Was doing a mini reshuffle of a tiny portion of the vast amount of absolute junk that occupies my damn room (and yeah, all because i was looking for my FYP report for Shai.. not that i found it dammit!).. Anyway found a few pieces of paper - with about 30 emails and names.. and i realised they were from my backpacking trip in 2003.. and then i recalled how much that damn trip changed my life.. you see, when i embarked on it - it was a business trip incidentally - i had been working for close to 3 years.. and my company thought well enough of a few of us to send us for a training trip to germany.. being the man that i was, i took 2 weeks off and went off backpacking by myself (not entirely true - the first weekend had my colleague with me.. she PREVENTED me from trying ABSINTHE at its home- goddammitttt!!)

anyway,i had backpacked around Europe before but then i was but a kid.. so this time as i was backpacking alone and it was feb-march and hardcore winter, fellow backpackers were all highschool kids from the US (they were young and dumb and full of cum) while the others were seasoned veterans who preferred the not-so-crowded winters.. and these people.. all around my age or older.. i think they changed it for me.. fuck stability and a regular steady life.. result.. i came back.. was already restless.. 2 months later i apply for law school and 4 months later was in the middle of it.. i never kept in touch with any of them.. we all drank every night and exchanged email ids and promises to keep in touch.. and never emailed each other again.. there were 1 or 2 who did.. i replied once and stopped cause i was very busy then.. working life and inherent laziness..

But oh well.. I wonder what would have happened if I had not taken that trip.. if I had not met those people who lived life for fun.. they didn't believe in saving money.. they made money when they needed it.. spent it all travelling and having fun.. all our typical Asian restrictions dont seem to apply to them.. no such thing as settling down and getting a steady life and all that bullshit.. i talked to them.. ive talked to many people.. but this time i was already restless.. and these people left an impression.. through the pints and irish car bombs it registered.. and here i am today.. i wonder.. what if i had not taken that trip? i wonder..