lundi 11 août 2014

EHFAR

 

Sometimes people come into your life and you know right away that they were meant to be there… to serve some sort of purpose, teach you a lesson or help figure out who your are or who you want to become. You never know who these people may be, but when you lock eyes with them, you know that every moment they will affect your life in some profound way. And sometimes things happen to you at a time that may seem horrible, painful and unfair, but in reflection you realize that without overcoming those obstacles you would have never realized your potential, strength, will power or heart. Everything Happens For A Reason. Nothing happens by chance or by means of good luck. Illness, Injury, Love, Lost moments of true greatness and sheer stupidity all occur to test the limits of your soul. Without these small tests, life would be like a smoothly paved, straight, flat road to nowhere. Safe and comfortable, but dull and utterly pointless – the people you meet affect your life. The successes and downfalls that you experience can create who you are, and the bad experiences can be learned from. In fact, they are probably the most poignant and important ones. If someone hurts you, betrays you or breaks your heart, forgive them because they have helped you learn about trust and the importance of being cautious to whomever you open your heart. If someone loves you, love them back unconditionally, not only because they love you, but because they are teaching you to love and open your heart and eyes to little things. Make every day count. Appreciate every moment and take from it everything that you possibly can, for you may never be able to experience it again. Talk to people you have never talked to before, and actually listen. Let yourself fall in love, break free and set your sights high. Hold your head up because you have every right to. Tell yourself you are a great individual and believe in yourself, for if you don’t believe in yourself, no one else will believe in you. Create your own life and then go out and (get it) LIVE it.

Author Unknown

lundi 28 avril 2014

In loving memory of Eduardo Bolt Tardel

My heart is broken, today is Eduardo’s funeral and I wish I could be in Santiago saying goodbye to him properly.
I am praying for his family – his parents whom he looked up to so much; his sister Alexandra and brother Gonzalo whom he was so protective of.
I am praying for his close friends – I know how much he valued friendship, and he truly loved his friends to bits.
I am praying for his girlfriend – he had told me about this “special girl” when he got back from his trip to South East Asia, and I am SO happy he found her again when he got back to Chile.
I am praying for you, Maria – thank you for your messages these past few days, it has helped me tremendously. You are a wonderful person.
One of the highlights of my year in Australia was meeting Eduardo – you can ask any of my friends. I wasn't expecting anything from my first night out in Sydney, on February 1st, 2013...Once again, I realize how true the saying "Expect the Unexpected" is...Eduardo was on his own in Soho, his friends had left the club a while before, but for some reason he decided to stay and came over to speak to me while I was dancing with my group of friends. A few hours later, when I asked him why he had come to talk to me, he answered “everything happens for a reason”. We just clicked. Our time together was short-lived, but intense nonetheless. I will always remember our last goodbye at Bondi Beach - it was his last night in Australia after his trip to South East Asia, just before he went back to Chile. I wasn’t even supposed to go and see him that day, I hesitated for hours but ended up paying a $60 cab to go and say goodbye to him…It was worth every.single.penny. We had promised to see each other again one day, in Chile, London or Paris. Destiny decided otherwise…
What makes me happy is that I know he made one of his dreams come true last year, a dream he had worked so hard for: travelling with his friends in Thailand, Bali and Singapore. This is why this blog is also his story in a lot of ways. We went to the same places, shared amazing adventures with some of our best friends, and enjoyed every single moment. Eduardo told me about so many projects he had - he wanted to travel to Europe, discover Africa, raise a family…When I showed him my Wanderlust tattoo and he found out the meaning behind the word, he told me that it was going to be his favourite word from now on as well. But God had other plans for him. He was such a beautiful person, inside and out. Hardworking, ambitious, passionate, caring, full of energy, drunk on life, seizing every opportunity, and he had so much faith…He is truly an inspiration.
This type of encounter is what makes travelling so special. You connect with people you barely know in a way you can’t explain. You feel like you’ve known each other for years because you have so much in common, a special way of seeing things. You talk for hours about your dreams, your passions, your goals in life…And these people just get it. This type of encounter is what makes life so beautiful, it’s what I live for. I feel so blessed that Eduardo came into my life when he did, and lucky to have shared some very special moments with him.
When I think of him now, I imagine him on Gili Trawangan in Sunset Paradise Bar, a Bintang beer in his hand, watching the beautiful sunset…waiting for all of us to come and party with him J
As my godmother said the other day: “Everyone leaves us a lesson to be learned that helps us live our own lives for the better. He had a gift to pass on and that message from him will remain in your heart ...Never forgotten, but loved and enjoyed…”
Gracias por todo, Eduardo.
Vuela muy alto y descansa en paz <3
  




 






mercredi 12 février 2014

Date a boy who travels.

