Jimmy and Lene's Adventure

Hello everyone,

On this trip I have found myself changing in many ways, for a starter I feel more calm and I don't seem to be getting worked up as easy as I use to. I suppose this has come from the fact that out here things are not like back home and you either have to change or become annoyed and frustrated at how slow everything is. Another aspect that has changed has been my take on religion, for those who know me well will know that for the best part I never really believed in any religion...if I'm honest I always thought of it being a complete waste of time. I wonder if this was because where I grew up not many people believed in anything and not many people have an opinion on religion. It's strange because being here in the East you see how religious people are and considering how little they have in terms of wealth they are far richer in terms of inner peace. I find it strange because after spending the past three years in London, I became bitter and more ignorant with regards to people. All I really cared about was myself and Lene, however out here they really seem to care for each other in a way that makes me sad for people back home. Don't get me wrong I love my family and close friends but out here they really have a bond not only between family and friends but also random people they don't know. In London you can't even say hello to anyone without them giving you a strange look. With regards to religion I can imagine many westerners coming home from Asia and being interested within Buddhism, however it is possibly the only religion that has captivated my mind and soul.

OK I know people who knew me from a few years ago will think that I am talking out of my rear end, I know what I used to be like. All the fighting and all the aggression but I really feel that inside I have changed. I 100% put that down to meeting Lene and if you listen to the Oasis song 'Talk Tonight' there is a line that goes, "I want to talk tonight, until the morning light about how you saved my life" well that is how I feel about us meeting. Not only for me but also other people because I was close to leaving uni and because I stayed I like to think that I managed to help others, so if anyone I have helped in the past year then your thanks should be aimed towards Lene.

Another aspect that I feel has changed within me, is my opinion towards happiness. Now happiness can not be bought or sold, you can never unwrap happiness, my opinion is you can not even see happiness. It has to come from within and a great feeling of happiness I get comes from the complete opposite. Basically out here there is extreme poverty and sadness all around. We as westerners come out here and have a great time because everything is cheap. Now a few times on our travels we have come across a few people who have touched us but also who we have touched. The young girl in Hue with her father, the young man on the bus who we gave our chicken to, Mr Da and the two musicians last night. These are just a few who have shown me that with all my money and ability to achieve anything that I desire, what they have given me and shown me could not have happened anywhere else. These people will never have the opportunities that I have had and will have in my life, however these people never look at us with envious eyes. They always have a warm smile and all we need to do as westerners is smile back and engage them in conversations.

This may seem like random madness but I suppose this trip has unlocked something deep inside me, something that I never knew I could feel. I am feeling more love towards Lene and my family than I have ever before, I am feeling closer to friends who I have not seen for a long while. I feel more lucky now with what I have and what I can achieve. I also feel more empathy for human life.

One of the greatest aspects in life is the ability to travel, the ability to experience new cultures, new people and most of all to find out more about yourself.

See you all soon.

Jimmy xx