Life: Lessons I Learned from the Trips I Had in 2023

In 2023, I had 7 trips to four cities I loved. It’s the most frequent that I’ve ever had in my life. I remembered that I wish to travel a lot in 2023 and God really made it come true. Not only did I get to travel, but it taught me lessons and realize that I was surrounded by beautiful souls. First of all, I wanted to give thanks to the Lord, the Almighty, for granting my prayers and showing me that He is listening. With my grateful heart, I wanted to share the lessons I learned from my trips in 2023.

Kindness Wins

I learned and witnessed that kindness wins during my trip to Bangkok in February. I went there to attend Kim Seonho’s fan meeting. In 2022, Kim Seonho was caught in a scandal and he almost got canceled by the society. At that time, he had to quit his programs and some of the brands canceled his contracts. After the truth was revealed, he was able to come back and even had an Asia fan meeting tour! He was really nice and kind in real life so even after those issues, he was still loved by many. I was really glad to watch the fan meeting in Bangkok because, for Kim Seonho, Thailand held a special place in his heart. Thai fans welcomed him when he shot his first movie and showered him with lots of love. It was like Kim Seonho’s second hometown. Watching his fan meeting in Bangkok hits me differently. I was so touched. I learned to be kind every time for everyone because if we are kind no matter what happens, good things will come back to us eventually.

Connection

During my trip to Seoul in spring, I met lots of people, from my high-school friends to seniors. Well, thanks to it my trip to Seoul was less lonely. After the trip, I realized that maintaining a relationship is really important. I never thought that I would have a job as an interpreter if I didn’t go to Korea and meet my seniors. At first, I went to Korea solely to bid farewell to my cousin and her family before they left for the USA. But, it turns out that I was given the key to many more opportunities in 2023. As an introvert, I need a long time to reach out first, so maintaining a connection is not my strongest possession. Well, having a good connection is very useful, especially for introverts. When you are in a new group and you don’t know anyone, they could be your card to open a topic. Through this trip, I got to realize how blessed I am to meet all of them and have them as part of my life.

Having a good boss is a blessing

I went on a girls' trip with my senior high friends to Bandung in June. The trip practically happened thanks to my friend's boss. Her boss was a member of IHG Hotels & Resorts and he has a lot of points that he booked the hotel for us to stay. Having a good boss is like a lucky star. Not everyone got the privilege to have a think-alike with their leader and a leader who could share. So, if you have a great leader, keep them close, because you are blessed! Thank you, my friend’s boss! We had a great sleep (even though the location was a bit far from the city center, but it’s free after all ^^).

Rest and heal

I went to Bali with my third aunt from my dad’s side in July. She took a short break after resigning from her previous workplace and before she started working at a new place. It was my first time to have a trip alone with my aunt and it went pretty nice though on the last two days, I got sick. At first, I thought it would be awkward to travel with my aunt, but it was great. Our appetites are pretty similar and she also liked to do some activities and relax on the beach. During the trip, we had lots of conversations and I learned that taking a rest is important. Even though, I’m not in the position to have a rest yet. But, when my life gets busier, I should remember that resting and healing are important.

Just Do it!

My second trip to Korea in 2023 is basically for fan-girling. I got the ticket for the 2PM 15th Debut Anniversary concert, so I flew to Seoul for a week only. It was the craziest thing I did in 2023, but whatever. I’ve become a 2PM’s fan since 2009 and I really like all of their songs. It was hard to see complete members of 2PM and other 2nd generation K-POP idols to have a concert. So, I made up my mind to just go and watch this precious concert. Even though in September I was a little bit busy, I think this is a birthday gift for myself (I got the ticket before my birthday, so I guess it’s an early birthday gift). I had to enjoy it while I could. I was so happy to see them again after almost 10 years! I learned that it took a long time to see them again, so just go! Whatever your troubles or worries, just do it! You’ll be grateful that you’ve done it and even though it doesn’t work out though you’ve tried it, it’s okay. That is life.

Everyone has their own seasons

I went to Bandung for the second time in 2023 to attend my cousin’s 17th birthday party. The trip was very short because November was full of my friend’s wedding events. The trip was also not as fun as I thought I would have, but nevertheless, I got to learn something. This trip showed me that everyone has their seasons of life. My grandpa had his best seasons of life when he was the top head of his old textile company. My uncle has his seasons of life, and so does my not-so-little cousin. She is entering a new season of life as a lady. It is fascinating to see how my little cousins grew up from baby to this point. When I saw my cousins perform on stage, I got teary. It feels surreal that a little baby girl has grown up as a lady and it hit me by the fact that I’m also getting older. I’m getting closer to 30 now and a new season will come soon. I just came across this song lyrics of Im Jaebum, with the title “Consolation”

“Everyone has their own season

I will bloom in my season”

 

A long-time friend also has some privacy

My friends for 15 years and I finally had our first full team trip together to Bali. With the years we’ve spent, we thought that we’d shared everything. But, I just realized that there are still some parts that we cannot share. We all have some privacy and sometimes we are not aware of it. From this trip, I learned that we should still protect other’s privacy even though the time we’ve spent was pretty long. There are still some thin lines we should be careful of.

