One month of the coldest I have ever been,
Two different hemispheres,
Two different seas.
An Honours degree,
One write off,
One big mistake,
One horrific heart break.
Visiting Van Gogh,
Taking my first tram,
Sticky Stroop Wafels,
Meeting Einstein and Dali.
Being hit by a bicycle,
My first pair of Nike's,
Endless coffees in shops made for me,
Windmills used to make cheese.
Seeing real snow,
Learning to ski,
Toboggan races,
Gluhweins and teas.
Pear schnapps and Tequila beers,
A German Brauhaus,
Freezing my ass off on a swing in a park,
Out way past dark.
The longest journey,
Multiple modes of transport to get me to the sea,
A car, a plane, a taxi, a sky train, a bus and a ferry,
To awake to the beauty of Klong Koi with no responsibility but me.
I didn't think I could do it alone,
Traveling set me free,
Being responsible for nothing but me,
Living life just for me.
Traveling set me free,
Being responsible for nothing but me,
Living life just for me.
A month of absolute bliss,
Playing in paradise,
Relishing every moment,
Living an incredibly simple life.
A month without hot water,
Hand washing laundry,
Daily explorations and adventures,
Completely and utterly free, my island and me.
Eleven to twelve hours a day,
Six days a week,
Learning just how disciplined I can be,
My capacity when I'm being truly me.
Clearer of mind without the aid of substance,
Driven to improve, overcome and heal,
Closer to knowing myself than I've ever been,
His leaving was a miracle.
More genuine people than I've ever met,
Some of the friendliest racists you'll ever see,
Meeting the simplest and happiest of human beings,
Crossing paths with both high level and street level dishonest things.
The freedom of that scooter I will never forget,
Winding paths through jungle roads,
Leaning into the warm breeze,
No one on the road but me.
Dancing with my shadow,
The warm sea breeze,
Night swims in moonlight,
The most beautiful memories.
Experiencing Angkor Wat,
Exploring this ancient city,
Sitting there in silence to watch the sun and moon meet,
Made the shock of Phnom Penh and the visa run all worth it for me.
The horror buses of tourists,
As they push into the city,
Royal Palace,
Ping pong balls, Bangkok City.
My first train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai,
Yet another ancient city to explore,
This one offering something different,
Wat Phra Doi Suthep the crown jewel of it all.
Thirty four hours of flying,
Forty four hours by bus,
Six hours of ferries,
Trams, taxi's and tuk-tuks,
Sky trains, bicycles, scooters and trains,
None of them could take me far enough.
