29 juin, 11 mois de voyage

Today it's my birthday!11 months of travrling around the world on my own :)

"I am Caroline. I am French. I am traveling since 11 months now. I was working in Seattle for 3 years in a French immersion school. I started my travel from there, then visited some friends in Montreal, Rio, Buenos aires. I traveled  around South America for 6 months, passed by the US one week because it was cheaper to go to Asia. Then I stayed one and half month in Indonesia: Bali, gillis, did a boat trip in the Komodos Islands, a road trip in Flores and came back to Bali to have some vacations with my mum. After that I traveled around South east of Asia, Malaysia, Cambodia, Lao, Thailand, Myanmar... "

C'est mon petit discours d'introduction à chaque nouvelle rencontre. Tout recommencer, sans cesse. Les nouvelles rencontres sont à la fois agréables et réservent parfois de bonnes surprises, mais cela demande de l'énergie de renouer contact tous les 2 jours. Je me compte qu'il est agréable de partager le voyage quelques temps avec les mêmes. 

On me demande souvent quel pays j'ai préféré. J'ai évidemment des préférences, mais bien souvent elles relèvent plus des gens avec qui j'étais et des moments qu'on a partagés que du pays lui même. 

Aujourd'hui je suis entre l'excitation de découvrir le Japon pendant le mois qu'il me reste. Et celle de rentrer à la maison retrouver ma famille, mes amis.

I love my trip, I live my dream, sometimes I start to feel tired about carrying my back-pack, moving. I would like just to be lazy, take some time off, watch a movie, read a book, stay in my bed all day, cook...

The last months I was traveling fast (for me) as a real backpacker I guess: changing city from city every 2/3 days. 

I did enjoy it in Myanmar, wich was the best country to visit in South East of Asia so far. They just opened the border, so people are really welcoming, they  are smiling and friendly. The next month in Thailand I felt bad most part of the time. Bangkok was too noisy for me, I am not sure about the reason because in some ways I liked it but in the other hand the atmosphere was heavy and dirty. I shouldn't have stay in the touristic area to enjoy it better I think. 

All those people running after money. Everything is quite cheap in Thailand but just the fact that people try to cheat you all the time is tiring. And traveling by bus is the worth experience there. Not because of the bus, because of the people who organize the trip. It's a kind of Mafia of buses, treated you as shit, yelling at you all the time, telling order and to go faster. You have to seat if they want to, you have to move as well. Way too aggressive for me! 

After all, I finally had a great time in Thailand, I met nice German friends and we enjoyed the full moon party on Koh Phanang, then treated myself with a cute bungalow at the beach on Koh phiphi. The most touristic island apparently, but it was the low season, though , I really enjoyed it! Beautiful landscape and beaches, clear water and finally the sun back!!! So as you know I am in love with beaches and warm weather, and it made my time in Thailand!

Now I am arrived in Korea, in Seoul since 4 days. I felt in love for that place, the people are the sweetest ever. I feel relieved in the middle of this modern city in Asia with an old spirit. Great place to visit old palaces and temples, amazing for shopping too and speechless regarding  the food!!!! :) I am almost out of my traveler's skin! 

I restarted Couchsurfing: Be host by unknown people as you were part of their family is really joyful. I feel so lucky to be here now.

For the ones Who don't know it, couchsurfing is a website. You write a profile and then you can host people at home or ask to be host by them when you travel. Is it the best way to jump into the local life for me. See the country in their eyes, their habits... Visit but not specially in the traditional touristic way. Have the opportunity to see places who does not exist in the lonely planet and enjoy a great company.

Traveling is learning. Learning about the others and over all about yourself. 

I learned so much this year. 

How to be understandable by people who don't speak your language, Japan will be challenging on this one. I learned and force myself to speak Spanish in South America, but finally, just smiling is an universal language who makes everybody want to help you as much as they can if you are still struggle with the local language like in south east of Asia. It was quite impossible to learn more than "hello" and "thank you". A huge smile works everywhere!

I learned to find a bus in the middle of crazy bus stations, I know the name of the money in 17 new countries, to cook a typical Balinese dish, to make Balinese massage, to do ceramic in Cambodia, to surf in Ecuador, to feel at home any where in 5 minutes...
To adapt myself all the time to new people, new places, new habits, new rules sometimes... But for sure I should have learn about drive a motorbike! Specially in Asia, it makes the travel much better and easier. At least, I learned how to find someone to drive me around each time I needed! Wich was great!

I learned that to be lost and unprepared it's nice but having a plan B could be useful sometimes. Or you shouldn't be surprised to arrive in the middle of the night, under the rain, in the nowhere land, without any bed available when you finally find an hotel...

I finally learned to make a plan for my last stop in Japon. Still keep some flexibility to be able to move with the flow. The plan allowed you to see more things but be careful to not be trap with your plan. For me the better things happened when the unexpected show up!

It push you to be more open, open to the world, open to people, be conscient, to take care of yourself. 

You have to carrying what you really want to bring with you. And realize that you shouldn't want to have so much and just carry a light back- pack. I am still not the best for that! Travel light... This is my next goal!

You have to take decisions, sometimes fast. Should I jump on this train, bus? Is it the good one? Should I get of the bus? Follow those people? Accept an help from a stranger... not my best neither but I do work on it, and I had to do it anyway. 

You also have to face your fears and trough them away. Be careful, but take some risks to progress. The travel make everyday different, you have to be aware at all the surprises the world bring to you. Sometimes a wonderful beach appears, an amazing food in a cheap restaurant in a small city, some new friends, even a new boyfriend (be particularly careful with that one because it could be a trap too ;))

Everything depends on the ones you are with. Even if that one is you, be in a great company with yourself is the best you can have, the best you can learn along your journey.

Travel as a women alone could seems risky. But along my way I always felt safe or at least surrounded by the good people who made me feel safe. 

I realized how lucky I am to live this life, to made my dream come true. Following my heart, following my dreams as a goal in life is the best decision I took in my life so far. And today I really have the feeling that I succeed to be the one I wanted too. Enjoying every minutes, every morning, to wake up and live my day as a gift.

Before, I knew that I was a good teacher, I loved my job who was years ago my dream to realize. But today I am who I really expected to be: Free!! Open minded with an open heart. Connected with the world, with myself. Wherever I am I can feel at home. Even if at the end I Will never forget to come back at home. 

I still love to travel and want to do it more. But now I am thinking how great it will be to visit my friend and family. Be surrounded by people you love and who know you already. 

Have a rest and then... Will see!

29 juin 2014, pile onze mois que je me balade à travers le monde. Le début  de la fin ou l'intermède avant la seconde partie.

Des paysages á couper le souffle, des centaines de personnes rencontrées en chemin avec lesquelles partager le voyage, le temps d'un instant, d'un jour, d'une semaine, d'un mois ou deux! Le plaisir d'avoir retrouver mes parents, ma cousine, et l'occasion d'une courte pause en leur compagnie. 

Profiter de chaque instant en essayant de ne pas courir après la suite. Réaliser l'importance de ce qui semble être détails ou acquis dans nos vie. Vivre plus simplement ne veux pas dire vivre sans ambitions mais peut être juste avoir l'ambition de vivre heureux ou plus encore. Rien ne sert d'attendre le bon moment pour réaliser les choses qui nous tiennent à cœur, les choses arrivent d'elles même en général. Le tout est d'être prêt à les recevoir quand elles arrivent.

Un des mes amis rencontré en Malaysie m'a très justement dit:

"Traveling is not About how much you see it is all about how much you experience." Thanks Alex :) 

Enjoy the experience of Life! Love your life and live it!