Date a boy who travels. Date a boy who treasures experience over toys, a hand-woven bracelet over a Rolex. Date the boy who scoffs when he hears the words, "vacation," "all-inclusive" or "resort." Date a boy who travels because he's not blinded by a single goal but enlivened by many.
 
You might find him in an airport or at a book store browsing the travel guides -- although he "only uses them for reference."
 
You'll know it's him because when you peek at his computer screen his background will be a scenic splendor of rolling hills, mountains or prayer flags. His Facebook friend count will be over-the-roof and his wall will be plastered with the broken English 'miss-you' of friends he met along the way. When he travels he makes lifelong friends in an hour. And although contact with these friends is sporadic and may be far-between his bonds are unmessable and if he wanted he could couch surf the world... again.
 
Buy him a beer. Maybe the same brand that he wears on the singlet under his plaid shirt, unable to truly let go. Once a traveller gets home people rarely listen to his stories. So listen to him. Allow him to paint a picture that brings you into his world. He might talk fast and miss small details because he's so excited to be heard. Bask in his enthusiasm. Want it for yourself.
 
He'll squeak like an excited toddler when his latest issue of National Geographic arrives in the mail. Then he'll grow quiet, engrossed, until he finishes his analysis of every photo, every adventure. In his mind he'll insert himself in these pictures. He'll pass the issue on to you and grill you about your dreams and competitively ask about the craziest thing you've ever done. Tell him. And know that he'll probably win. And if by chance you win, know that his next lot in life will be to out do you. But then he'll say, "Maybe we can do it together."
 
Date the boy who talks of distant places and whose hands have explored the stone relics of ancient civilizations and whose mind has imagined those hands carving, chiseling, painting the wonders of the world. And when he talks it's as if he's reliving it with you. You can almost hear his heart racing. You can almost feel the adrenaline ramped up by the moment. You feel it passing through his synapsis, a feast to his eyes entering through those tiny oracles of experience that we call pupils, digesting rapidly through his veins, manifesting into his nervous system, transforming and altering his worldview like a reverse trauma and finally passing but forever changing the colors of his sight. (Unless he's Karl Pilkington.) You will want this too.
 
Date a boy who's lived out of a backpack because he lives happily with less. A boy who's travelled has seen poverty and dined with those who live in small shanties with no running water, and yet welcome strangers with greater hospitality than the rich. And because he's seen this he's seen how a life without luxury can mean a life fueled by relationships and family rather than a life that fuels fancy cars and ego. He's experienced different ways of being, respects alternative religions and he looks at the world with the eyes of a five-year-old, curious and hungry. Your dad will be happy too because he's good with money and knows how to budget.
 
This boy relishes home; the comfort of a duvet, the safety stirred in a mom-cooked meal, the easy conversation of childhood friends and the immaculate glory of the flush-toilet. Although fiercely independent, he has had time to reflect on himself and his relationships. Despite his wanderlust he knows and appreciates his ties to home. He has had a chance to miss and be missed. Because of this he also knows a thing or two about goodbyes. He knows the overwhelming uncertainty of leaving the comforts of home, the indefinite see-you-laters at the departure gates and yet he fearlessly goes into the unknown because he knows the feeling of return. And that the I've-missed-you-hug is the best type of hug in the whole world. He also knows that goodbyes are just prolonged see-you-laters and that 'hello' is only as far away as the nearest internet cafe.
 
Don't hold onto this boy. Let this boy go and go with him. If you haven't travelled, he will open your eyes to a world beyond the news and popular perception. He will open your dreams to possibility and reality. He will calm your nerves when you're about to miss a flight or when your rental blows a flat because he knows the journey is the adventure. He will make light of the unsavory noises you make when you -- and you will -- get food poisoning. He will make you laugh through the discomfort all while dabbing your forehead with a cold cloth and nursing you with bottled water. He will make you feel like you're home.
 
