I’m back! After 35 weeks of backpacking, partying, and avoiding reality - I’ve returned back home, surprising nearly everyone. (My parents answered the door 12.30 at night - only 24 hours earlier, I had an argument with them on the phone that I was determined to fly to Syria - they nearly had a heartattack. On both counts!) The reason I am back is because my employer, well, said so. Unfortunately, it meant I had to change my trip quite drastically (no Middle East, and not the rest of Eastern Europe). Fortunately, I was dying to come back home - I was very much over travelling, and was counting down the days I would end the trip. Travel is a life-long thing, not a “lets-see-everything-now-before-I-have-the-2.4 kids- and-a-mortage”. Just in case you were wondering, after Budapest I caught a train to Belgrade to see some friends, and then flew to Athens to catch up with family.
My new car - seriously. Bank loan was approved today, I pick up this 2004 Jeep wrangler next Wednesday.
Five days after I arrived, I started full-time work in a Graduate-entry position at PwC - where for an intense two weeks, we were being trained on things I already knew as I have previously worked at the firm (it was still tiring though). Now, I am on my first week of three weeks of holiday (it’s a hard life!), and I am busy catching up with friends, and organising myself for what is literaly a new stage of my life. Oh, and recovering - I think my pneumonia is trying to make a comeback because I am so exausted - I probably have bronchitis. Doctor said I was fine when I first arrived, but the PwC training really took it out of me when I should have been relaxing.
…Jesus, I just did some quick arithmetic, and over my 35 weeks, I visitied about 25 countries and twice as many cities, villages, and islands! Talking about my trip has become tedious, and I am finding it difficult to tell people things - partially because, I don’t know where to start.
After my work’s Christmas Party (theme was “Bollywood” by the way), I went out to the city, and as I had my camera on me, I could not resist taking this photo. I found this guy on the streets of Sydney. I reckon he had a good night.
The travel bug in me is completely dead. But like Lazarus - expect it to come back one day. It won’t happen overnight, but it will happen. Merry Christmas!
I always have a feeling of slight sadness when the book is read to its end. (sigh)
Not over - just on standstill! I might not travel for another few years, but I can promise, I will travel again. There is so much more to see and experience in Europe and Russia. And lets not forget the Middle East, the America’s, Asia, and Africa: Travel is a lifelong experience, and for that reason, I am re-developing the site to reflect that.
I am actually expanding this website of mine to cover a lot more than just “travel”. Won’t give away too much now, but my premise is based on the fact that humans are multi-dimensional social beings. As Liako.Biz embodies me, and the web is like one big conversation of people interacting with each other, there are a few more dimensions I plan on displaying; the unifying theme of these almost seperate sites will be the domain Liako.Biz, implying me.
Don’t worry - I have absolutely no intention of creating a LiveJournal type site where I talk about my personal life, like some 8-year old girl’s diary. It hopefully will offer my perspective on chosen subjects that may benefit individuals, like the people who used my site this year. What started as a site that was meant to keep in touch with family and friends, as well as being a personal travel diary, ended up having a majority of readers I have never met - who have learnt about other countries, inspired them to visit a country, or even learn how outsiders perceived their country.
I received a phenomonal amount of e-mail this year from people who found my site from God knows where, but it really has motivated me to do what I did with travel to other subjects. And afterall I am a writer - I need to blog about something to keep me sane, as my new job has the potential to suck me dry.
Yo Elias - it’s Steve (the Korean) from California. Good to hear you’re back at home, and I’m completely amazed that you carried out your trip for as long as you did, though I’m totally disappointed that you didn’t make it to 2006. Shame on you! Hahahaha. Well, I’ve been working for about 4 months now, and it sucks major ass, so I know how you feel. Public accounting must be the opposite of traveling, no question. Anyway, I’ve been keepin in touch with Meister from Ohio (”white trash,” HAHAHA). Good times we had — hopefully we get to run into each other again somewhere in the future. Happy New Year!