So, that’s the 7 things I learned from the trips I’ve had. It might be something you might know already or something you cannot relate to, but I want to share it with you all. I hope what I shared here can help you to have a brighter and happier life in 2024. I always believe that we can learn anything from everything. I hope you have a great new year! Just enjoy the journey and believe that God will provide.

Travel Diary: Bangkok 2019

Sawasdeekha~

I didn’t realize that I’d been inactive here for five months. I’ve uploaded a new (well, it’s been 2 months already) travel diary video on YouTube. It was taken on my first trip to Bangkok with my two friends from the student executive board back in university. Our small group name is the “late-post squad”. It’s just simply that all of us often post something on social media quite late. Guess, the saying “same feather flocks together” is true after all.

My friends and I finally made it out of the group chat! We’ve been saving up some money every month for traveling and we finally made it to realization. It’s not just a plan anymore. We decided to go to Bangkok because first we, girls, love shopping and that city is surely a paradise. Second, two out of three girls had never been to Bangkok before. We searched for cheap flights and we got a pretty good deal from Malaysia Airlines. Even though we had to transit, it was still a comfortable flight (oh, except for the red-eye flight on the flight back to Jakarta).

Eleasha and I departed from Jakarta, while my other friend, Meidy, departed from Bali. We met up in Kuala Lumpur for our stopover. We took a really early flight and as soon as we arrived in KL, we went to a lounge and have a quick shower. We used the Sama Sama Lounge’s shower room. Very affordable and it’s clean. Then, I asked my friends to have a Boost Juice with me. At that time, Boost Juice hasn’t opened any stores in Indonesia. The closest store from Jakarta is Singapore and that’s why I always get my Boost juice in Changi Airport every time I had a transit in Singapore. After a few hours of looking around the KLIA (Kuala Lumpur International Airport), we finally on board the flight to Bangkok.

Kuala Lumpur Sunrise

Surely a mood BOOSTer

As soon as we touched down at Suvarnabhumi Airport, we were escorted by someone from Meidy’s partner agent in Bangkok. Our baggage came out pretty fast and we took the train to the city center. That day turns out to be Thailand’s Constitution Day, which is a public holiday and every public transportation is free of charge. Surprisingly, the weather was good in Bangkok. It was quite breezy and not humid. Yay! From the airport, we went directly to the hotel. Our first hotel is located behind the Bobae Pier. We stayed at Prince Palace Hotel for 3 nights and will move to another hotel for 1 night.

Playing Tourist in Bangkok!

12.12

After checking in, we went to Siam Paragon with a water taxi. We really make use the free of charge public transport today. It was a thrilling experience and I think it’s cool to have a boat for transporting.

So Southeast Asian-style river

 We get off at Pratunam Pier then we went to Siam Paragon Mall to have our late lunch. To reach the mall, we walked across the connecting bridge. We entered the Siam Discovery, passing by some cute installations and a Christmas tree. We took turns taking pictures in front of the Christmas tree made out wind wheels.

First Views of Bangkok's Shopping Mall

Our first culinary stop is Sansab. This restaurant's signature menu is the Tom Yum UFO. You can see it as Bangkok's version of Budaejjigae or Korean Army Stew. It was a really great tom yum soup with a twist of modern toppings. It came with sweet corn, fried eggs, and cheese on the side of the soup. This food is really worth the hype. It was really nice! Our first lunch was superb.

Super Nice Ice Tea

Thailand version of Budaejjigae (?)

Since we arrived at the shopping mall paradise we started our window shopping and mall hopping. We went from Siam Paragon to CentralWorld Mall on foot. They are kinda close, but not really close. But, they are connected by a bridge, so it doesn’t feel far. 

We tried the Fire Tiger before heading outside. Fire Tiger is a hyped boba milk tea shop in Thailand. I am not sure whether it’s from Bangkok or Seoul, but it has a Korean touch. They really put lots of effort to decorate the shop, unlike the Taiwanese brands. Again, we tried it because it hasn't opened a shop in Indonesia. But, Fire Tiger is currently opening a few shops in Jakarta (not sure if it’s selling well after the pandemic).

As soon we went out of the shopping mall, it was night already. We went out to take out few photos with the giant Christmas tree outside the CentralWorld. Bangkok surely put lots of effort into Christmas decoration, despite they didn’t celebrate Christmas.

