Hello, I blog!

Yessss, this is it.

I’ve booked my #SOLOYOLO trip for the year. Heading up to Vancouver next month, and hoping to make a side trip to the USA to catch the total solar eclipse.

I have been eyeballing this eclipse for years.

But honestly, I dawdled making the booking for many reasons.

1. Air ticket price. ($2106 on Cathay Pacific Airways is just, ouch.)

2. Another cousin couldn’t make it. And I was hesitant on making the long trip there on my own.

Actually, the air ticket price fell many times this year to $1790 and I had many chances to book. But reason number 2 was holding me back.

Granted, I took a trip to Hong Kong last year and I was going solo 50% of the time. I really liked exploring places on my own in a city I really loved. And there’s something about travelling alone that is really liberating.

Own time own target. (I can set my own pace. And pace is very important to me because my energy levels are very limited.)

Loads of self-discovery. Every experience alone reinforces what I like and what I don’t, what excites me and what doesn’t. I don’t usually reflect much on these thoughts when I’m with other people because distractions, and people sometimes alter the experience.

Feeling of independence. Enough said. Why company is always nice, I also enjoy doing things alone.

But Hong Kong is only 4 hours away. And Vancouver, 16 hours excluding transit time.

I’ll be far away from home.

But then again, both are cities that are somewhat familiar to me. And I’d be staying at a cousin’s place anyway so I’ll still have company.

When the price dropped to $1690 last weekend, it was a sign.

So I made the booking.

#YOLO.

Now, to settle the eclipse portion of the trip and get rid of the butterflies that have started to form in my stomach.