To recover from all of this, we spent the last two weeks on some paradisiac islands in Thailand doing absolutely nothing but contemplating how wonderful life is, drinking cocktails and making sure we have a nice tan to impress the people back home. The final attempt to quickly loose some weight (for at least one of us) of course failed graciously. But we do feel energized and as mentally ready as possible to give up this fabulous travellers' life (at least for a while).
Because we felt like you, dear reader, already experienced an overload of nice pictures and (unintentional) "look how great our lives are"-posts, we didn't take any pictures and instead took the time to reflect upon the past ten months. The result however, might have a big "look how great our lives are"-feel to it too though...
So we came up with a shitload of questions for each other that we answered individually. Some personal, some to anticipate on the shitload of questions we'll probably get once we're back. So don't be offended if we answer you: "have a look at the blog!" at a given point during the next few weeks.
Underneath is an abbreviated version of all these answers, insights, thoughts and lists.
TOM ASKS PIETER
TOM ASKS PIETER
1. Do you look forward to going back home?
Yes, because I look forward to taking the next step in my life after having lived a whole year in limbo (well, not really of course). But that also scares me about going back. Having to make new plans and commitments. It's quite comfortable not having to do anything a whole year long.
2. Which of the 6 countries we visited would you visit again first?
New Zealand.
3. Which of those countries would you like to live in?
New Zealand.
4. How have I (Tom) changed according to you?
Biggest difference: you're less negative. You like Belgium and Brussels again, talk very positively about your job. Only the Chinese don't seem to be able to do anything right. You're also less tired and way more active again. You look blonder and tanned and it seems like you now finally realize, you're much more of a social guy than you always thought yourself.
5. What did you miss most?
Cozy moments with family or friends (parties, holidays, just being together). Some Belgian good stuff like bread, pastries, cheese. I haven't missed our apartment, but I did miss a feeling of having a home once in a while.
6. Favourite moments/places/activities?
1) The proposal of course!
2) Doubtful Sound (NZ)
3) The boat trip with Roger (Ngaio Bay, NZ)
4) All trekkings in New Zealand
5) Trekking in Myanmar
And also (this is way too hard): Great Ocean Walk (South Australia), sunset at Bagan (Myanmar), snorkelling in Bali, Bukit Lawang (Sumatra), Milford Sound in the rain (NZ), the boat on Inle Lake (Myanmar), and so on.
7. What lessons would you like to take back to normal Belgian life?
- The carelessness, that relaxed feeling that tells you everything's going to be alright.
- The feeling you don't HAVE to do anything. And also just letting myself do absolutely nothing once in a while.
- The thought that everything's possible, nothing's insurmountable or too complicated.
- The fact that you need very little (material) things to live and be happy.
8. Where would you want to go to on your next year off?
Back in the direction of Asia, but only using trains, boats and buses.
9. What would you liked to have done differently?
Maybe getting involved more with local people in Asia. Perhaps through WWOOFing or volunteering. But then I would've regretted not seeing so many beautiful places. So I really don't regret anything.
10. What would you say to people who say "Oh I'm so jealous of you" or "I wish I could do the same" or "You have to be very brave to do something like that"?
If you really want it, just do it. The only thing holding you back is you. It's just a matter of priorities.
11. Best books read in the past 10 months?
1) This Changes Everything (Naomi Klein)
2) Reread, but this time in English: The World According to Garp (John Irving)
3) Stoner (John Williams)
4) The Sense of an Ending (Julian Barnes)
5) The Perks of Being a Wallflower (Steven Chbosky)
12. Where do the most handsome people live?
Myanmar (although it's also the country with the ugliest teeth).
13. What's my (Tom's) most annoying characteristic?
Moodswings!
14. The sea or the mountains?
The sea.
15. What was the most stressful thing about travelling?
Arranging where to go next and when and how to get there. Especially when there's no internet, where you don't speak the language and where people just seem to want to get your money.
16. Any personal insights?
Lots of them!
PIETER ASKS TOM:
1. Asia or Oceania?
Culture: Asia
Nature: Oceania
2. What country brings back the best memories?
New Zealand, because we've been travelling there for five months, know it inside out and met some fabulous people there. And because of the hiking.