When you see something beautiful he will hold your hand in silence, in awe the history of where his feet stand and the fact that you're with him.
 
He will live in every moment with you because this is how he lives his life. He understands that happiness is no more than a string of moments that displace neutrality and he is determined to tie as many of these strings together as he can. He also understands your need to live for yourself and that you have a bucket list of your own. Understand his. Understand that your goals may at some points differ but that independence is the cornerstone of a healthy relationship when it's mutually respected. You may lose him for a bit but he will always come home bearing a new story and a souvenir he picked up because it reminded him of you, like it was made for you and because he missed you. You might be compelled to do the same. Make sure that independence is on your bucket list and make sure it's checked. Independence will keep your relationship fresh and exciting and when you're together again it will forge a bond of unbreakable trust.
 
He'll propose when you've breached your comfort-zone, whether it is a fear like skydiving or swimming with sharks or sitting next to the smelly person on an overcrowded bus. It won't be with a diamond ring but with a token from a native culture or inspired by nature, like the penguin and the pebble.
 
You will get married somewhere unassumed, surrounded by a select few in a moment constructed to celebrate venturing into the unknown together again. Marry the boy who's travelled and together you will make the whole world your home. Your honeymoon will not be forgotten to a buffet dinner and all-you-can-drink beach bars, but will be remembered in the triumphant photographs at the top of Kilimanjaro and memorialized in the rewarding ache of muscles at the end of a long days hike.
 
When you're ready you will have children that have the names of the characters you met on your journeys, the foreign names of people who dug a special place in your heart if only for a few days. Perhaps you will live in another country and your children will learn of language and customs that open their minds from the very start, leaving no room for prejudice. He will introduce them to the life of Hemingway, the journey of Santiago, and empower them to live even bigger than both of you.
 
Marry a boy who travels and he'll teach your children the beauty of a single stone, the history of the Incas and he will instill in them the bravery of possibility. He will explain to them that masking opportunity there is fear. He will teach them to concur it.
 
And when you're old you'll sit with your grandchildren pouring over your photo albums and chest of worldly treasures while they too insert themselves into your photographs, sparked by the beauty of the world and inspired by your life in it.
 
Find a boy who travels because you deserve a life of adventure and possibility. You deserve to live light and embrace simplicity. You deserve to look at life through the eyes of youth and with your arms wide open. Because this is where you will find joy. And better, you will find joy together. And if you can't find him, travel. Go. Embrace it. Explore the world for yourself because dreams are the stuff reality is made from.
 
Lena Desmond

mercredi 29 janvier 2014

There are far better things ahead than any we leave behind...



Written by Alison Karlene

World explorers, casual backpackers, and typical tourists alike often find themselves reminiscing over places past.

Miniscule moments can spark déjà vu that quickly turns into fond memory at best, or extreme nostalgia.

It’s easy for travellers to muse over past adventures, but it’s incredibly difficult to fight the longing to go back.

Don’t commit the traveller’s faux pas—going back.

Things will never be the same.

If you do go back, everything will be identical. But your experiences won’t.
 
If anything marks and colours a backpackers’ personal impression of a place, it is experience—the people, weather, activities, and appearance of the places you go.

If anything, returning to a place will only make you miss it more. The memories will be fresh and suffocating, surrounding you—pouring salt on your wounds. You will miss the people. You will see the adventures you undertook everywhere around you. And it will be so, so difficult, because even though everything is the same, you aren’t.

I cannot express the importance of moving on. I regard my past experiences in Oz with a glossy smile.  Reliving the past doesn’t fill me with regret. It gives me a warm, fuzzy feeling: closure.

Now I know not to bother trying to refuse the past its place.

I fix my eyes forward, keep dreaming, keep travelling, and move on.
  
Alison Karlene

mardi 24 décembre 2013

Thank you, Oz.

So this is it - my Aussie adventure is over!

You're probably wondering what I got up to after all my travelling...

I came back to Sydney and immediately got in touch with the recruitment agencies I had been working with, and registered with two others: IPA and Mosaic Recruitment.

