[The following post is from the archives of my In Search Of Incredible blog, originally published on 19 April 2014. Minor edits have since been made from the original post to update some links and info.]

7 April 2012, Saturday

Morning call: 6:30am

This is it, the final day of my trip. After 30 days away, it’s finally time to return home. I left Rory’s at 7:21am and hopped on a tuk-tuk (fare: US$6), arriving at Phnom Penh International Airport at 7:50am. I was super early for my 10:15am flight, but I was anxious to get home I guess. I savoured my last plane ride for a while, and I finally touched down in Singapore at 1:05pm. Home sweet home at last!

As I was on the plane, I had time to pen down my thoughts, and this was what I wrote:

It’s a bit hard to believe that it’s Day 30 today. I’ve left home and been on the road for a month now. I don’t really miss Singapore but I do miss my family and friends. When you travel for an extended period of time, you realise that you don’t actually need much material possessions (But that didn’t stop me from shopping!). But really, you don’t need a lot of things to get by. A lot of it is just comfort items, but that’s the comfort of home.

 

If you ask me what’s my takeaway from this trip, I would say that we, as Singaporeans, are very lucky. 50 years ago, we were really not too different from these countries I’ve visited, but in that short span of time, we have really transformed into a first world country.

 

Life for people here and elsewhere is not easy but they still find a way to go on, and they treat each other with respect and make an honest living. Like when I gave my tuk tuk driver just a US$1 tip, he was extremely grateful to me. It’s really not a lot, but it meant so much to him. Life is really not easy and we must be humble and learn not to take things for granted and complain over every little thing.

 

The world is so big and it’s not as scary as what you think it to be. Of course, you need money to travel and find food and accommodation, but everywhere, you’ll find kind people who will be willing to help you if you lose your way or need help, as long as you are polite and have a smile on your face. A little smile goes a long way.

 

I’ve been incredibly blessed throughout the trip and I’m thankful for that. With the powers of iPhone, Wi-Fi and Facebook, I’ve been able to share my journey with my loved ones back home and it’s heartening to log on each day and to see their Likes and comments. As this adventure comes to a close, I’m ready for my next adventure in life.

It’s now more than 2 years since I’ve penned the above words, and I still feel the same way. Being able to travel and see the world is a gift and I am extremely thankful for that. It has opened my eyes to the beauty, wonders, and sometimes, the ugly side of the world as well, but I firmly believe it makes us more humble and appreciative of what we have.

If you think about it carefully, you only have one lifetime to live, and there are 196 countries in this world. There are some countries I’ll probably not visit, but there are so many more that I wanna visit, and there simply isn’t enough time to do it all. As of this present moment, these are the places I wanna go before I die (in no particular order):

Greece
I’ve always been fascinated by The Acropolis after Yanni performed there. And Santorini is just amazingly beautiful, postcard perfect.

The Pyramids in Egypt
The effort required to build this monolith is crazy, and for it to be still standing after thousands of years is simply mindblowing.

Maldives
For a relaxing, sun-kissed holiday.

Tromso (Norway)
I managed to get a small taste of the aurora borealis in Iceland, but I want to see the whole shebang and Tromso is supposedly the best place to see the Northern Lights.

Brazil
I love Bossa Nova and Samba and this is the birthplace of these genres of music. Copacabana Beach and Christ The Redeemer statue are just iconic.

Italy
There is so much to love about Italy and I’ll probably need a full 2 weeks to do it justice…Rome, Venice, Florence, Pisa…all the architecture and food…slurp!

New York
I’m sure I’ll love New York for its vibrancy and shopping. To me, it’s not a place for adventure, so I’ll probably leave this till when I’m older.

Africa
To be honest, I’m not very well-acquainted with Africa but I do want to visit an animal safari to see wildlife up close. I would also like to go to the jungle and take a dip in a waterfall. But Africa seems exceedingly expensive, so this might have to wait.

There are many, many more places to visit, but these are on my bucket list. And I hope I can achieve these within the next 15 years. Stay focused! The search for incredible continues…