We made a quick stop at BigC Supermarket and scanned the snacks we’d been waiting to try. This supermarket is one of the biggest supermarket chains in Bangkok and it opens till midnight. Oh, I fall in love with this city already.

Is there anyone watched ‘King The Land’ on Netflix? If yes, have you watched episodes 9 and 10? Well, our day two was pretty much alike. We went out early in the morning, have our breakfast, and then visited a few temples in Bangkok and ended the day at ICONSiam. I was really surprised while watching the show since the itinerary was pretty much the same. Lol.

We started off the day with breakfast at an old-school coffee shop. They sell some toasts, All Day Breakfast (eggs and sausages), tea and coffee. This kind of place is widely found across Southeast Asian countries, called “kopitiam”. On Lok Yun is really a humble kopitiam nearby the Grand Palace. It is located in the “old town” of Bangkok. I really liked the neighborhood. We took some photos since there weren’t many people yet, so no photo-bombers. Well, we were not really a photogenic type of girl, but we surely wanted to have good photos while traveling.

Instagram angle shot

After finished our eggs & sausages with butter toast and hot tea, we walked to the Grand Palace. It is around 1,5 km from On Lok Yun, but we still managed to walk there on foot. LOL. Here are some photograph that I took while we walk to the Grand Palace.

Attempting to have Insta-worthy photo

After arriving at the Grand Palace, we directly buy the entrance ticket and walk around the palace. The weather was quite sunny that day and we walked like almost 10.000 steps inside the palace. The Grand Palace was beautiful and huge. Since we went there in 2019, there were lots of people visiting this palace. We hardly see each of the rooms inside, but it was a great place to visit if you are first to Bangkok. We had an instagramable photos thanks to a stranger that took a photo of us. Khobkhunkha~

The Grand Palace from Outside

The Best Shot of Us

We hardly felt our feet, so we took the Tuk Tuk to Wat Pho. Before heading there, we had our lunch at a nearby stall. We ate an oyster omelet with rice, some satays, and mango. We ordered fresh coconut as well to rehydrate our body.

After lunch and a short break, we went to Wat Pho, a temple that has one of the biggest Buddha statues in Bangkok, which is the famous Reclining Buddha. The statue is 15 meters tall and 46 meters wide. Even though I am not a Buddhist and neither my friends are, we were in awe to see that huge Buddha statue. It is a sacred place for Buddhists, but even for a non-Buddhist, this place is magical and worth visiting.

My personal favorite shot

We took a boat and cruised across the Chao Praya River to reach Wat Arun. We went to another temple. Well, Bangkok is a quite free city, but on the other hand, it has lots of temples. The white temple complex was huge and it has lots of stairs. But it was the most beautiful temple I’ve visited in Bangkok. We saw this temple on Pinterest and the photos taken at this temple were beautiful. We arrived at the temple in the middle of the day, so it was so bright and hot. We were there for 30 minutes and we took the cab to ICONSIAM. We really need an air conditioner before getting a heatstroke.

Wat Arun from Chao Praya Cruise

This is where the resemblance with ‘King The Land’ takes place. They went to Wat Arun and ICONSIAM by boat, while we took the boat from Wat Pho to Wat Arun. We did some window shopping and of course, we hunt for some delicacies. We had our first Pad Thai at Thipsamai, one of the most popular Pad Thai restaurant chains in Thailand. The prawn was big, the spices were just right, and the portion is just enough. And of course, we cannot miss out on dessert. 

 We had the famous dessert shop, After You. We had honey toast with ice cream, mango sticky rice kakigori (shaved ice), and also a milk tea. We surely need some sugar intake after grilling in the sun for more than 4 hours and walking for almost 20,000 steps.

Since it is still quite early to go back, we went to Asiatique. It has a beautiful night view. I kinda liked the vibes, but I was too tired to walk around the area. We just scan through the shops there and pass by the merry-go-round and Ferris wheel. We had a quick snack at the bazaar there. We ordered some squid skewers and crispy pork. After finished snacking, we had another boat ride to the other side of the river.

Another Nichkhun in Bangkok

Bangkok Nightscape

Asiatique from the Ferry

As soon as we get off the boat, we book a ride to Chinatown. We wanted to try out the Michelin star fried dough with Pandan custard sauce. Finally, I got to try the original one. I mentioned this food on my previous Australia trip. It was when the first time I tried this food. As expected, the line was quite long, but we got our bag of fried dough not long after. The market was crowded with people, motorbikes, and cars. So, be careful if you are going to wait for Pa Tong Go Savoey. Their stall is located nearby 7Eleven. We also bought a portion of gyoza at the stall nearby while waiting for the fried dough.

Looking back, we really ate lots of food on this day. We took a cab and went back to the hotel. We were really tired.

