Three Ticks & A Cross

After almost a month since arriving in the City of Lights, I  found myself some me-time to set some goals for SEP. They were simple.

"To Live. To try new experiences, step out of my comfort zone, dare to be an individual, be brave enough to be spontaneous.

To Speak French.

To Make Good Friends. The world's so big. And coming here, I realise the vastness that is everything outside Singapore and how Singapore has boxed us in.

To Travel. Wanderlust. Who doesn't want to see the world? I want to discover new places and make memories that matter with people that matter."

That was exactly 160 days ago. Fast-forward to now, have I actually achieved what I want out of this exchange?  Yea. I say this not with the fierce conviction of an activist for his cause, but with a wistful smile and my mind's eye running through all the moments I can gather off the top of my head like cinematic film flashback. Everything that ultimately mattered at the end of the ride, I addressed. Speaking French was a real priority initially until the task of studying French while travelling (that often) became a real challenge. So something had to go and it wasn't too hard to make a decision.

To Live. And indeed I have, at least a heck lot more than I did while getting too comfortable in Singapore. I had moments so perfect they could've been dreams, found myself in strange situations, stepped into the shoes of people and lived their lives and consciously let go of doubts that held me back. There was also a silver of reckless thrill that I pursued, subconsciously, on hindsight.

To Make Good Friends. One point on my bucket list was to make a friend in every city I went to. It didn't happen, but in the places I made friends, I made friends I'll dream of bumping into somewhere in the world. Some were Five Minute Friends whose transience made the company all the more intense; no knowledge of the other but we're just pushing buttons and being pals. Others were there for a while longer and that extra time meant exploring differences and heart-to-hearts. And some were there from day one and their presence was like hot chocolate on a wintry day. To have people think of you, throw chocolate at you on a bad day and insist on your presence at events cos they know you'll enjoy is something I have grown to appreciate so much (usually, my tendency is to be a hermit).

To Travel. Enough, as the Mothership puts it although I suspect she is nowhere as convinced as she sounds. Enough for now. For. Now. Wanderlust isn't water that can be cut off at a turn of the tap. It's a tension that builds up and will eventually need to be released. I would love to travel with my mom and have her see the sights in person because I know she'll enjoy it so much more than me.

So three ticks & a cross. May the next time be three double ticks.