One Backpacker's Wishlist...

When I was in Myanmar, I compiled a list of things I am looking forward to when I get home...

1. Showering without flip-flops on all the time, and without the hot water cutting out (actually, a shower with hot water would be a bonus already! It's such a luxury here.)
2. Not having any attention: not getting stared at, asked "where are you from", "are you married"...etc.
3. Wearing a nice dress and a pair of heels. Can't wait to feel like a lady!
4. Doing some yoga. Haven't really been able to do it yet, not even in Thailand. That might change when I get to Chiang Mai.
5. Using my MacBook Pro. I miss that lil guy! This netbook with Windows Starter 7 does not even compare.
6. Running. It has been almost 8 months since I ran :(

Food-wise, I can't wait to eat:
1. Stuff that isn't fried.
2. Mozzarella and any other good cheeses.
3. Dark chocolate...not Asian chocolate!
4. Fresh veggie salads, with a simple olive oil dressing.
5. Pasta done well. (Specifically from La Spiga in Seattle)
(The weirdest craving I had was for Tootsie Rolls, which is strange because I don't even like them.)

Yeah, not very long lists, but there were just simple things that I missed. I had to wash my own dishes from breakfast at a hostel one day, and as I was washing the dish, I was really enjoying it! It had been so long since I washed anything myself (except for maybe underwear), so it was a nice feeling being domestic and all.

All of these will be within my reach in a mere couple weeks...

What's in da Bag?

Thought I'd take a photo of what I have been packin' in my 65L bag + little day pack. It's been interesting living out of one bag basically. This totals probably 14kg or so. Mainly clothes, but, as you can see, a crap-load of miscellaneous things as well.


Yes, I brought a hair dryer. It came in handy for drying clothes FYI.


12 tops, 6 bottoms, some acquired along the way

I did have to ship stuff back to Hong Kong a couple times to lighten the load and make more space. We'll see how my return luggage shapes up, after combining everything together.

I Survived...25 Days in Myanmar

I left Yangon, Myanmar yesterday, after 25 days in the country. I have to say I feel pretty relieved right now. Towards the latter half of my stay, I finally got burnt out on traveling, mainly because traveling in Myanmar was just draining. It was not as easy to travel there, compared to the other SE Asian countries I had been too, and it finally took it's toll. By the 19th day in Myanmar (18.5 weeks/4 months into my trip to be exact), I just wanted to go home. We scrambled through 12 cities total during our 25 days. Maybe if we hadn't pushed to go everywhere, I wouldn't feel this way, but honestly, I don't think I would go back to Myanmar to spend more time there. Well, maybe to go to Mrauk-U, but that is a whole different travel situation.