Inhale life. Exhale evolution.

I spent my Thursday morning cycling around the suburbs in South Melbourne. This time I’m not looking for adventures nor am I looking for interesting characters to start a conversation with. Just going for the sake of going. Slowly taking my time cruising while enjoying the cold breeze and the heat of the sun on my face. Nothing on my mind. No thoughts. Simply focusing on my breathing… Just like when I meditate.

Inhale. Exhale. Breathe in the purity. Breathe out the impurity.

After a good hour, I suddenly found myself in a nice little town called ‘Casey’. It’s so strange that the combined energy of my breathing, the force of wind and my bicycle took me to this street because somehow it felt so right. I looked around and saw a bench under a tree waiting for me. So I sat myself on the bench overlooking some cute cottage houses and just sat there, doing nothing and still without any thoughts. So I sit and wait.

What am I waiting for? I don’t know what exactly. But the moment was so perfect that I stopped questioning and thinking. It’s all about feeling the moment. I simply wait again and forget about the time. ‘Patience Finah’, I said to myself.

After what seemed like hours of daydreaming and enjoying the lovely weather, an old lady with a cane came out of one of the cottage houses I was facing. She was walking at a very slow speed, carefully watching her every step. It looked like she wanted to go get the mails and newspaper. Then out of nowhere, a little girl ran out of the front door with a ball in her hand yelling, “Come here, Chuckie”. She then looked up and saw her grandmother still walking halfway through the driveway and ran to her, “Granny, what are you doing? I’ll get it for you!”. The girl picked up the mails and walked her grandmother back to the house. The grandmother said some things to her granddaughter which I couldn’t hear and then in a very slow motion, kissed her on the forehead with her eyes closed and hands on the back of the little girl’s head, which lasted for not more than 10 seconds.

The love I witnessed between the grandmother and granddaughter was something so special. Such a simple gesture can easily create an impact on someone’s day and sends a deep love energy out into the world. Moreover, coming from a little girl who can’t be more than 6 years old! The grandma’s kiss on the forehead was so genuine, I could feel her strong pure love at a distant. Gahh, it was simply beautiful! I will never forget it.

‘What a beautiful start to a beautiful day,’ I thought to myself. I then stood up and cycled back home. This time, inhaling life and exhaling evolution.

Interview with Manu

In this blog of mine, expect some interviews of some of the happiest people I have met in my journey. They inspire me with their way of life and amazing stories and I hope they will inspire you too, somehow.

I met Manu in St Kilda botanical garden one afternoon and we exchanged our views and opinions about life, love, happiness and life after life. He’s a 65 year old portugese man, who has been living in Australia for 25 years. He only owns a super fucking awesome truck filled with wonderful memories and moves from town to town, wherever he finds happiness.

Finah: As an experienced traveler as yourself and hearing that you are living life as a non conformist, how do you define life?

Manu: Hahaha ….. Well, for me, life is all about joy, laughter, love, freedom, feeling enlightenment and having the time everyday to celebrate the beauty of the world, the beauty of ourself. It’s about surrounding yourself with good energy… It can be touching on all of your senses. Good vegan food for the tongue, good music for the ears, good beautiful surrounding for the eyes, flowers, food and anything natural for the nose, and a good woman for the touch and the feeling. This is an important one. Hahaha. Its about sharing your emotions with people you care about and even strangers. For me, I am a person who shares my love with everybody because its part of the life. I say to all my friends and even the guys, “Hey I love you man.” And we kiss the cheek. People look and think we are crazy, but no we are just celebrating life and love. So… This is all it is to life. Nothing complicated.

I used to live in Tasmania for 8 years and for some years, I was involved in an organization to help conserve the rainforest. Tasmania has reputation for its exportation in trees but now its getting too much. Why destroy the beautiful forest for money? This is something I care about and yes they pay me some money to help.. But really it’s not about the money. I do it for the sake of the trees. One day I was working in the street to raise awareness and I approached a man in a suit. He pushed me and said “Get a life! Get a job!”. I was quite shocked that he assumed I don’t have a life and a job. So I said out loud “Hey mate! This is my life. Im working right now and helping save our rainforest. What are you doing with your life?”. Heh heh.

Bless his beautiful soul. I love him.

I am a worldling

I see everyone as one… a human being.

