2015 was an amazing year filled with courage; which led to good changes, new adventures, and achievements in relationship goals. In the nutshell, I visited 31 cities and 11 countries, got engaged, while running a social media team if 6 that I built at work. Here is a year in review before I bid farewell to an overwhelming good year!
JANUARY: Honestly, nothing.
What a shame. Thank god the only month so.
FEBRUARY: Laos
Finally, after 2 to 3 years, I visited Laos where I broke and healed my heart, iced my toes at the crystal cascades of Kuang Si Waterfall, explored Luang Prabang by foot and ate a helluva croissants at Vientiane.
MARCH: Eucerin video shoot
I did a series of videos for Eucerin; which aired on screens at selected drug stores in Malaysia. It was a challenging 12-hour shoot with lengthy scientific script that required constant level of high energy so it doesn’t sound boring, and I had to go on screen totally bare faced (with a bandana), completing them with voice overs after. It was a job that really put my Degree in Performing Arts to good use.
APRIL: Letting go
Just like how the Chinese dislike the number 4, on the 4th day of the 4th month in 2015, I painfully ended a relationship which I’ve built dreams around and invested in a lot. The biggest lesson I learned was to drop anything that makes you unsure or unhappy with the faith that new, better things need space to happen; even if that means sometimes you have to hold on when you have nothing to hold on to – to fight the false voice that’s always afraid; to choose courage above everything else. Knowing this will change your life.
MAY: Lake Toba, Medan
Both lucky and unlucky, my trip to Nepal was canceled because of the sudden, shocking earthquake. Instead, I went to Medan where I explored Lake Toba by bike and got 50 shades tanner. Little did I know then, that the rawness of the trip brought me to the nicest mountain view I’ve ever seen so far (in all seriousness); even better than Hokkaido’s Aiko National Park!
JUNE: 5 countries, travelled solo
June was an important month in my life that changed me and my view of traveling irreversibly. It was the very first time I traveled alone to 5 countries namely Turkey, Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary and Spain and man, was it the most enriching experience anyone could ask for.
In all aloneness for an entire month where I was chasing nothing, especially not time, I managed to look inwards to unearth the buried answers I had all along – to clear my mind, let my heart lead the way, and be as one with my soul. If you are not ‘blind traveling’, trust me, you will never look at life the same way again. Traveling alone is something one MUST do in this lifetime.
JULY: United with the love of my life
É came to my life like a dream gift from Santa in spring, a season where all new life blooms. However, we weren’t official until summer when I came back from my globe-trotting in July. After a couple of failed relationships, it was hard to believe that miraculous good things can happen. I wanted to be present enough to savor each progress of the relationship, instead of being whisked off my feet not knowing where I’d end. From that moment onwards, everything changed . . . for the better.
AUGUST: Busy playing superstar
From Malaysian Fashion Week, Coach exclusive launch party, Zouk Club opening night for VIPs (my favorite clubbing experience with É), August was a month about back-to-back events that made me feel like a superstar!
SEPTEMBER: Myanmar – completed South East Asia travels!
Ba de ya, in September a travel goal of mine finally came true! Today I can say that I’ve ‘conquered’ South East Asia (aside from Brunei and Timor Lest; which I left out on purpose for obvious reasons). It wouldn’t have happened if not for É, who also made sure it was granted perfectly.
Myanmar was the only country left because as it is no Europe, I preferred not voyaging there by myself. None of my friends were interested, asking me “What’s there to see?”. Truth is, É and I have visited many supposedly ‘better’ countries together, but Myanmar is still our favorite up to date.
OCTOBER: Hokkaido, Japan
AirAsia X makes me fly in happiness and for real once a year. Last year I went on a sponsored trip to Paris and Toulouse. This year it was Sapporo! Hokkaido has always been a prefecture of Japan that I dreamt of visiting as I am a huge seafood lover. I almost bought tickets with É to visit it next year during the sakura season and boy was I lucky that I didn’t. After all, how can a sponsored holiday not make October for me? (:
NOVEMBER: Got engaged!
November, my favorite month of the year marked a remarkable moment in my life, providing the most amazing memory no one can steal. I got engaged to a man I’m in love with, who loves me too. If there’s one thing money can’t buy, it is mutual love. It was also a month where I was very excited about, as I took É to his first visit to Singapore after Xi’an, China, to see one of the world wonders: the terra cotta armies.
DECEMBER: Strengthening family relationships
The last month of 2015 was all about family. Earlier in December, É joined me and my family to Phuket and it turned out so well. As I’m writing this now, I am half-seated, half-lying down in bed at a lovely apartment in Lisbon, spending the last couple of hours before the countdown reminiscing 2015 with a bad cold. I have not seen much of Portugal and unfortunately feeling too ill to move, but I’m happy to say that I received a priceless Christmas gift; which is to know that my future in-laws are such nice, caring people (É’s mum actually also literally gave me THE best Christmas gift I’ve ever received – a Kindle!!!).
You may also read my 2014: Year In Review. How much things have changed . . .