it's weird.
the roads that were all too familiar before.
feels foreign now.
all that's left is that distant memory.
i used to live here.
i drove on this road almost everyday.
now i don't drive.
and i live somewhere else.
don't get me wrong.
i like it here.
very much so.
but there's no place like home.
of course, no one's forced me to come here.
i came here because i wanted to know.
i wanted to see.
i wanted to hear.
i wanted to feel.
and now i do.
i know things i couldn't have possibly known before.
i've seen things i probably wouldn't have had the chance previously.
i used to hear people talk, now i'm telling the stories.
and i feel a myriad of emotions.
things i'd never thought i'd feel.
when you pack up your life and leave for a distant foreign land to start fresh, you'd surprise yourself.
i wanted to push myself outside my comfort zone, and i managed to do so exceptionally well.
when i first got here, i've never felt so lost, so out of place.
i felt like buying the first ticket back home.
when i arrived it was night time, so i couldn't see much.
i remember waking up the morning after in my hotel room.
it was then when it hit me.
i'm thousands of miles away from anywhere i've ever been.
i'm thousands of miles away from anyone i've ever known.
i've never even travelled alone outside the country..
but i decided to jump on a plane and move to God knows where and live there.
took a couple of hours for me to really process the whole situation.
i remember taking a peek through the curtains out the window.
i saw some cars parked behind the hotel, and presumably a Pakistani man (from his clothing) going about his business.
i don't know what i expected to see.
probably was looking for some semblance of similarity in an otherwise alien location.
people always see the glitz and glamour of living abroad.
the selfies with iconic landmarks in the background.
the high-roller lifestyle you're supposedly living.
social media is not so different from mainstream media.
it is merely a portrayal of what the producer wants you to see.
what you don't see is the loneliness of being far from anyone you've held dear.
the struggles of trying to fit in into a different culture / way of thinking.
this huge gamble you've made on the course of your life.
but i'd say it's a risk worth taking.
once in a lifetime opportunity.
i took it. and it paid off.
and now i'm looking for my next adventure. haha.
we shall see where life takes us.
anything outside your normal routine is an adventure that will lead you to new and exciting discoveries.
you just need to take that first step.
peace.
