18: I find it fascinating that most people plan their vacations with better care than they plan their lives.

Perhaps that is because escape is easier than change.” – Jim Rohn

Tomorrow Shannon and his mom will be headed back to Greensboro, and I will be back in NYC, where Joshie will hopefully join me. I wish there were time to head back up to Ithaca and say my last goodbyes, but I think there were too many last goodbyes.

Before anything else, let me list the places I’ve been to, and clearly, what I haven’t blogged about -

• Niagara Falls
• Buffalo
• Los Angeles
• San Diego
• San Francisco
• Las Vegas
• Grand Canyon
• NYC
• Washington D.C.

And I was on the topic of last goodbyes – Probably said too many, but too few proper His. Whatever that means, its 12am, and I’m quite tired. Everyone else in the room is sleeping – everyone now being just Shannon, his mom and I. I sit here, hearing the regular breathing, knowing tomorrow, all the breathing I’ll be hearing is that of odd strangers.

Thinking that I’ll be saying bye to Shannon and his mom tomorrow is almost weird. This holiday was a bit too long, but it kinda passed by in the blurriest of ways, and saying goodbye tomorrow signifies the end of the holiday; anything after tomorrow is just the passing of time till my flight comes. Hopefully though, Joshie will come down and I’ll have some company.

Feeling a little emotional now – because U.S. just went by. And I’d like to think that there was some change involved, although, I start to wonder. Maybe in the way I think, but it hasn’t been translated into actions yet.

I hate to officially say goodbye to this little vacation that was in its planning stage since like forever but went by its “production period” a little too painfully but quickly. It almost reminds me of how all theatre and CS productions go – plan too long (hopefully got plan at all lah) and takes almost too long, but at the same time too short to produce, and after you’re done, you kinda look back and think it was pretty fun.

I hate, even more so, to say goodbye to this little life I’ve grown used to. The simple joys in greeting the bus driver on the bus, the thank yous when I get off the bus, the little “have a nice days”, the door holding and so many more. I love the tipping system. I love lots of things here and I hate to say that I’ll miss it but I will.

On the last note, I’m glad that I travelled with Shannon for all sorts of reasons. Despite the imaginary couple of wary glances I think I might have gotten online, I think we made a good travelling pair (along with our families, that is).

It’ll be strange to be back in Singapore, I think. But at the same time, I think it will all come back to me far too quickly.