3. Most beautiful spots?
1) Doubtful Sound & Milford Sound, both in sunshine AND rain (NZ)
2) The Kepler, Routeburn, Hump Ridge and Abel Tasman multiday treks (NZ)
3) The 2,000 temples of Bagan (Myanmar)
4) The Overland Track in the snow (Tasmania)
5) Ijen and Bromo volcanoes at sunrise (Java)
6) Snorkelling near Deer Island (Bali)
7) The skylines of Singapore, Melbourne and Sydney
8) Orang utans in the wild (Sumatra)
9) MONA museum Hobart (Tasmania)
10) Great Ocean Walk, 8 days all alone (South Australia)
11) Doing absolutely nothing at Koh Samui and Koh Phangan (Thailand)
12) There's no end to this list.
4. Best food?
1) All our WWOOF-hosts turned out to be great cooks.
2) Batukaru Mountain Farmstay (Bali)
3) Nahm Restaurant (Bangkok)
4) The Myanmar kitchen
Disappointed with Thai food as they put meat, fish or seafood in everything.
5. I'll first return to...
Myanmar
6. Most romantic accommodation?
1) In our tent all alone above a raging sea and between the trees and animals on the Great Ocean Walk, South Australia.
2) Our little beach cabin at Jude & Roger's, Ngaio Bay, NZ.
3) Willy!
7. Most precious encounters?
Rachel & Karl & kids, James & Dale, Penny & Wayne, Alisson & Tom, CJ & Jared, Ian & Pierre, Jude & Roger, Kathy & Bruce, Eroica & Greg. Basically all the people who let us in their homes and lives. Even more than the great places we visited, it will be them we'll remember and miss the most.
8. I decided I wanted to marry Pieter because...
...I want a guy who takes care of me and because I don't want to end up alone.
Just kidding! The real reasons will be revealed during the summer of 2016!
9. What would you change if you'd do this again?
Less Facebook and internet. No blog. A couple of months longer. And saving more money before leaving. That's all.
10. Favourite city?
1) Sydney, Australia
2) Bangkok, Thailand
3) Wellington, New Zealand
4) Melbourne, Australia
5) Singapore
11. If nothing or no one would stop you, where would you move to?
New Zealand if it's forever, Myanmar if it's only for a while.
12. Why do you want to go back to Belgium anyway?
Because all the people I love and care about live there. Because we should be extremely grateful being born in a country that is so well organised. Where we take stuff like healthcare, social security, decent public transport, our rich history, pensions, public parks, top notch food, road maintenance and lots of other things for granted. Even more, if we only see the smallest opportunity, we'll start wining and complaining. We saw Burmese farmers, who barely earn 2 dollars a day and live in a dirty shack, laugh more than the average Belgian. We are so incredibly spoilt, rich and often ungrateful. I don't understand why anyone would want to move out of a paradise like Belgium, that's on top of it all right smack in the middle of wonderful Europe. Hundreds of great destinations are just a couple of hours of driving. Yes, the weather can sometimes ruin your mood, but that's the price you pay. If we wait long enough Belgium will be in the tropics anyway.
13. Most missed?
1) I didn't really miss anyone. Even though I thought a lot about the people I care about; especially my family, friends, colleagues and pupils.
2) Decent (or real) cheese and bread.
3) Live music. That's all.
14. Not missed at all?
- Wining, bitching and complaining about nothing.
- The Belgian winter.
- Having to. The horrible Dutch "moeten".
15. Favourite books read in the past 10 months?
- Stoner (John Williams)
- The World According to Garp (John Irving)
- The Boy with the Striped Pyjamas (John Boyne)
- The Remains of the Day (Kazuo Ishiguro)
- The Omnivore's Dilemma (Michael Pollan)
- The Kon-Tiki Expedition (Thor Heyerdahl)
16. Most played artists on your iPod?
Jungle, TV on the Radio, Jamie xx, alt-J, Calexico, Death Cab for Cutie, Purity Ring, Other Lives, Belle & Sebastian, FKA twigs, SOHN, Angus & Julia Stone, Hot Chip, Nils Frahm.
17. Ten things you learned about the world and yourself during the past 10 months?
1) It's a privilige being Belgian and European and to speak so many languages well.
2) No idea who else than Pieter I would've survived this with, being together 24/24, without almost any fights, huge annoyances or boring moments. I'm now officially sure he's the man of my life. Although I didn't need this trip for that insight.
3) We're rich. All of us.
4) I miss spirituality in my life. Our richness doesn't bring us happiness. One of the reasons is we're having such a hard time giving meaning to our lives. What are we actually doing? Buddhists seem to have less trouble with this. I already had a lot of questions, I'll go home only having more.
