Recap of Year 2008

It's come to the last day of year 2008.

I clearly remember the exact same day this time last year, I was feeling anticipated about the new year. I made resolutions, kept half of it, and maintained the other half for 2009.

I knew 2008 was going to be a bumpy ride for me back then, I knew it would be a turning point of my life, I knew things were going to get pretty exciting and I knew I was going to take a huge leap in life.

And it did.

Things did turn out extremely well in 2008 for me.

It was good year. It went so well that I hardly ever noticed it going by, by the time I realised, the year has walked passed me swiftly, like the wind, and I have grown another year older and wiser.

Let's do a recap.

Since the begining of 2008, I was convinced that the year 2008 was going to be splendid for me. I had a good feeling about it. Everything was going to be fantastic, I just knew it.


In January, I organised a fund raising campaign for the first time in my life.




Raised RM3400 in cash and over RM10,000 worth of goods. Found happiness is making others happy.


I wanted to travel the whole of Malaysia, covered every state as a mark of my life long globe trotting journey. You know, as a start.

I did more than that.

By February, I changed my decision and decided to start my globe trotting early.

I flew to Kota Kinabalu, (Total: 2 weeks)



obtained my first diving license in Sipadan.


In March, I travelled to Laos. (Total: 5 weeks in Indo-China)




In April, travelled to Thailand.




Celebrated Songkran festival, in Bangkok & Chiang mai.




Crossed border to Myammar for a day.




Cross over to Cambodia on train and taxi.




Visited the Angkors on a cycle.

Become Angelina Jolie wannabe for a day.




Given an offer to become a weekly columnist in Starmetro by the the month of May.




Got a new laptop.

Got a new phone (from my brother).

Picked up wine tasting.

Sailed on a yacht for the first time in Langkawi. (Total: 4 days)




Fell in love with Westin Langkawi's heavenly bed.

Travelled to China in June. (Total: 2 weeks)




Hangzhou, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen to be exact.

Moved out of my condo in Puchong.

Organised my first Blogger Familiarization Trip to Southern Thailand. (Total: 5 days)




Created I LOVE TRAVEL group on facebook.




Went back to Langkawi again. (Total: 1 week)

Had lobster sashimi.




Travelled to Australia in August. (Total: 5 weeks)




Picked up snowboarding.




Met Juan Mann, Free Hug Guy, in Sydney.




Featured on FHM in September.




Became a contributor and wrote three travel articles for FHM.




Missed a flight to Shanghai in June.
Missed a flight back to Malaysia from OZ in September.
Missed a flight, again, to Manado, in the same month.

Flew to Manado, Indonesia for diving. (Total: less than a week)




Moved to Thailand. (Total: 3 months)

Went to another two Familiarization trips in Thailand: I-san province in the North East and Hua Hin in central Thailand. 6 days trip each.


Won best cowgirl costume during Isan trip.


Took photo with Minister of Sports and Tourism of Thailand.




Launched my online boutique in October.




Moved back to Malaysia in December.

Went to Singapore for Christmas. (Total: 10 days)




Had my heart broken. Then had my feet swept off the ground.

Finally finished my last master thesis.

Like every year, lost quite a few friends, met lots of great friends too.

In total, spent about 214 days travelling in 2008. 200 days of which out of the country.


Was it an eventful year? Maybe.

If you asked me, I thought the year flew by too blinking fast.

What does 2009 have installed for me, seriously, I don't know. And to be completely honest, I'm actually rather scared of the year 2009. What kind of fate does life bring forward to me this time round? I really couldn't bear thinking about it. I can't quite put it in words as to why I feel this way. I just don't anticipate the new year like I did last year, for some odd unknown reasons.

Maybe it's because of recession, maybe it's because my change of perception on love, or the fact that I have finally completed my last paper and awaiting my markings from my professor. Am I to graduate soon? What then? I've fiddled with the idea of pursuing my PHD, but my parents would probably kill me. Part of me still wants to see the world, part of me wants to settle down.

I have plans. Yes I do. And I can see them being carried out slowly in the year ahead. No doubt there are a lot of uncertainties, and I can't help but to feel edgy about all these possibilities, good and bad.

But heck, what else can I do, but to brace myself and shout back at life:




Whatever it is, Bring It On!