This is the question that has been going through my head ever since I bought my one-way ticket to Kuala Lumpur. Is it really that easy to just…leave?
In exactly three weeks I’ll be jumping on a train to Paris and from there I’m flying to Malaysia, not knowing when, or if, I’ll come back to Holland. I expected to be running around like crazy by this time doing errands, making arrangements, getting stressed to prepare for leaving, but I’m not. In fact I’m so calm that I’m worried I’m forgetting a major thing. Something really important.
Sure there’s plenty of small stuff that needs to be taken care of, like buying a bottle of tea-tree oil and see my GP and the never-ending quest for the perfect pair of trousers (+ hoping that a new camera with waterproof housing will appear out of nowhere, for free) but really, is that it? My biggest dilemma right now is if I should get a haircut before I leave at my favorite-but-oh-so-expensive hairdresser or just leave it au naturel because after a few months of sun and ocean it’ll look like shit anyway. Seriously.
I guess it is that easy.
And at the same time it has been really hard. As always, making the decision to actually do this was by far the hardest part. For me it came down to choosing for a ‘conventional’ life (whatever that means) with the love of my life or chasing dreams and leave everything behind. That was a tough one and it sometimes still is. There will always be the question of ‘what could have been’ when thinking about the other option. Especially after meeting up with the now ex-love-of-my-live on Valentines Day as a reminder of how awesome we were. Highly recommended.
Then there are the more worldly matters. How do I earn enough money? What exactly is ‘enough money’? What should I do with all my stuff? And don’t even get me started about moving back in with my parents to save more money and to help out a bit, with my mum being sick and all. Let’s just say that it took some time getting used to having each other around 24/7, for all of us.
But again, as always, things will be all right. Once you put your mind to it, things will fall into place. Suddenly you’ll find a way to earn that extra bit of cash (though I’m still hoping for that free camera). You’ll know how to take care of your stuff (sell it, give it away, burn it) and you will realize that living with your parents isn’t so bad after all (for a little while). When you figured that out it really is that easy.
I’m going to say it again. So you know.
It. Really. Is. That. Easy.
Really.
It is.