It doesn’t matter if you’re a guy or a girl. It doesn’t matter if you’re a little kid or an old person. Or from different races, religions, professions. It doesn’t matter. When we start labeling people especially nowadays when its based on social, political and economical well being of others, it creates a huge differences amongst ourselves and contributes to some of the deepest problems that face our species. Judgement.

I am a person. You are a person. My heart beats, I’m sure yours does too. We share the same earth. Let’s be happy. I wish it’s that easy.

Each and every person is fascinating in their own way.. If you just look within the labels. Stories, backgrounds and experiences different from others and truly unique. All we need to do is put down our defense mechanism, approach and understand.

All I’m saying is, in the end it really doesn’t matter what label you are… Because we are here in this life as a worldling to live our life purpose (and to share our love).

“Hello. I’m Finah and I want to see the world. What about you?”

Be a risk taker!

Risk – its not what you think! Risk is almost universally seen as a bad thing – something to avoid at all costs. So even companies have a specific division to manage risks and we focus all our energy to personally manage and mitigate risk in our lives, businesses, relationships, jobs, marriages and communities.

And I find the whole thing a complete farce – a total joke.

We can only create the life we really want by embracing risks. Risk is something of an uncertain outcome and it is neither good nor bad. It just means that we don’t know exactly what is going to happen. But most people don’t like uncertainty. It makes people nervous. It makes relationships nervous. It makes businesses nervous. They prefer the familiarity. We are all hard wired to have an aversion to uncertainty. So many people avoid risk, incorrectly believing that an uncertain outcome is always a bad outcome.

What most people miss is that it is only through risk – or uncertain outcomes – that the greatest advances in your life can happen. Unless you already have exactly what you want in life, you are going to have to do things differently than you are doing them now. Nothing new and exciting will happen by doing the same things all the time. Even Albert Einstein defined insanity as doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. So to live a passionate life every day, we need to do some things that we’ve never done before which means dealing with uncertainty. Or you risk staying stuck exactly where you are – which is the greatest risk of all.

Take for instance, hitch hiking. All of my friends warned me never to do it in my travels because its too much of a risk and there are news about rape and death cases. I know this but I still do it anyway. The outcome? The people who picked me up in Perth, Melbourne and Brisbane are some of the nicest people I have ever met in my whole life. I don’t regret taking these risks because I keep learning about people and myself and I simply enjoy the unknown.

It is all a matter of perception. Don’t be influenced by the media and society. It is our own choice on what kind of life we want to live and only we know what’s best for ourselves. Don’t miss out on life because of our fear of risk.

Happy new day! 🙂

Well hello new muscles

Before I left to travel, I claimed that I don’t do sports (cause I’m too cool for it…. lol) except for dancing. I’m now so surprised at all the different types of new sports I have recently picked up, thanks to my amazing couchsurfing hosts in Australia.

While I was in Sunshine Coast in November, we were bush hiking in this off beaten tracks trying to look for snakes and lizards! Yeah, we saw a couple of snakes but we also found a beautiful lake towards the end. It was such an experience to see my zoologist host move so fast, jump under a tree and catch the snake. He’s so proud about his work and talks so passionately of reptiles and animals that I start to see the beauty in lizards and snakes. Guess what, my lizard phobia is gone! Passionate people are beautiful souls who can change the thinking of others.

I was in Byron Bay for 4 days in December and my host taught me how to surf. Just a quick 10 minutes lesson and I managed to stand up, not fall and surf the wave~ The feeling was unbelievable! As soon as I stood up on the board, I just balanced my body to be in sync with the feeling of the wave on my feet and just relax. Everytime my senses didn’t connect with the wave, I fell! Powerful sport, I love it.

I learnt how to play cricket when I was in Central Victoria for 7 days during Christmas time. Ahh, it was an amazing week spent in the countryside with my hosts and other couchsurfers from Jersey, Germany and Belgium. Because the house was so far away from the town, we only stayed at the area the entire time unless Elaine and Lindsay went to town, that’s when we tagged along. But I never complained as their area is 10 acres big with beautiful landscapes, 2 horses, 2 chickens, lots of kangaroos, cherry trees, bee hives, a pond, Dex the dog and great company. It was my first ever Christmas and I couldn’t have chosen a better place to stay at. I experienced a lot of firsts there; singing Christmas carols, chopping down a Christmas tree, cherry picking, horse feeding, australian family dinners, playing fetch with dogs, making gingerbread house, exchanging Christmas gifts, Christmas breakfast lunch and playing cricket! Cricket is fun to play… But not when watching the games. Lol.