I worked for the War Memorial Hospital (near Bondi Junction) as a receptionist for one month, which was completely out of my comfort zone since I hate hospitals... It's a rehabilitation hospital for over 65 year olds, so it was pretty heartbreaking at times - definitely one of the most challenging work experiences I've had so far. I learnt a lot during my time there. It was interesting discovering the environment in which my grandfather (psychiatrist), grandmother (nurse), and sisters (GP and physiotherapist) have evolved in. I also met a lovely old French man suffering from Parkinsons' disease, Alain, and am still in touch with him now. He moved to Australia in 1968, arrived by boat in Melbourne, came to Sydney to find a job and asked his girlfriend to come and join him when he was settled down. He has an incredible story, I'm so glad I met him.



The HPCA also asked me to come back to work for a week and a half, it was lovely to see my old colleagues again! I then worked for the Community Relations Commission as a data entry operator for one month.

I lived in The George Hotel (on George Street) in a 6-bed dorm from September to December. I had originally planned to stay there for one or two weeks, but ended up meeting so many great people that it became like a home for me. I honestly can’t describe how much fun I had these past few months. A real human experience.



















I've been back in Paris for 2 weeks now - I do miss Sydney a lot, but I'm not sad to be back in Europe. Sydney is a very "cosmopolitan" city but it's not "international" enough for me. I like feeling like I'm in the middle of everything, and I must admit that being in Australia kind of made me feel disconnected from the rest of the world at times. It also becomes tiring to have to renew your circle of friends every few weeks/months: everybody's travelling so nobody really stays in the same place for long...

The next chapter is London, I now feel ready to settle down somewhere. This year has made me realize so many things. I know that I'm going to appreciate my job so much more, as well as little European things I never used to before. I'm happy with where I'm at, knowing that so many of my dreams have come true this year. Here's a little article which describes exactly how I feel today: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/matt-kepnes/travel-is-awesome_b_4344632.html

And now I have a special reminder that I can make anything happen if I truly want to.


I wish all the best to my friends who have also decided to go travelling this year: Julie, Alexandre, Jaume, Thomas...
ENJOY!!!


Here's hoping that 2014 will live up to 2013! 
Merry Xmas and Happy New Year :)

Love, Laura Xx

vendredi 29 novembre 2013

My birthday weekend!

We flew to Singapore with Air Asia – it's quite easy to find cheap deals to fly there since it is one of the main hubs of East-Asia... We stayed at Fragrance Ruby Hotel in Geylang, the "red light district" - it was actually better than we expected. We met up for dinner with my friend Christos, who lives a few streets away from the hotel. Such a vibrant area, and the street food is amazing! 

We spent the following day visiting the city with the hop on/hop off bus tour. Definitely the best way to visit the city – it was SO hot and humid, we were exhausted!! Our fave spots were Orchard Road, Little India and China Town.















Thanks to Christos, we were able to join an improvised weekend trip to Malaysia which his group of friends had organised. We embarked on a hilarious 6-hour road trip, arrived in the jetty around 11pm and boarded a tiny motor boat to get to Pulau Sibu Island. It was the craziest thing ever - the sea was pitch-black, the sky full of stars and the water was being lit up by the fluorescent plancton as the boat was speeding through the waves... Awesomeness. Absolutely loved it. We arrived on the beach and were welcomed by the lovely Sea Gipsy Village crew. We spent the night on the sand watching the stars...I actually ended up seeing a shooting star a few minutes into my birthday - a bit of a “pinch me I’m dreaming” moment!




I think this was probably the best birthday I've ever had. We went on a snorkeling trip in the morning, they took us out to a tiny beautiful little island and I finally got to see my baby Nemos ;)








We just spent the afternoon lying on the beach, enjoying the sun and the lovely warm water, it was simply perfect for swimming!






We stayed at the bar all night, met a group of Irish girls who told us to swim all the way to a little fishing boat out in the sea to see the fluorescent plancton. We stripped off and swam out to the boat, spent about an hour in the darkness, truly magical! I was brave enough to wake up around 5.30 the next morning to watch the sunrise...







It was pouring with rain the next day so we weren't able to do much...Drove back to Singapore and went to the Gardens by the Bay by night with Christos. We then went up to the Ku De Ta bar on the last floor of the Marina Bay Sands Hotel. Kati has all the photos so unfortunately I can't put any up yet! 

I must mention the amazing 7/11 mashed potato I tasted at 2am. Thanks for the tip Christos!





Thanks to my wonderful Gambita for such a lovely, amazing and unforgettable girly trip...Can't wait for the next one!!!!!!!!!!