6 Nov – This evening I leave Kazakhstan flying through Kuala Lumpur on my way to Australia where I will spend twelve days. Then I travel to New Zealand for a duration of 15 days before landing once again on American soil on Dec. 4.
Aside from all of my mixed feelings about leaving Kazakhstan, I am also anxious about traveling solo for the very first time. I have had companions on all of my previous visits to other countries. I experienced Spain with fellow high school classmates. I was always with a friend on my trips to Mexico. I experienced the wonders of Thailand with a former boyfriend. My best friend and her husband accompanied me for two weeks as we enjoyed the delights of Turkey. I braved the chaos of India and completed the Buddhist pilgrimage with my boyfriend Sean.
This time I will be on my own. I am not too adept at engaging in small talk. I get nervous when near lots of people that I do not know. Because of of these things I am not sure how I will fare on this trip.
Yet the travel bug has hit me again. How can I possibly return to the U.S. without some more new experiences along the way? It feel that it makes no sense to fly directly home. I am already on the opposite side of the world with so many wonderful countries between here and there just waiting to be explored. This will either be one of the best experiences of my life, starting a new trend for myself, or it will be a great learning experience and my only time to travel alone.
