Amigos,
I know it’s been a long time since I posted a blog (I was much better at updating this thing during my initial days abroad… that feels like an eternity ago).
This, I’m truly sorry to say, will be the final entry. For those of you who don’t know yet, I am giving up this life, these once-in-a-lifetime experiences. I’m coming home. Going to pursue new ventures of which I couldn’t be more excited or ready for.
It was a little over 3 years ago when I set out on this crazy-ass journey. Since then, I’ve visited 20 counties. Have partied in Prague. Pulled all nighters in Seoul. Eaten pizza along the canals of Venice, gulosch on the river of Budapest, sashimi in the sushi bars of Tokyo, tacos in the markets of Mexico City, Pad Thai in the streets of Bangkok.
Have worked and resided in Korea on two separate occasions. Have watched the sun slowly fade on the staggering beaches of the Philippines, Thailand and Mexico.
I’ve spent days chilling on the Mekong River in Laos. Seen the Michelangelo in Italy, the famous temples of SE Asia, the churches of Eastern Europe. Have caved in Slovenia. Taken the train through Austria. Have snowboarded on the steep mountains of the Far East. Slept in numerous airports from Vietnam to the Czech Republic. I’ve visited ancient Mayan ruins bordering Guatemala. Have swam in the Sea of Japan, the north and south pacific and the Gulf of Thailand. Taught at a university in a small town in Southern Mexico.
I can speak Spanish (enough, at least). Can cook better than I ever thought possible. I have met thousands of people and made hundreds of friends spanning the globe. Lifelong ones that I can’t imagine having never known.
I’ve seen things that I never fathomed existed until I encountered them firsthand. Things that can’t be properly explained or captured in any damn photo, painting or film.
I’ve had moments that literally transcend time, that live on in my dreams, that still to this day, blow my fucking mind. These remarkable moments, these insane things I’ve come across, these unforgettable people that I have fallen in love with… well, they are the very reason why all this started in the first place. And they are also the reason why these have been the three most life-changing and enlightening years of my young life.
What follows is a montage of the past 9 months here. From my travels over Christmas vacation around the southern state of Chiapas, to the weekends spent at my favorite beach, to random jungle hikes, cooking lessons, friends and the hot Mexican girlfriend – these are the memories that have come to shape my time here. The memories I leave you with.
Enjoy… it was as fun as it looks.
