When a cup of overnight Jack Daniel's is the first drink on a groggy mid-morning of Jan 1, 2014, I should have known 2014 would be one hell of a year.
I don't even know where to begin and how to describe the experiences I had; how chill everything seemed to be, how slow time seem to creep, yet how fast it sped by. how much room for exploration, how much leeway for relaxation, how big the world. how different we all are, how similar we actually can be, how loud we shout, how silent our cries. how needy we become at nights, how independent with our prides.
2014 was definitely a year i traveled the most, to so many countries, probably the most in my lifetime.
countrycount//16
germany, italy, austria, uk, amsterdam, switzerland, greece, romania, hungary, czech republic, france, poland, spain, portugal, thailand, myanmar.
Exchange was a definitive moment, a 6-month break from the hustle and bustle of Singapore, from the pressures of people and organizations. the taste of freedom is somewhat bittersweet, alongside with people you love and come to cherish. planning trips together, exploring countries with a similar desire for adventure, with the same cheaponess, Every now and then, i'll find myself missing the carefree lifestyle during exchange, one day waking up at 5am, the next at 10am. every day is an excitement, there's so much to do, there's so much to explore, so many trains to take, so many towns to see.
Back in Singapore, school wasn't particularly fun or exciting, except not staying in hall allowed me to catch up and hang out with friends I might have neglected. thank you for having weekly monday lunches and study sessions with me, yinhui. im really thankful for having a bunch of people that i can count on, and keep me sane in the midst of all the insanity and extreme levels of competition and uncooperative project group mates.
Most of December was spent in myanmar, which i absolutely hope to be able to return next december, when the weather is nothing short of perfect. I signed up for it alone, and it wasnt too bad a decision afterall. made great friends from a variety of faculties, and had much fun with them. saw breathtakingly beautiful scenery and entered one too many pagodas. there's so much to see and feel and explore there, i can't wait to return, especially when it is cheap now.
2014 ended with lots of catching up with friends, and in the company of family. i hope 2015 will be an even better, adventurous, happier one, with good grades and a much greater focus on God.