We didn’t do much sightseeing on our third day. We had a full day of shopping and eating on this day. Our first stop was the Pratunam Market. We bought some beauty products and sandals. Then we ate Tom Yum Noodle at Pe Aor. They had the most humongous tom yum noodles that I’ve ever seen. We ordered one for three and we still couldn’t finish the soup. The Tom Yum Noodle comes with huge prawn and lots of other seafood. The soup was so good. This place is suitable for people who came in groups because they have a huge portion.

After a huge brunch, we walked to the Platinum Mall. We spent inside for a half day, I think. We walked all the seven floors and do some shopping. We bought a group T-shirt as well. It was a really fun day. We had some refreshment drinks at Cha Mu True, one of the best Thai Tea shops in Thailand. I’m not a Thai Tea fan, but they had one of the best ones. Even though, this time I didn’t order the Thai Tea, but their Rose Tea. It was so refreshing and I can do another round of window shopping in the mall. Bangkok is really heaven for shopping.

Before we went back to the hotel to place our shopping, we went to Burger King and tried out the new menu in Thailand. I couldn’t really remember what it tasted like, but French fries are always right. After we put our shopping, we took a rest for a while, and then we headed outside for dinner. We went to Central World (again) and had our dinner at the bazaar in front of the mall. We had the Pork Belly with Chinese Broccoli a.k.a Pad Kana Moo Krab.

After finished eating our quick and simple dinner, we went to BigC Supermarket (again!) and had our snack shopping till drop. It was so convenient that this big supermarket was open until late at night. There were still lots of people shopping there even when it was late. Fyi, you can claim a tax-free if you got to shop for 2,000 THB.

Our Hotel at Night

We had to check out from the Prince Palace Hotel on this day. After check-out, we went outside for our personal schedule in the Siam area. I went to meet my ex-lecturer who work and stayed in Bangkok. Meidy went to a meeting with her company’s agent in Bangkok and Eleasha explore the shopping mall by herself.

View from our room

Christmas Decoration at the Hotel Lobby

Cool shop that I came across while on my way to Siam One Square

I went to meet my ex-lecturer at Siam One Square, which is located opposite Siam Paragon connected by a bridge and BTS Siam (an MRT station). As far as I remember, we ate at a Japanese fusion restaurant, that I couldn’t remember the name of. We ate Tom Yum soup with a Japanese noodle. The only thing that I remember is the Charcoal Lemon Tea. It was tasty and refreshing! 

After lunch, I went to explore the mall and came across ‘The Spring Home’ shop. It is a Korean sleepwear brand that Ong Seongwu, at that time, was the brand ambassador. After some calculations, it was cheaper to buy in THB instead of KRW. So, I purchased it! The shirt was so soft and I really liked the product!

I bought the t-shirt on the back

The sea lion reminds me of Ongie

After finished with our own schedules, we meet up at the front of Central World and went back to the hotel to take our bags and move to the new hotel in the Chatuchak area. We stayed at Boutique Poo-Yai Lee for one night. The room is smaller than the previous hotel (well, of course, they have a different star), but it is more modern and cozy. Too bad, we only stayed there only for one night.

We only put down our things in our room, then we headed out instantly to the Chatuchak Weekend Market because Google says that the market closed at 8PM and by the time we went outside the hotel, it was 7PM already. We explored the market as fast as we can while enjoying the street foods as we go. We ate, pork skewers (that produce lots of plastic trash), mango sticky rice, some old-school popsicles, and prata bread. Check out all of the foods we ate on my video, here. I also brought a few cheap phone casings there.

Meidy got a call from our other friends that happened to be in Bangkok too. We went to the Ratchada Market to catch up with them. The market was more crowded than Chatuchak Market. Inside the market, Meidy & Eleasha tried the fried insects and pupa. They said it was pretty good and edible. They even wanted to eat it with rice. Gosh, I couldn’t stand to try it at all.

Cute Single Trip Coin

We spent like 30 minutes there and make a quick stop by a supermarket nearby and bought some additional snacks and stuff to eat for our breakfast. Then we went back to the hotel and started to pack at midnight.

We had our red-eye flight to go back home. I think we only slept for 3 hours after packing and reviewing our shopping. We took a taxi to Suvarnabhumi Airport. Since it was quite early in the morning, there were only a few shops that are open. So we went straight to the boarding gate. Oh, we were all wearing matching T-shirts that we bought at the Platinum Mall. LOL.

All went smoothly until we separated ways. Meidy missed her flight to Bali and also she lost her phone. It was an unlucky day for her. We didn’t know what was happening until her sister contacted us.

Well, it was not a good ending, but our first trip was magnificent! We couldn’t wait to have another trip again soon!

I will edit and upload our Singapore trip for Eleasha’s Bachelorette trip soon! 

Please keep looking forward to it! 

Khobkhunkhab for reading this post! 

See you soon!