Adventures in South East Asia

Epilogue / Author's Note

Thank you so much for joining me on this crazy journey. If I haven't had the chance to thank you personally for voting/commenting/adding this to your reading list then let me do it now.

My flights home were pretty uneventful aside from ripping my cheap travel bag open in Vancouver when picking it up by the handles and soliciting the help of a friendly security worker to tape it all back in place. That wonderful hospitality was mixed with not one but two trips to the Tim Horton's outside the domestic departures lounge. Some habits just couldn't be shaken.  

In addition to providing amazing memories, travel also had the power to influence my life choices so I thought I'd share what happened to me or rather what I did with my life post trip.

I was so gung-ho to come back to Asia, that I started applying for temporary jobs in Canada as soon as possible -- which was about eight hours after my flight out of Bangkok when I spent an long mainly sleepless layover in Seoul. Side note: Seoul was probably the best airport to be stuck in for twelve hours with cultural shows, a sleeping area that my wandering mind would let me take advantage of, showers, outlets and computers to use -- all free to use.

Travel blogging during this trip also helped rekindle my love for writing. I had loving writing as a teen and preteen but dismissed a career as a writer because it didn't seem like an economically sound plan, nor did I want to face that much rejection. But, now that I wasn't a scared teen, I realized rejection only taught me how to work harder and improve after self-reflection.

I got the writing itch and put my first story up on wattpad, 'More to Life', which was a romance story that very much drew on my experience teaching in Thailand to create the setting and some elements of the characters. It was entirely fictional, so I decided to put up this one as well in the hopes that even if five people read it and found it interesting or useful, it would be worth the write. With wattpad's help, 'Adventure's' reach went beyond my wildest imagination.

I can't thank you all enough for reading and supporting the story. It means the world to me.

Now, I didn't find that temporary work right away, in fact it took two months (but it paid off in the form of three job offers, all of which I took), but in the downtime I could reflect on the whole experience. I realized that I hated who I became when I drank. I went through excuse after excuse as to why it just wasn't a good time to stop drinking on that trip, even though I knew I wanted to stop.

There would never be a good time, so instead of I chose the worst time: summer. Did I ever love to party on long summer nights. I vowed to myself that I would do a sober summer. My friends were very confused and not very on board, but I kept at it. My sober summer turned into a sober year and continued. The clock has been ticking since mid June 2013 and I still haven't had a drop. I can go out now and come home feeling good about my night, my choices and not have any regrets. If I do start drinking again, it will be in moderation.

Travel also made me a bit bolder as well as determined not to get stuck in a rut. Returning from the trip, it felt as if I never left because everything was the same, places, people, and family. I had been unhappy when I left and didn't want to start up a similar cycle. I decided to reach out and meet some new people. Even though I really didn't really necessarily need a relationship, I tried online dating just to chat with interesting people and surprisingly met an amazing man. Funny enough, on one of those sketchy free sites.

I realized that if I wanted to have successful and enjoyable dates, I had to go after what I wanted. So I messaged the guys who I found interesting and that I saw myself potentially being attracted to. After speaking with this one fellow for a month, liking him more with each reply and patiently waiting for him to ask me out, I thought 'screw it, I need to meet this guy and figure out why he's still single or if he's even who he says he is.' Turns out he was just quiet and awkward: two things I knew like the back of my hand. We were like two weird souls suddenly brought together whose quirks complimented each other.

That wonderful man wanted to move to Australia to do a working holiday. He also accepted my sober summer idea and would try all sorts of vegetarian dishes when we went out to eat (still sticking with that diet too -- nearly vegan at this point). He was spontaneous, compassionate, understanding and patient. I kept my overeager mouth shut for the first sixth months before suggesting we combine our individual hypothetical trips and he was thrilled.

We'll be leaving for a year and a half long Asia and Australia adventure this November (in less than 48 hours actually. There's something thrilling about leaving things like finishing/posting two stories to the last minute).

If time and Wi-Fi are on my side, I'll hopefully have some more stories to share.

Until then, stay classy wattpad!

Sarah