Chasing sunsets in the USA.

Looking through these photos rejuvenates me in a heart beat. I never really knew I was so obsessed with sunsets until I was looking through my photo gallery reminiscing the happiest days of my life. I came home not receiving understandings as to why I have changed but I guess environment really does influence people. The first time my girlfriend went on a solo Europe trip I was too baffled. Wouldn't she feel scared? What  if and what ifs constantly surrounds my mind. But today I truly understand how she felt. The urge of just wanting to book a ticket and fly away is very tempting. The best take away from these 3 months break from my daily grind was to live with someone from an entirely different culture and I'm so thankful for Kristen because its never easy meeting someone only on day 1 and having to live together for the next 3 months; many weren't positive on us but we proved them wrong and I think this friendship is amazing. How 2 people from different parts of the world can come together like that..traveling is full of surprises. The constant learning of a new culture and living in it really enriches me and it just inspires me from day to day. It is not difficult to understand why people like to travel solo now, fears are definitely around not being in the safe habour you were brought up but exchanging this fear for an experience of a lifetime, that is a thousand times rewarding. Life really only begins when you step out of comfort zone. 

I really miss VA so much, of course I would love to see more of the world. Watching these sunrise and sunsets makes me feel so comfortable in my skin.. I remembered the very morning when I was about to set off for New York at 5am in the morning, I looked up into the sky and it was full of stars; I never seen a sky that clear &  that full of sparkles. My heart was grinning from ear to ear. Its a feeling....I never forget, somehow I felt the sky cleared for me to celebrate my first backpacking trip abroad. Nothing could describe. For that moment  I was reassured that the world is indeed a big and marvellous place.  How I wish our eyes could take photos. 

Ronald Reagan National Airport.

Brooklyn Bridge, New York.

Washington Monument, Washington D.C. 

Arlington, Virigina - my neighbourhood when I was staying there. 

I'm probably one boring blog, I seldom take pictures of myself (they make it more bored by the way hahaha), all I do is to write- about random things. Sometimes recipes but trying to settle down after coming back home is difficult and I'm still trying to find my ground. And while living abroad I found life in writing so here we go. Its bittersweet looking through them knowing that reality is reality and the only way to do this again is to work our butts off and earn some bucks.  I'm not against traveling with a group, but it has got to be the right people; and I personally feel that not till you travel alone will you truly understand and experience the whole culture and atmoshere you're trying to absorb. But thankfully D.C. was a very safe area and I found myself fully immersed in this mesmerising capitol.  I have friends who come here too but thought this place was kinda bored? but I think we all have a place we feel for and call it a second home, I love the Smithsonian, the cleanliness of the place, the historical culture...& most importantly the time I spent there. Freedom was gold. Nobody understands how bad I feel now. I cannot wait to be 'home', winter 2016 maybe?

Washington Monument, Washington D.C. 

Georgetown Waterfront sun set.. a breathtaking scene we pass by on the way to my birthday dinner :') 

Georgetown Waterfront Sunset. 

Evening stroll along the Reflecting Pool, Washington D.C. My weekends were so precious. 

Evening walks round Lincoln Memorial, Washington D.C. 

Many people travel for different reasons; for me, discovering nature and getting to know people away from home beats shopping hands down. I love shopping too but witnessing what Mother Earth has to offer is a million times more captivating than roaming around busy streets.  I used to go crazy over luxury goods sales, promotions and all, but not util this trip do I truly realise that that amount of money could really be spent on better stuff- things that rejuvenates your soul, learn a bit more, and it goes on. I hate it how being brought  up in such an advance education system and country make us greed more. We want faster internet connection, we want better things, and the more we know, the more we want. One of my girlfriends who visited Cambodia told me about the vast contrast- she told me she was really afraid of  people robbing and hurting her, and when she looked at those kids begging for money , she was so lost for feelings upon thinking how tourists like us would see them. We grew up in such a clean environment we get really sensitive when there is bad air pollution but the people there grew numb to it, and one particular sentence that she said shook me, because of how much truth it lies in it:

"The feeling is very hard to describe, its like, I'm more well to do but my life in return is so modelled and so narrow, where they are so carefree because they are ignorant. We are not ignorant because we have access to knowledge but we can't escape this model entirely too. We have out friends and family here, so its a pro and con thing. But fundamentally we don't have to worry about our basic needs and thats why we go up Maslow Hierarchy of Needs . We thirst for other (more) things!  And I think many people want to travel now because they know how trapped they are, so many people live the 9-6 lifestyle unwillingly. But they don't have a choice, so wini you must know that you're really courageous and definitely very blessed as well!" 

I love her, friends who talk like your sister. 

En route New York. 

33rd Street, 11th Avenue - New York. 

Right outside Museum of Natural History- New York. 

Evening road trip to Florida - craziest 14 hours drive! 

Evening drive to Maryland, National Habour. 

Henry Street after work, it was just 5:30pm.

King Street after work, the sky is so beautiful I can't even. 

Zip-lining adventures in Orlando.

Del Ray Alexandria, VA. 

Now I know why I couldn't fight my tears when the plane took off from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport that morning..