It Was Time for a Change

Time came for me to go back to where it all started... My time on the island was up and my six month visa in Cambodia was ending. Tom was selling his business share and I was feeling like making a move soon as well. So I looked up flights to literally everywhere and I couldn't choose for days, weighing pros and cons of each country I considered. The decision was pretty much made for me one morning when I checked for flights yet again and I found an incredible deal to one place... 

So a couple weeks after I found myself packing my things, which I had more of than expected and saying goodbye to Koh Rong and its inhabitants. It was a very bittersweet moment for me because in my five months living on the island, with a month being away in Thailand with Tom, I called that place my home and the people there were my family. A very dysfunctional, crazy, funny, strange family. Nonetheless, I loved it and my time there will never be forgotten. As I boarded the boat for the final time, with my backpack and other things, it felt very surreal. It still felt as if I was just going for a quick visit to the mainland and was coming back in a few days. I never expected to end up on a remote island off the coast of Cambodia and live there for nearly half a year. But I guess this goes to show, once again, that anything and I mean ANYTHING can happen. 

Leaving on a jet plane, don't know when I'll be back again...

After a few days with Tom in Sihanoukville I said goodbye and got on a night bus to Bangkok. I was there about 14 hours later. Bangkok was still being shaken by all the protesting so it wasn't the most convenient city to stay in, but I stayed away from all the ruckus and kept myself safe. After couple of days in the center of Bangkok and saying my hellos and goodbyes to George & Pom at Chill Out and then seeing Krista, I moved to a nice little hotel with a pool near the airport. I relaxed by the pool for a day and a half and then arrived at the Suvarnabhumi Airport early in the morning to fly out. 

3.5 hrs later I was landing in New Delhi

I had a big smile on my face when I was flying over India because that was the place that you could changed my life a lot. It was a destination a year ago which was going to lead a new life, or so I thought. I did leave India a completely different person than I came. My views, my mind, even my body were all different. I learned so much about the world, about life and mostly about myself while being there. With the help of other people, and the ancient philosophies of India I have drastically improved myself and the cup of my soul was pretty full. The months I have spent in India defined who I am now and changed my mindset so much. I learned yoga from the people who invented it, I felt such a deep connection to this place that every moment was a learning experience which took me higher and higher. I understood more yet at the same time, my newly acquired knowledge confused me sometimes and frustrated me. They say knowledge is power. Well, I felt powerful, I felt strong, I felt alive. Naturally, coming to the place where it all happened was a lovely feeling and an overwhelming sensation with so many dormant memories sneaking back into my mind. 

Sunset in Delhi

Before I go on any further, I must say, India was not my final destination. It was a temporary stop before heading to the final point of this journey. As I saw the sun shine all day and then set beautifully behind airplanes coming in and out of the New Delhi Indira Gandhi International Aiport, I waited patiently for my next flight. And patient is what I was, that's for sure. Originally, my layover time was 13.5 hours which is pretty ridiculous, but I was mentally prepared. However, one should always expect "surprises" at the airport and I surely got mine. My next flight was delayed by 5 hours, which in the end gave A LOT of time at the airport; sleeping, reading, listening to music, wandering around the shops, and watching movies. When I finally boarded my final flight I was very relieved to finally be moving on but I was in for an interesting ride. Of course, my seat arrangements were jumbled up and I moved seats twice until I finally settled in next to a wonderful woman to my left Kiran, who turned out to be a lovely neighbor for the long journey I had and also as I found out later, a very talented singer. Check out Kiran's music here!! :) 

Oh yes, Lion King :)

Flying over Afghanistan. Sunrise

 

This flight from New Delhi was the longest direct flight I have ever been on. But I guess after 18 hours at the airport, 15.5 hours didn't sound impossible... I managed to sleep a lot, watch movies on the little television which had a broken stand and it wouldn't stay in place. After asking the flight attendants for help and them not being able to fix it, I took the matters into my own hands and ended up tying a blanket to the monitor and then to the back of the headrest of my seat. It wasn't perfect, but it worked! Living in Asia for over a year definitely taught me to be very resourceful and to make something out of nothing sometimes because there would be no other option. Because of my destination being super cold (-18'C) I nicked a blanket from the flight, thanks Air India, which probably saved my face, literally!

Snowy New York

First few moments outside... SO COLD!!!!

Yes, I've come back to the good old America. It was really strange landing at JFK Airport and very scary after the pilot announced that the temperature outside is very very very cold: -18'C , 0'F Craziness!! Well, my first mission after collecting my bags and before heading outside was to put on nearly every piece of clothing that I had with me over each other so I wouldn't drop dead from the frozen air outside. It was funny, I felt like the Mishelin Tire Guy, layers upon layers. I had 7 pairs of shirts on and four pairs of pants. I must say though, that most of the clothing was summer style, light fabric, and not warm at all. But I put my layers on, put on my water shoes with lots of "breathing" holes in them (the only shoes I had) and braved it outside. Took the connecting bus from the airport to Jamaica Station where I hopped on the subway and thirty minutes later I was in New York City, Chinatown, walking through slushy snow, my feet soaking wet, and my hands and face, frozen. About ten minutes I reached the offices of the Lucky Star buses with relief, which would take me to Boston. The prices of the buses had gone up by 10$ since last time I've taken them and now was 25$. I did not argue. At that point all I wanted was to be inside, warm, drinking tea after seeing my friend Margaret who picked up at the South Station bus terminal and then surprising my parents at their home. Eventually I made it there. The whole journey, from leaving for the airport in Bangkok to arriving at my parents' front door took a total of 51.5 hours, which was officially my longest journey ever!





So here I am back in the states and my whole past year in Asia seems like a dream that I dreamed while actually hibernating in the cold cold winter... It was all real though.
It's nice to be back.












Keep reading my blog though, dear reader because my journey is nowhere near finished ;)

 Here is a video from my first day back!