5) I'm so into water. Especially being in it. When I see a sea, river, lake or pool, I want to get in.
6) I find it easier making contact with people that are older than me. Maybe because there's often more to learn in these meetings, because they don't have anything to prove anymore (especially not to themselves) and there's often a huge inner peace present. I don't have anything to say to superficial, young twenty-somethings checking Facebook all day, doing photo shoots on the beach, hanging around in an awful hostel and pretending the world is theirs. And they especially don't have anything substantial to tell me. Same for the neo hippies and (often American) yoga freaks. I try to be tolerant, but some people make it so damn difficult. And please don't get me started on Chinese tourists.
7) Travelling makes it easier to see who and what really matters in life.
8) Every time we left a city, however great it was, I felt relieved. I need space to realize I'm alive.
9) There's so much stuff to learn! Ecology, anthroposofy, buddhism, repairing bicycles, trees and all things nature, permaculture, meditation, vegan cooking, alternative building, woodwork, etc. Do I sound like a neo hippie?
10) It's possible to live with very few things. The only thing that's truly unmissable is my iPod and headphones to shut out the world once in a while. And maybe some money too.
11) The world and it's people are truly every bit as wonderful as everyone keeps on saying. If we forget the useless wars and conflicts, the stupid decisions and deeds, all the hatred and intolerance just for a while, we're doing not such a bad job, considered there's 7 billion of us.
12) This was the best decision and year of my life. So far.
2) Decent (or real) cheese and bread.
3) Live music. That's all.
14. Not missed at all?
- Wining, bitching and complaining about nothing.
- The Belgian winter.
- Having to. The horrible Dutch "moeten".
15. Favourite books read in the past 10 months?
- Stoner (John Williams)
- The World According to Garp (John Irving)
- The Boy with the Striped Pyjamas (John Boyne)
- The Remains of the Day (Kazuo Ishiguro)
- The Omnivore's Dilemma (Michael Pollan)
- The Kon-Tiki Expedition (Thor Heyerdahl)
16. Most played artists on your iPod?
Jungle, TV on the Radio, Jamie xx, alt-J, Calexico, Death Cab for Cutie, Purity Ring, Other Lives, Belle & Sebastian, FKA twigs, SOHN, Angus & Julia Stone, Hot Chip, Nils Frahm.
17. Ten things you learned about the world and yourself during the past 10 months?
1) It's a privilige being Belgian and European and to speak so many languages well.
2) No idea who else than Pieter I would've survived this with, being together 24/24, without almost any fights, huge annoyances or boring moments. I'm now officially sure he's the man of my life. Although I didn't need this trip for that insight.
3) We're rich. All of us.
4) I miss spirituality in my life. Our richness doesn't bring us happiness. One of the reasons is we're having such a hard time giving meaning to our lives. What are we actually doing? Buddhists seem to have less trouble with this. I already had a lot of questions, I'll go home only having more.
5) I'm so into water. Especially being in it. When I see a sea, river, lake or pool, I want to get in.
6) I find it easier making contact with people that are older than me. Maybe because there's often more to learn in these meetings, because they don't have anything to prove anymore (especially not to themselves) and there's often a huge inner peace present. I don't have anything to say to superficial, young twenty-somethings checking Facebook all day, doing photo shoots on the beach, hanging around in an awful hostel and pretending the world is theirs. And they especially don't have anything substantial to tell me. Same for the neo hippies and (often American) yoga freaks. I try to be tolerant, but some people make it so damn difficult. And please don't get me started on Chinese tourists.
7) Travelling makes it easier to see who and what really matters in life.
8) Every time we left a city, however great it was, I felt relieved. I need space to realize I'm alive.
9) There's so much stuff to learn! Ecology, anthroposofy, buddhism, repairing bicycles, trees and all things nature, permaculture, meditation, vegan cooking, alternative building, woodwork, etc. Do I sound like a neo hippie?
10) It's possible to live with very few things. The only thing that's truly unmissable is my iPod and headphones to shut out the world once in a while. And maybe some money too.
11) The world and it's people are truly every bit as wonderful as everyone keeps on saying. If we forget the useless wars and conflicts, the stupid decisions and deeds, all the hatred and intolerance just for a while, we're doing not such a bad job, considered there's 7 billion of us.
12) This was the best decision and year of my life. So far.
Well, this is it. Tomorrow evening at 10PM Belgium time at the Brussels Midi train station, it'll be officially over. And that's just fine. Rest of our lives, here we come!
