Birthday 2010

This has been a very special birthday for me. It's 11.20pm Turkish time, on 2 May and as I reflect on my day, I can't help but feel how fortunate I am to have had this experience on holiday.

This trip is significant. It's my first solo trip in 2 decades, a birthday treat for myself, a rite of passage of sorts. Whilst a fairly seasoned traveller, travelling alone can have its pros and cons. One is free to decide on what to do and what not, what to see and what to give a miss, what to eat, you get what I mean. One also has to be more resilient and careful. More importantly, one has to be comfortable in one's own company.

I've come to realise that I am grateful and thankful for the many opportunities that have come my way. Be it in work, in relationships, life in general. I appreciate what I have experienced. But there's no harm in wanting to encounter even better experiences in future. So as this trip to Turkey comes to a close, I fly home to Malaysia with renewed hope, with fresh aspirations. With much faith that come next year, another trip beckons, one with a different circumstance, a better disposition, perhaps with some company and a more fulfilled presence, one that will certainly enrich.

Photo shot at the Aya Sofya in Istanbul, Turkey.