It’s not India, it’s not Cambodia, nor Thailand, nor Vietnam. Yes folks, the verdict is in: SFO it is!
I know, crazy, right?
Well, after spending the whole day toiling over my options, it just seemed like the best solution. The India Visa office told me to expect another 3 to 5 working days for processing, which means it might be ready Wednesday or Friday of next week! Considering my flight home is already booked for Feb 3rd, this would have given me 3 to 5 days in India at the most! A little nuts for the travel time involved to get there and the travel time back to Singapore to get home.
And then I explored options for diving in Malaysia, and Thailand and Cambodia but I just wasn’t feeling the excitement. I was pretty indecisive between all options, so much so that it was bordering on apathetic (and that’s not a good sign). And I was trying to figure out why! Why why why? Well, first, I really want to go to India and since that doesn’t look like an option, the other places just seem like fillers until my flight home. And I’ve had this nagging feeling of danger the whole time I’ve been in Asia. I don’t know if it’s gut instinct or just that I am not made for traveling on my own, but it really does creep me out to be watched and leered at all the time. I had thought that because I’m Asian, I would blend in just fine but I still feel like a fish out of water here and don’t ever feel safe walking around, especially in the evenings. I’m usually pretty brave but there is something different about traveling in this part of the world that has made me really uneasy.
So, with lots of support and listening and patience from the boy and my mom, I’ve decided to spend a few days in Singapore to shop, eat and absorb as much warmth as possible before heading to cold rainy beautiful SF.
As well and maybe most important, I’m running out of my favourite facial sunblock cream. You can only get it in the US. The panic! How would I have coped without this sunblock?! Hardship, I tell you! Hardship!
AND OH MY GOSH, after months and months, I get to see Bear! And after 8 months on the road (from Africa, to Italy, to Canada, to Buenos, to the Philippines, to Indonesia, to Malaysia and then Singapore), I get to unpack my suitcase for real and live out of a proper closet for a while. I can shower without wearing flip flops and can maybe-hopefully-soon get a gym membership and a phone plan somewhere. =) Oh the pure perfect luxury of home. =) Home, home, home!
