Travels

So the year 2020 was supposed to be THE year I did my SOLO travel. If you knew me personally, you will also know that I LOVE to travel! Solo travelling is something I had not done for more than 10 years now. I am used to travelling for work alone but for leisure and to another part of the world, nope the last of such a trip I did was to Nuremberg to visit a good friend while I was working in Singapore. So yes, it is more than 10 years now. However, given the current circumstances, I don't foresee borders opening anytime soon. It is rather touching to learn that my good friend still based in Germany had been exploring ways to return to Malaysia to wade off the pandemic, just to get some sun! I would have loved to have her around as well if not for the additional ridiculous charges to be paid to the immigration to get in during this time. So my advise to anyone who misses travelling, miss their spouse or other halves, please get yourselves distracted. Don't kid yourself with timelines anymore or wait for government releases on borders opening or travel bans lifted. This pandemic has no timeline to it, no end at the moment. Some predict it mid year, end year but honestly only GOD knows! So the best way to manage our mental health during this time is to be realistic and stop keeping up false hopes. When it opens, it opens aite. Even then you will be risking everything to travel out. Hence find a distraction. Pick up a new hobby if you need to, join a new group of common interests, online classes, heck start an exercise club if you need to. Dump your anxiety and energy into something that will result in a better outcome for yourself. Get selfish, invest in your own health and wellbeing. If you have not been eating well, start doing so. Miss the gym? Start running around your neighborhood. Miss your spa sessions? DIY a mask for yourself. Or buy a korean one from Shoppee. A simple pick me up mask is cucumber, aloe and honey. Especially on a hot weather as we have in Malaysia, it works great to rejuvenate our skin. So as for me, I have decided to not look forward to travelling for awhile now. But I am keeping a travel list of my own which mostly has Indochina and other parts of Asia in it for the shortest term. I honestly miss the Angkor Wat more than the Eiffel Tower. Kebabs more than croissant and the sun more than snow so Asia it is for me for now until the world comes to a stable point. Also, since i have technically covered quite a huge chunk of Asia and a small part of EU, I will have a good few years during retirement to travel the countries I have missed. So that plan has to also kick in somewhere over the next 10 odd years (IF i am still around that is). Therefore, fret not, fight not, flee not. Stop on your tracks, smell the fresh air you have, the flowers and sand around you and enjoy it while you have it. It's not a cliche statement when they say - Live today as if there is no tomorrow! As the scriptures have also affirmed this, do not worry about tomorrow, let it worry for itself.