June is a month I need to grit my teeth and get over. Weekends are mostly those that I spent sleeping away to repay my sleep debt, though for the first time in a long, long while, I had spent Saturday night out with a bunch of uncles, talking till dawn almost broke.

I suddenly thought of how I used to hang out at Al Alameen years ago, and such weekends were a norm.

***

I had lamented how I didn’t get the chance to go out of the country, and when I had the chances to finally do so, going to places I had never been before, or revisiting places that held such familiarity, I had put off blogging about them because… there are simply too many pictures and procrastination got the better of me.

I am looking forward to July, August and the end of the year, because a part of me wanna be out there in the vast, again.

These 2 years had been amazing. Opportunities came and went, dramas brewed and ceased, people drifted in and out, places seen and felt.

And hiding in my drafts, are many of these pictures that never gotten to see the light of days.

They revived the wanderlust in me, and the excitement of the coming months kicked in.

Perhaps it will take a long while for me to recount those episodes of how minuscule I felt in those places, the excitement of being in those places… so long that sometimes, the feelings about how I had felt for the places and people changed.

But what doesn’t change is the fact that on a personal level, these places had fulfilled a part of my dream.

And that is what I don’t want to forget.

In July 2007, it was my first ever trip to Indonesia. I had never been to anywhere in the region before(yes, imagine my colleagues’ horror when I told them I have never been to Bangkok), and a company retreat was what brought me there.

The sea, the sand and just plenty of openness.

It was my 2nd trip with these colleagues, and the last. But then it was one that was filled with Poker and Mahjong, and we hardly saw outdoor. Except for this evening where we had an amazing dinner under the star-filled skies.

The highlight was when we went offroad and my nagivating skills on the vehicles brought nightmares to these bunch of people.

***

May 2008

Possibly the most exciting trip of my life.

All thanks to Boss Ming(of Nuffnang) for making it possible.

Another dream fulfilled. To watch Manchester United in a live game, and to watch them with the Champions’ League Cup.

The bonus is the beautiful, quaint city it was held in. Moscow, Russia.

From planning to flying off, it only took a week. It was only a 3-day trip before I rushed back for a meeting(which was followed by a hectic game of laser quest… a nice dinner, and I dragged my luggage home for a game of mahjong I barely stayed awake over).

I love Moscow. But I realise I didn’t take much pictures of it to do it justice.

But since the itinerary was packed, I guess it was just fabulous for me the chance to grace Red Square.

The surprise was of course someone who read my blog spotted me in Red Square, and emailed me post-trip to ask if it was really me.

Obviously, nothing beats the pictures from the stadium.

The scarf that followed me since 1996 met the end of its journey with me when I left a piece of me behind in Moscow – some custom officer should have it with him now.

A very, very, cute custom officer with juicy red lips who held up the immigration line and gave me his officer cap.

Was the trip worthwhile? Hell yeah.

I wish I had seen Lenin’s body though.

I didn’t manage to take a picture in front of the St Basil’s Basilica, which was my greatest regret.

BUT.

This picture more than makes up for it.

Well.. I wanted to stand at the side but… was shooed into the middle. And the atmosphere, the team spirit… Awesome.

It was definitely, the trip of a lifetime. One that epitomised spontaneity.

***

October 2008

I had never been to Tioman nor Dayang before.

I finally did to fulfill yet another longtime wish of mine – to get my diving licence.

It was one to remember, because it was one of overcoming my fear of all sorts.

And I learnt how to breathe.

And not forgetting, the importance of sunblock which I had complacently overlooked.

And also the importance of staying away from alcohol, though I didn’t know I am less clumsy when intoxicated(eh, I think the grey shorts have some kind of power over me that draw me to poles.. refer to Bintan picture and you will get the drift).

It was a trip that taught me how to laugh again.

I had learnt the importance of gloves as well. And how Murphy’s Law is, when you wear a glove on your right, you will somehow hurt your gloveless left hand.

And somehow a small splinter(not that small, really), can actually pierce your 1mm nerve with such precision.

Seriously?!

With friends like a certain Mr Norman Leong, they will always think that when you complain of “pain”, you are just being a prissy missy, and they will dismiss your pain as just…. a random attention-seeking whine. I call that gender bias.

Ahem, I reinstate my stand that when a woman who can go through an epidural-free labour complains about pain-factor, she knows what she is talking about.

And oh, beware of how your BCD might become like some propeller suit.

And oh, with friends like him, when you are shouting for help in the middle of the sea after a potentially life-threatening episode, you get sniggers and laughs instead of sympathy. But of course, with friends like him, you get rescued too.

***

Crossing over to 2009 in Phuket.

I had never been to Thailand!

And the friendliness of the locals was what struck the deepest impression.

Like how one wanna pick me up on his scooter to go on a date so he could be my Thai boyfriend, and how just whisked me from the sides of the road when I needed to help to buy some painkillers.

And I really just got on the bike without thinking twice, and without knowing where the nearest 7-eleven was.

Complacency. Tsk tsk.

Got my advanced diving licence on the trip, watched the skies filled with so much pretty fireworks and watching my wish floated into the skies..

The somersaults in the water, being stranded under and in the middle of the choppy seas…

***

March 2009

Going back to London a decade since I left it was yet another spontaneous trip.

It had meant to be a solo trip which I would meet an ex-classmate there to travel(we even had plans to go skiing in Canada) didn’t turn out to be that way.

Nonetheless it was a trip that fulfilled 4 things I had wanna do – Revisiting London, watch Phantom of the Opera in London, explore Rome, and unexpectedly conquering Pompeii in Naples.

It didn’t change much. Thankfully pounds was at its lowest, and accommodation was taken care of. Talking about impeccable timing, Dr Woo was in town too.

And I am planning for my next trip to London to meet the boys, and hopefully I could make my regular trips to this part of the world(can branch out to other parts of the region) I feel strangely have an affinity to. And maybe a trip to Old Trafford and Lake district will be nice. Stonehenge, maybe?

It was also the place I last travelled with my parents.

There is just something about the place, that brings back the innocence of the good ol’ English days.

The days of running on the lush field on Sundays playing football with the lads, of a single stalk of lilies and origami(hehe, secret memories stashed somewhere).

And oh, cute doctors.

Almost couldn’t catch the play cos though it was planned weeks before to catch it, the tickets were all sold out. Was pretty disappointed, but Suki worked some magic and gotten some great seats.

I could sing along to all the songs as I had learnt them when I was that gawky nerd in school, and I was lost in my personal moment – another item ticked off my bucket list.

***

My favourite place, ever – Rome, Italy.

Rome is a mystery.

It is such a beautiful city though the very moment you step foot in it, you could barely prepare yourself what is to come.

I am just bias cos I love anything and everything Italian. The men, the language, the food, the football team, the national sport(MotoGP)… the history and all.

But to finally get to Rome.. was.. surreal.

I was really on the verge of tearing everywhere I went.

I could have blogged about it everyday when I was there but the lack of internet connection made it impossible.

The big grin on me when I finally set foot into The Lavicant Vatican.

I felt plenty of pride when I had asked a lady who had stopped next to me on a scooter at a traffic junction for directions, and when she couldn’t understand “The Vatican“, I made my Italian teacher proud when I spiced it up with a little Italian accent, and said its Italian name.

The lady’s eyes litted up with comprehension, and guided the way.

I messaged Wifey when I was there, and when she told me how she had felt when she first set foot into The Vatican, I thought she was exaggerating.

But you really have to be there, to understand.

Of course, it will speed your pulse when you watch Angels and Demons.

The other highlight was the Trevi fountain.

It was gorgeous. Simply gorgeous. It couldn’t be real. It was just beautiful.

Who can miss The Colesseum.

Rome plays with your imagination. It makes you direct your own movies of the history it represents everywhere you go.

And it makes you marvel at the geniosity of the artists.. for making Rome such a rich hub of beauty.

***

Pompeii.

Honestly Pompeii came as a surprise.

I didn’t know exactly where Pompeii was, but it had always been somewhere I had been wanting to explore. I used to read it on Wiki, and a brief mention about it was coincided when I chanced upon a brochure that very day.

Another spontaneous trip planned, and Florence was scrapped.

It may be ruins for some people, but it was a trip I thoroughly, thoroughly enjoyed.

Though I think missing out the Museum in Naples was a big, big regret.

An ancient city buried by volcanic ash and evacuated and survived these many years… it boggles my mind.

I walked down the streets thinking, “Gee, I am walking on the ground of a city built by people almost 2000 years ago, the way it was.”

I have finally been there.

And I know my fate with Italy just doesn’t end there. I will be back, someday soon(I hope, since there are many other places I would love to explore).

Venice, Nice, Florence.. and a visit to Turin to meet some of the nicest friends I have ever met. And oh my beautiful Rome, we shall meet again.

***

These episodes are what will push me to get out of my comfort zone to venture on again.

Honestly, I didn’t think I would get the chances to do all these, and I am contended yet the curious part of me is still not fed.

And now, where next?