Well the time has come. This is my last night in Singapore, as tomorrow morning I will be getting on a plane to begin my loooooong journey home. I am so ready to go home to re-unite with my friends and family, and to get back into "normal" life, as I once knew it. I have so much to look forward to this summer that it's hard not to be excited about going home. However, that being said, Singapore will always have a special place in my heart....my temporary "home away from home" which has granted me with such amazing opportunities of both world and self-discovery.
During our recent trip to Bali (which I returned from today, and wasn't the greatest trip I've had thus far due to a nasty bout of food poisening), it came up in conversation a few times about our "most memorable moments" during these past few months. It got me to pause and reflect on my time here, remembering the good, the bad, the ugly, and the absolutely life-changing.
As I'm sure you may have guessed from my 9-billion word post on my Cambodia trip, Cambodia was, by far, my favourite country that I've visited here. My number one most memorable and cherished memory from this entire exchange was the day we got to volunteer at Savong's orphanage and school. There is nothing else in my life that I can compare that day to, and it is a memory that I will always hold dear. I am still planning on fundraising for these orphaned children this summer, and am also interested in figuring out how we can get them connected with an NGO for sustainable funding in the future. These nine little boys, with mismatched dirty clothes and hearts of gold, really gave me something to think about. If they have absolutely nothing, and can still be so kind and so happy, what would their lives be like if they knew where their next meal was coming from, or if they could see they had a future? I have a passionate curiosity to find out.
In addition to wanting to help these children, I think I may have decided what I ultimately want to be when I grow up! That's a relief, because I graduate in August, and really had no idea what my career path goals would look like. I am a planner by nature; Ilove to plan and coordinate events. At one point I thought I would want to be a wedding planner (and I'm sure I would still love to do that) but now, after seeing the poverty, and the need for assistance in places such as Cambodia, I am compelled to do more....... I think that I want to marry my passion for planning, and my passion for helping those who are without, and work in some kind of coordination/planning role for an international aid NGO, working to reduce poverty in countries in places of extreme need.
Some other highlight memories from this exchange include:
-Janene and I sitting on the top deck of our Haloong Bay cruise boat early in the morning, before anyone else was up, sipping tea, while the boat sailed slowly and calmly between the small limestone islands. There was a light mist, and the ocean was like glass: probably one of the most peaceful moments I can recall ever having.
-Swimming in a waterfall in Nha Trang, Vietnam, after hiking up a small mountain.
-Angkor Wat, in Cambodia
- Spending the day on a private beach in Ko Tao, Thailand, with nothing to do all day but float, read, sleep,and eat.
-Watching Janene pet a penguin for the first time
- Full Moon Party in Thailand
- Weekend in Bin Tan, where we got to know the other exchange students from our school, NTU.
I'm sure there are plenty more that I will think of later, but these are a few that come to mind right away.
It's hard to think that I've been here for four months, and that this exchange has really come to an end. It's been an incredible journey, and I know that I am a changed person from my experiences here. One day, I hope to come back to Southeast Asia and do more travelling with Sean, showing him the things that I got to experience during my time here.
That being said, I am extremely excited to return home and begin the next chapter of my life, whatever it may bring.
So long, Singapore, thanks for everything.
xoxo
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment