Today

I realized that I think about the ocean almost every single day. Why can't the ocean be everywhere? The more time I spend living in big cities, the more I miss it...


(last day in Langkawi - Malaysia 2011)

Today

something incredible happened. I realized that I could totally live without people I thought I couldn't live without.

Let go of this world.

Today I Learned...

That facebook is banned in Vietnam! I guess it's time for a facebook detox then :(

Today I Learned...

That once an insomniac, always an insomniac. Le sigh.

Today I Learned...

That I've become pro at 3 things:
1. Packing
2. Saying goodbye
3. Taking cold showers (hot water isn't as available as you'd think in most countries; its better for the environment)

That I would like to move to Bali.

Today I Learned...

Family > travel plans.
Sometimes a change to the itinerary can be a good thing.

Today I Learned...

That the power of imagination is unrivaled by anything in this world.

Today I Learned...

That, for me, being in a place more familiar is usually more stressful than being somewhere new. I guess you can call traveling my personal therapy.

Today I Learned...

That just because you haven't talked to someone (minus facebook) in over 10 years, doesn't mean your friendship had died.

Today I Learned...

That Arabic is a very difficult language to learn in terms of grammar and composition. (And I'm a native speaker.)

Today I Learned...

That instead of tossing and turning for a what seems like a million hours (usually just half an hour) in bed while being wide awake, getting up and doing something is much more useful. It sure beats trying to force yourself to sleep. And eventually, you'll just get tired and get right to sleep. A psychiatrist once told me that the cure for not being able to fall asleep is to do something that makes you stop thinking about how much you want to sleep (like read a book). Don't make insomnia your enemy; use that energy wisely. Sleep will eventually show up.

Today I Learned...

That shoes really can mysteriously "disappear" at the mosque! :|
RIP dad's shoes.

Today I Learned...

That I will not get homesick, I will get friendsick.

Today I Learned...

That I'm gonna need inspiration for this next year. Lots of it.

Today I Learned...

That it is much easier to stop dreaming than it is to make those dreams a reality. And I'm not one for taking the easy way out.

That the concept of travel writing/journalism is so very foreign in Egypt. Let alone the concept of traveling the world. What is it about exploring different things, different people, different cultures, different ways of thinking, that totally throws people off here?

That when confronted with a very scary looking beast of a spider, you should repeat the following statement to yourself: IT is more scared of ME than I am of IT. Repeat. Take a deep breath. Wake up dad to kill it.

Today I Learned...

That I absolutely love the concept of family :) Even if it's not mine lol

Today I Learned...

That I love catching sane people talking to themselves - it just further proves that there's a little bit of crazy inside every one of us.

Today I Learned...

That Syria is the only country to ban Facebook. Surprised? Not entirely. (Thanks A.)
That the biggest thing I miss about being in Turkey is all the people from 30 different countries I met and had lively discussions with.

Today I Learned...

That: In 1386, a pig in France was executed by public hanging for the murder of a child.
(My friend found it imperative to inform me of this funny fact. Thanks A. :)

That the best things are always learned while traveling.

That the concept of "home" is over rated and under discussed.

Today I Learned...

That there is a fine line between necessities and "stuff". Time to get rid of the stuff.