"You don't plan to return to Rostov for good?" I ask.
Aleks shrugs. "I practically grew up here and I don't even know anyone there."
"Fair enough," I concur. "So what are you going to do with the rest of your life?"
"Travel around the world with South East Asia as my starting point. Then, I'll go further to the North," he outlines.
"Really? With no job?" I query out of curiosity.
"You don't need a job to travel around the world. You just do it," he beams proudly.
As much as I cringe to this idea, I admire his determination. He talks about his travelling plans like he had a clue. I don't have the audacity to travel without prior plans especially when there are costs to it.
"Then how are you to fund your own travelling expenses? Where will you be staying?" I probe further.
"I'll just couch surfing at some local homes," he says frankly. "There are a lot of hosts online that allow travellers to come stay with them for a couple of days."
"I don't like this idea of crashing into a stranger's place," I reply uneasily. "You never know the kind of hosts you'll meet."
"That's why other people's reviews help you make better choices," he debates.
"But some reviews are fake, some aren't even accurate. It's better to splurge a bit so you avoid such risks," I give my opinion.
"But travelling without any risks doesn't create unforgettable moments, would you agree?" he cocks his eyebrows. "Tell me something memorable from your recent Seoul trip."
"Well, I find Seoul is a beautiful bustling city. Myeong-dong may not be my favourite spot due to its hectic and overcrowding surroundings but I love Dongdaemun Market. I just went crazy over its fabrics and premium brooches," I describe.
"No, you're basically reading out a travelling itinerary. Tell me something special from that trip that it sticks to your head like glue," Aleks urges.
I try to recall anything memorable from my recent organised trip to South Korea but I'm struggling to remember anything special from it other than its picturesque sceneries and my first time seeing an actual snow.
"I've a proposal for you," Alex carries on, avoiding my speech block. "Do you want to be my travelling partner?"
A jolt of excitement passes through my nerve when he proposes, "I'd love that but I don't think I can. I got a job, remember?"
"Of course, you can. Just take up the challenge," he persuades. "With your groundwork skills and my visionary, I'm sure we could make a good travel team without having it to go astray."
"I'll think about it," I nod in consideration.
"Take all the time you need," Aleks cracking his knuckles in excitement. "You could start off by sharing with me your Bandung itinerary. At least I can skim through it."
"Sure, I'll email you tomorrow," I look down at my watch and it's already close to 2.00 am. "It's getting late. I should be getting back home, my parents going to be worried."
"You're not going home at this hour with all those rascals preying on a single woman driver like you," his voice turns stern. "You're staying with me tonight. That spare bed isn't going anywhere."
I snicker. "You think my parents would allow me to crash into your room for the night? They're a couple of devout. They'll flip to this idea."
"Darling, I just want to provide you a shelter for the night, no rendezvous intended. I don't think I have the energy for it. And if I were them, I'd put the safety of my daughter first rather than my ego and my religion," he opines. "Just BBM them that you're with Nina."
"But your sister and I were never close."
"What the hell? We're related now," Aleks scowl at me like I just said something vile.
Aleks has a point though, I'm being ridiculous. I fish out my Blackberry and begin BBM Mom, informing her of my whereabouts while concocting a white lie about my sleepover.
P/S - Have you ever travel abroad? Let me know which countries you've been to?
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