.

Streets in Siem Reap

Pub Street, one of a few reasons I want to go back to Siem Reap

Angkor Wat, Angkor Temple Complex

Ta Phrom (Jungle Temple), Angkor Temple Complex

People, whoa what can I say, as always, were wonderful. Met some more international citizen but the highlighted nation was France, and China. I was trapped among these two people. Met this fancy French guy who introduced me to his gang, all speaking French and I was like, oh okay oh cool and stuff. Also this Chinese lady, my adventurous-temple-exploring-mate, who brought along her Chinese friend, and met so many other Chinese tourists along the temple trip and of course, all speaking Chinese, I was just like, oh okay oh cool and stuff. What a smile-making memory.

After all, I didn't go to any other tourist attractions but the temples. Just laid back, saving my energy for the temples, temples, restoring my energy before departing to Bangkok, and done. But I spent my last energy for something so, so delightful. I made a good decision.

Well I'm sorry I can't tell much about it.

I didn't explore lots of things in Siem Reap.

Because its best stuff, I conquered

Stop Three: Laid Back

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Planned: 4 days, 3 nights

Reality: 6 days, 5 nights

See the gap between the planned, and the reality? Yea I was kinda shocked by myself too. I mean, Saigon, oh Lord it's not much different compared to Jakarta but... I don't know, something kept me to lay a little more, a day or two, somehow longer than what I thought I'd be staying for.

It was like, I stayed a night. Then explored a bit on the next day. Then I decided to extend one more night. Then went on an exciting tour the next day. Then I convinced myself to stay one more night. That's what I been doing. And all my days, it was all like days of relaxation. I spent much energy in the previous two cities, and would spend some more on the next one so, it was a lay back time.



Just Saigon's street, at Ben Thanh roundabout

Notre Dame Cathedral

Cu Chi Tunnel

City Hall, looking so beautiful already by day

City Hall by night, and it was during Tet. I'm so lucky.

And the people, again, were top notch. Locals, tourists, and even Indonesian! Met a guy and a girl from home, met some cool friends who befriend a friend of mine, met tons of other backpackers with different stories and travel routes, met a bus mate going out of the country to complain together with, I was a social freak. Having this thirst to socialize.

I had one crazy big city adventure in here and I enjoyed it so, very much. But things wouldn't be the same if I didn't meet these guys so, thank you :)

Well I'm sorry I can't tell much about it.

I have plans of where to spill more things about Saigon.

And its I'm-not-sure-what-it-is magnet