Annica อนิจจัง

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94% of the Thai population follow and practice Buddhism. Behind every ambiguous Bangkok backstreet, every popular tourist trap and every breathtaking view, one can always find a temple for prayer, solitude and peace. Whilst backpacking through South East Asia, I discovered the term "Annica": one of the three marks of existence in Buddhism, meaning 'impermanent, inconsistent and unsteady'. Appropriate? Unquestionably.

Within the pages of my travel diary lies a certain quote from an anonymous source: “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do so throw off the bowlines and sail away from the safe harbour". "What the hell am I doing" was my first thought when arriving in Sydney, Australia. At 1am on February 4th I was overwhelmed, apprehensive and ALONE. You fail to fully appreciate the term "alone" until you are ,actually, alone. And I mean fully alone: Being alone in your bedroom whilst your mums downstairs watching the latest Ken and Deirdre fiasco on the box is hardly the same to being alone on (literally) the other side of the world. I didn't know a soul. Scared? Undeniably.

Fast forward to present day and I'm finally defeated by the ultimate fun killer and every travellers worst nightmare: time. My bag is packed, I've shed a few tears (unfortunately not pounds) and my bank account is in meltdown. I have been in hospital, I have been attacked by wasps, I have been broke, I have misplaced a whole bag of underwear (don't ask) and at times I have lost my marbles yet, honestly, I have had the time of my life.

Traveling is a brutality. It forces you to trust strangers and to lose sight of all that's familiar. Of course I've cried and at times wanted to return back to the safety of home, yet for travelling I am grateful. I am grateful for the sights that I have seen, for the lessons I have learnt and for the people I have met. I have seen some of the most beautiful parts of the world and immersed myself in contrasting cultures. I have travelled by plane, helicopter, train, subway, bus, taxi, tuk-tuk, bicycle, motorbike, junk boat, ferry and foot. I have cried, laughed, worked, partied and explored. I have slept on boats, trains (avec cockroaches), buses and in countless hostels with some roommates best forgotten than remembered (sex toys and cowboy hats, I say no more). But the best part? I did it my way.

Would I do it all again? In a flash. Do I have any regrets? None. Have I love every second? Absolutely.

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