not all itchy feet can be soothed with foot powder.

every now and then i am inflicted with a fit of mad restlessness. such as 2 weeks ago, when all i had on was uni, i hadn't been called for my first shift at work, and i was going mental. i was bored, i needed to DO something, it was crazy having nothing to do!!!!! agonising 'what am i doing with my life' conversations with myself, the whole works.

a more particular subset of my frequent restless phases is the wanderlust, otherwise more colloquially known as 'itchy feet syndrome'. having come back from exchange with travel always on the horizon, it was a bit jarring to realise the situation was very different indeed. which is why i threw myself with ridiculous enthusiasm into the serious business of finding things to do, from planting trees on national tree day to finding a job. and last week, to satisfy the pesky drive that is my wanderlust, to soothe my itchy feet, i signed up for a 10 day trip in the mid-semester break to central australia.

hey, i have to see the rock sometime, right?

at the end of the year i think i will go to tasmania. plan, plan, plan. the balm to ease your transition back into normal life after going on exchange? plan your next trip.

in meditations upon travel, i realise how my method of travel has changed. i have always had an independent streak, and i suspect that it's turned a bit more virulent now. from what i think of as a very asian mentality of 'if we're planning a trip, we must have a big group and go together', to 'yep, one companion or two is fine'. i also appreciate the joys of travelling alone, of being totally free to do what u want, when u want, in a strange exciting new city, for a few days. u're so much more open to meeting new people when u travel alone, though i don't think travelling alone for long periods of time is fun. because u meet ppl and move on, u never know someone for a long period of time. and that can get wearying. some people are only meant to be in your life for a certain amount of time- be it a few days, a few months, a year. friends for a moment, friends for a certain phase of your life. and who knows? u might meet them again in the future.

some friends, though, are keepers.

next year- south australia, western australia, gold coast, whitsundays.... who knows?!