I am sitting here comfortably on the JJ Express bus – the journey is long ahead, taking 12 hours from Nyaung Shwe to Yangon. After saying one of the hardest goodbyes in my life, I’m starting to make my way out of the country, heading for my next destination – Laos.

At this point, I am well over two weeks into my trip and have only 10 days left. In the next couple of days, I will be in five countries (3 for transit).

I ponder about the sights I’ve taken in, the lovely travellers I met (shoutout to Lee, Nok, Mai, Lin, and Luke), the sunrises and sunsets I’ve watched, the bloody heat (think 43C weather!), Burmese BBQ and Shan noodles, Buddhist teachings and golden pagodas, and the kindness I’ve received from the locals.

Luke said this casually the other day,

”how lucky are we to be able to travel so easily,”

I can’t agree more. Travel is a privilege, and sometimes we don’t realise how fortunate we are to be able to travel whenever we want.

Finally, I have ticked Myanmar off my bucket list. Visiting the (many) pagodas reminded me of Buddhism’s teachings: be kind, seek gratitude and appreciate your parents. I take away with me these values, the beautiful memories, and will forever keep them close to my heart.

Thank you, Myanmar.

Love,
Olivia