Wandering Souls: A Deep Longing to Explore the World Again

Back in my university days, I used to be quite active in writing a blog. It was just a way of recording the events of my daily life. But now, after many years, overwhelmed with daily responsibilities and the flood of social media, I never really thought about writing again. Instagram, Facebook, X, and a few other apps are just opened and scrolled through to view the 'content' shared by friends.

Flea Market at GalileOasis Art Space (same building as Piccolo Vicolo Café)

Today, I just want to share my longing for travel and adventure. Usually, every year, I would take a vacation for almost two full weeks (for long-distance trips) and a few short trips in between (usually two or three nights). On other days, my free time would be filled with research on my travel plans, whether for the next year or at least the nearest trip (usually after booking flight tickets)

Piccolo Vicolo Café at Ratchathewi

However, in recent times, this habit has started to change. I no longer plan in detail where I wish to go. Although my list is still long, my monthly savings have decreased due to increasing monthly commitments. The workload has also been growing each day, along with the additional responsibilities. Sometimes, I realize the truth of my old boss’s advice to fully use my leave to travel when I was still a junior officer. The difference then was that my savings were not as good because my salary was small.

Now, my salary has increased along with the years of service, along with some salary increments and other benefits, but time has become scarce. The fear of taking a long leave has started to haunt me, worried that work might pile up because I’m the only officer on leave! But trust me, the plan of Him is fair. At least I no longer feel guilty when I take leave and leave the unfinished work to others. And Allah S.W.T has blessed me with a few assistants who ensure that the work goes on even when I’m away.

Electrical wiring that captured my lens! (Bangkok Februari 2025)

In 2025, I’ve only taken one vacation to my usual destination – Bangkok! I’ve been here about seven times now because it’s close and familiar. What about the next trip? Not planned yet, savings haven’t started, and I’ve now become involved in a sports activity that requires me to be here every Saturday morning. Anyway, everything needs to be planned!