Leaving Asia

It’s been a wonderful, absolutely wonderful leg of this trek around the globe.  Sitting here in my business class pod, scored on my second free systemwide upgrade of the year on a flight from Tokyo to Dallas and I am hit with the strong emotional reaction of leaving a continent that has absolutely won me over.

I went into this unsure. Excited but cautiously optimistic.  I leave blown away and urning to come back and spend more time in Asia.

There was no particular reason for being less excited for Asia than other continents, other than worries about languages, figuring out transportation and such.  I was expecting that it would be far more difficult to navigate and thus less enjoyable than what it was. Boy, was I wrong.

I guess you could say that’s an ignorant American view, and I probably deserve that, but I thought this was going to be the least favorite continent and it may very well be the most favorite.  It honestly was that good. (Don’t worry Norway, you’re still my favorite country thus far).

Food, friends, sights and sounds really overwhelmed the senses in all of the best ways. Touch. Taste. Smell. Sounds. Sights. Ten out of ten across the board.

I am so very glad to have had the opportunity to visit five Asian countries and even more excited to be visiting Asia at least two additional times in 2024.

Sixteen days wasn’t nearly enough.  With that, another lesson or reminder in this journey.  There is no bucket list.  I am filling my bucket each and every day and with each and every new destination.  There’s far more to see and do than can ever be done in one lifetime.  I’ve been fortunate to put a small dent in filling my bucket this year, it’s been remarkable! As I get more exposure and more experience traveling and experience different cultures, I am absolutely blown away and feel so small in this beautiful world.  Maybe we are each just a thread or a fiber in a giant quilt.  Individually, nice… but insignificant.  Our strength and our power is when we come together and form a fabric that joins us.

With that, I’ll leave you with yet another happy year rolling down my cheek.

Cole from Colorado.

Five down.  Two to go.