As of today I have less than a week before I leave for my big Southeast Asia trip, and I still can't believe that it's actually happening. As many people know, I'm doing this three month trip all solo and I'm actually quite nervous about it since it will be in an area of the world that is completely foreign to me. The language, the cultural customs, and interesting foods are all so different things that I haven't really been exposed to, and that's exactly why I chose to go to this region in the first place. It's like no place I've ever been and I knew that if I wanted to go there, this was the time since I'm young and able to couch surf and bum around hostels. Another big bonus is that it's cheap! I remember studying abroad in Paris, and since it is obviously an extremely expensive city I would hold myself back with trying expensive foods, or staying in really nice hotels. In SE Asia, however, I feel like I will be able to splurge more on foods and be able to try more things and experiences.
I've had actually quite a few friends that have done something similar to what I'm about to do, and everyone has told me that doing it solo was the best decision. The fact that you and guide your own adventure and decide what you want to do makes your experience even that more personalized. If you're into museums and coffee shops, well you will become a culturally enriched coffee connoisseur; Or if you're a foodie then I'm sure you will have a lot of great new recipes to add to your travel cook book by the end of your trip. For me, I hope to eat a lot of interesting foods during my trip and indulge on the drink of the region as well. Furthermore, as a solo traveler you have quite a bit of time to yourself, and in that time I like to listen to music. I think that a song can take you back to a certain place or moment in time, and that's why I'm always jammin' out to my current favorite songs when I'm traveling around. In this blog I'm planning to also attach songs to the places that I've been, so that I can forever remember those moments in time and maybe even take you there with me. Another aspect of traveling that I think makes the experience even more enriching is meeting fellow travelers and locals throughout your trip. One of my goals with this blog will be to feature the people I meet along the way, listen to their stories, and then share them so that I can learn more about the culture and myself.
This is my "general" route that I will be taking. I arrive in Bangkok and then will go to Southern Thailand, back up to Bangkok and go to Cambodia, Southern Vietnam, Northern Vietnam, maybe stop off in Laos before heading up to Northern Thailand, and then finally going back to Bangkok and flying back home.
This song by Nick Murphy fka Chet Faker has been going through my head like crazy. The lyrics "can't stop me" reminds me that nobody can stop me, or YOU, from traveling and seeing the world.
I hope that you enjoy reading about my upcoming travels, and most importantly I hope that you're creating your own wanderlist!