Where Was I?

I think I was talking about going to some place called Orissa.

I never did catch that train, I tried twice actually but India wouldn't let me. I instead flew to the beaches of South India to finally enjoy some ocean side R&R. My intended destination all along was Sri Lanka, but those pesky little beach towns that dot the South Indian Coast just so happened to be in my way, so I made a point of stopping at a select few.

One town in particular had been on my radar ever since leaving it 2 years ago. It goes by the name of Gokarna, and the city proper is an important Hindu pilgrimage town because of the Mahabaleshwar Temple which is situated in the middle of the city. It gives that authenticity of being in India that other beach towns in the country just can't match. Just south over the hill however lies a string of idyllic palm studded beaches, and it was here that some of the most memorable days of my previous Indian trip took place over a 2 week period. On one of the beaches lies a small bungalow operation owned and operated by a friendly fellow named Shireese, and as soon as I kicked the sand off my feet and strutted into his beach side restaurant I got the trademark smile I've been waiting almost 2 years to see again.

"I forget your name but I remember your face" he said. "Welcome back my friend!"

I love these kind of travel moments.

Masala Chai by day, Kingfisher beer by night, and a whole lot of eating and lying on the beach in between. It's pretty much all there is to do in Gokarna, but I wasn't complaining. When you do start to feel a bit lethargic the 45 minute walk into town is a great way to stretch your legs and get away from the beach blanket. A week spent there and another week at the cliffs of Varkala off the coast of Kerala and it was time to depart for Sri Lanka.

The country of Sri Lanka wasn't quite like I expected. It was much more developed,  a bit more expensive, and a lot cleaner than countries I'm used to travelling in, especially in this region of the world. The Christmas high season made it even harder to secure budget digs, but all in all I had an absolutely incredible time there, large in part to the amazing group of people I met. Everything got off to a rough start with a mild bout of homesickness, mainly caused by me spending Christmas abroad for the first time in 32 years, but after New Years came and went I got into a good groove of meeting new people and making new friends. I rode that groove right through my 9 days spent in Bangkok as well to where I currently am now -Myanmar.

The same can be said for the whole trip thus far. Since leaving Vancouver almost 4 months ago I've probably met more people than I did in the 8 months spent abroad on my previous trip. I left home excited to be seeing some countries that I've always wanted to see, but if I could be transported back to Oct.9 2013 when I was sitting in YVR's departure lounge anxiously waiting for my flight to Japan, I'd be more excited about what random people I'd meet and befriend over what Tokyo as a city had on offer tourism wise.

This trip has changed the very reason of why I love going on these trips. I'm not just here to tick countries off my bucket list anymore, I'm here to meet people and make connections with the locals of the country as well as the like minded people from all parts of the globe who share this adventurous spirit of travel. Everyone you meet while travelling is on the same path with no set destination; instantaneously you have swaths of things in common and before you know it you've been chatting to a person you may have just met as if you were life long friends. We're all just trying to get lost in a world that's increasingly becoming hard to get lost in, and the random collisions we have along the way with other people make up the memories that we take home and cherish for a lifetime. The best part of getting lost is finding your way back in the end, and it's through that journey that you learn so much about yourself, about others, and about this magnificent planet we live on.

I'm not done yet trying to get lost, but to be honest my gas tank is running a little low. My destination after Myanmar is still up in the air, but it's nothing a cup of decision making tea can't handle!