Wanderlust

How exactly significant travel means in my life? This going to be a long winded rambling.

Though I have been country hopping for the past few years, the travel bug does not bite since young. I still remembered my first ever trip outside Malaysia was way back when I was just 12. Singapore doesn't count as outside Malaysia to me. That time, being able to sit in a plane to reach somewhere, that is what I called outside Malaysia. It was the trip my dad brought us all, my grandma included to Lake Toba, Indonesia. For him to bring the whole family for a holiday was a huge thing as we were not from a very well to do family. I still recalled that my brother and I were so excited for the trip although at that time we actually followed a tour from Seremban.

Fast forward 9 years later, I had another chance to travel, this time to Hong Kong.  Again, my dad brought my mum and I for this trip. I had the best dim sum ever in my life in a restaurant overlooking the Victoria harbour. I also had the best wanton mee ever. And I managed to see so many iconic places around the world in Shenzhen  in a park called Windows of the World. Never did I know,  I would actually see many of those world icons in real years later.

After I graduated from university, I was not able to travel much due to my minuscule salary and my professional studies. I went to Siem Reap to see the Angkor Wat upclose with my colleagues cum friends. It was also the first time I traveled with friends. The sunrise from Angkor Wat was gorgeous, the best I ever seen in my life (at that point of time). My regret is that I didn't listen much to my tour guide when he was explaining the history to us and with the hot and humid weather, all I wanted that time was to get to the market and continued with my shopping. If I ever had the chance again, I would like to go back for a photography trip.

My next big travel after Siem Reap would be THE US trip. This time, I went with my parents to the states for my brother's convocation. Saved the money for the air ticket since the day I knew he got a scholarship to study in Illinois. I still remembered we bought the air ticket to Los Angelas on during the Matta fair which cost only RM3000 that time.  We traveled with two other families (their sons are friends with my brother). We booked a china man tour ( the reason why I called this china man tour is because it's organised by the Chinese in US and the whole tour group basically comprise of tourists from China). The 10 day tour covers Las Vegas, Grand Canyon, San Francisco, Disneyland, San Diego etc. After that we flew to Chicago and attended my brother's convocation before he brought us to New York. It's the first time I stepped into the Big Apple and little did I know, 4 years later I would go back there again and 'met' with my love of my life.
We went to Niagara Falls, visited the Corning glass museum and took the Maid of the Mist to experience the falls up-close.

The same year, I visited Hong Kong again, this time with my best buddies from work and school. Had the best experience in ordering Dim Sum as I had to ask the Ah Pek who was sitting beside our table to order food for us as the menu was in Chinese. We had Ben & Jerrys in the midst of the cold winter weather and that was amazing.

In 2008, another great trip of my life, Europe. This time, it was just my brother and I. I was sent to London for my first ever assignment and we plotted for a 3 week tour around Europe after I finished with my work, with my brother flying from Chicago and meet me in London. Europe is so much different that the States, buildings were much more historical and old. It was also the first time I set my eyes on Edinburgh, a place where I would spend my 1 year studying for my masters. We traveled to Italy covering Rome, Florence, Venice, Pisa, Vatican, Verona. Took my first ever night train from Venice to Munich. Visited the most beautiful castle ever, Neuschwanstein, day trip to Salzburg for the Sound of Music trail and Berlin to visit the famous wall and to meet up with another friend who was studying in Germany at that time. We then took another train to Prague and flew to Amsterdam and to Brussels after that. Our last destination was Paris and until today I still think Versailles garden is the prettiest I ever seen. We almost could not get a train ticket back to London as it was the weekend and we wrongly assumed that we would be able to buy tickets once we reached Paris. Bad move.

A day after I arrived back for work in KL, received a call from HR to inform me that I had secured a scholarship to study in University of Edinburgh. I was ecstatic and speechless. In my mind, all I can think about was...'wow, I am going to conquer Europe this time!' and not how the hell I am going to survive studying for my masters.. haha
Like they say, the rest is history and that started my whole travelling fever. Visited 17 countries in that 1 year. Picked up travel photography along the way. Bought my first DLSR. Met my other half in Edinburgh.

When I was back in Malaysia, it's the trip to South Africa to watch the World Cup in 2010 to look forward. Watched 2 football games, all with Argentina playing. Met Maradona in person, ok not exactly in person upclose but you know what I mean.  The same year, I went to Hong Kong again but this time with my family and fully sponsored them. I brought my grandma along and she was extremely happy and proud to climb up to the giant Buddha in Lantau Island. She even mentioned her achievement to all her neighbours in Seremban.

In 2011, another year full of travelling activities covering Tibet, Bhutan and Nepal. Went to Taiwan with brother and friends after winning travel voucher from a photography competition. Visited New York for work. Going into LDR. Stopped by London to meet a good friend and shopping in Primark, yes the cheapo Primark is my favourite shopping place in London.

So what's install for 2012? Stay tune.......



p/s: notice that the travelling stories grew less and less.......


I was too tired and lazy to continue typing, haha