Homecoming – Real Time

This blog was supposed to be real-time-ish. Not day-to-day by any means – there was still actual travelling to be done, actual people to be met and actual alcohol to be consumed – but something on a “this is where I was hungover last week” basis. And I was keeping it together up to the last month of my trip. Then something happened: back in Kiev my rented apartment got sold, so I had to cut my trip short and return to pack up shitload of my earthly possessions. Think furniture, domestic appliances, and enough footwear to equip a little army – if the said army elected to march on in high-heal sandals, size 5.

Suddenly where used to be months, there now were weeks, then days… I had to eliminate countries, I couldn’t hang out as long as I wanted in locations of choice. It would have been smarter to take it slow, but I couldn’t give up on the idea of Angkor, Cambodia’s secluded islands, exploration of Krabi and Phang-nga provinces of Thailand’s Andaman coast… There was a lot to absorb – and for the first time in months I’ve been pressed for time. I still kept an up-to-date account of my accelerated travels: I scribbled semi-intelligible notes on over-night buses and giggled stupidly at the screen of my mobile phone, as I saved key-words of funny accidents as draft text messages. But editing and posting had to wait until…

NOW. I’m home now. As in way home: back in my hometown, where I was born, at my parent’s place. I still have a few loose ends, but I’ve regained what my travels taught me to value most: TIME. I’m processing my notes, pictures and text-message-sized anecdotes while laying on a couch and hugging my cat. It’s an early spring here and the air is full of anticipation of the warm days to come. And very spring-appropriately, I have butterflies in my stomach – just like on the eve of my trip. I don’t have bulky property, rental agreements or job contracts to keep me down anymore. I am – for the first time in life – location-independent. Unexpectedly, I feel more free now, when my trip is over, than before it began. I’m dazed by all the options: I can hang out at my parents’ chill summer house, accept my friends’ invitations to spend few weeks here and there (I was studying European train connections for two hours yesterday) or simply stay put… One thing I’m certain of: it’s going to be the summer I truly enjoy!

Meanwhile, here’s a synopsis of what you can expect in my “post-travel” blog in the coming weeks:

- Cambodia’s unique fashion statement (I’ve never seen anything like it!)
- the BEST island I’ve been to – with pictures
- magical Angkor
- my culinary map (best dish from each spot – with pictures and addresses)
- fun stats (number of miles traveled, insects eaten, items lost, borders crossed…)
- 10 things I loved and hated about this trip (couldn’t help myself, but they are useful things to know, I swear)
- free desktop wallpaper pix: me and my W530 have way too many nice shots to spare!

And maybe – just maybe – another trip!