Learning a new sport is basically stepping out of your comfort zone and exploring the unknown. The reason why people stay in their comfort zone is mainly fear… Therefore they start procrastinating, making excuses, avoiding and running away. I would know! I lived in my comfort zone for almost 25 years but I slowly and gracefully knock the walls down one by one until all I now see are more possibilities, opportunities and… life! Most of the exciting experiences I have now are from doing things that are unfamiliar to me and I’m glad to say that I have faced most of my fears making me kind of addicted in facing the rest of them. lol. When your fears disappear, more opportunities will be attracted to your new energy and that’s when you’ll start to see things differently. Happy new day!

My 2013.

The picture says it all!

For my 2013 resolutions, I didn’t want to focus so much on it like I did last year and then ended up doing none of it. They were all based on extrinsic motivations anyway which was why I didnt connect with them. But I realized that I need to have a 2013 word which I will live by everyday of the year. I choose ‘Love’ and ‘Fernweh’ as my twenty thirteen words.

I intend to share my love with everyone I come into contact with, see daily or strangers who need them. Everybody needs love and love makes people happy. As simple as that. Fernweh is a German word for craving to travel and being homesick for places I haven’t been to. What is your 2013 word?

I have also come up with a longer version of my 2013 commitment which resonates with my life values.

• Don’t take life too seriously. Enjoy every moment and every experience.
• Do a good deed everyday… Even if its a smile to a stranger.
• Learn something new everyday.
• Don’t wait for things to happen. Make the first approach.

I can feel 2013 being a year filled with so much love and adventures.

Make a difference by being you!

Yesterday, I volunteered as a kitchen helper in a restaurant for the homeless. The feeling of giving my time to those in need is so indescribable and seeing the happy faces of these people is so priceless. Nothing can top the feeling of helping without getting anything in return.

Hearing their stories of survival in this society of ours just opens up my mind that we shouldn’t judge anybody of different classes, age groups and backgrounds. Everybody is beautifully unique and it’s how we see them that matters. We can always learn something from everybody.

Never stop learning 🙂

Long term traveling

On the 31st December 2012, I had one of the best conversations I had all year with a very good friend I met through couchsurfing. Lying on the grass outside the State Library with the sun glaring on our faces, we talked so deeply about life in the present and life in the future and how we should see every opportunity coming our way as something positive even if it wasn’t part of your initial plan. He is now back in his country after traveling for one year and see it as a new given chance to create a more adventurous life with a different positive state of mind. That very same day was when I decided to travel for as long as I can.. Somehow. It wasn’t easy, believe me. No doubt, thoughts of money, family, friends, job, security was in my head but my inner voice told me that I need to do whats best for me to live passionately and find happiness.

For this new traveling lifestyle, I am seeking for amazing new experiences rather than just sight seeing. I have learnt that it’s the people you meet in your travels that makes the memories sweeter. Living the local lifestyle makes you understand the country better, the people, the culture and search out the best in humanity.. Finding people who really care about what they do, are proud of their homes, their culture and their heritage.

Long term travel challenges myself to find comfort in the most uncomfortable encounters, make the best decisions for myself based on my own intrinsic motivation, live a simple meaningful life, see the good in every human being and to enhance all my senses so to live in the present moment.

I have decided to travel long and slow, just because I like to get the feel of each place I visit and I enjoy getting lost in a country. Here’s my plan for the year..

Melbourne – 8 weeks
New Zealand – 9 weeks
Queensland – 12 weeks
Thailand – 3 weeks
Cambodia – 4 weeks
Adelaide – 4 weeks
Karratha – 3 weeks
Vietnam – 3 weeks
Laos – 2 weeks
Nepal – 3 weeks
Bhutan – 2 weeks
India – 12 weeks

I feel really good about this and will be couchsurfing, volunteering, wwoofing, home sitting, farming and commencing my new career as a teacher by mid year. It is possible to travel cheap and long, my friends. Listen to the little voice in your head and go for it! No one is stopping you.

Wondering. Wandering.

Oh wow. The best feeling in the world is living the life you have dream of living. I didn’t think it was possible at first but as I face my fears one by one… nothing is impossible now. Everything is up to me and I would hate to waste any more time.

As of today, I have been on the road for 10 amazing weeks and I am not planning to stop anytime soon. I feel the most alive when I’m learning about a country, culture, language, people and even a new skill.

I don’t regret any of the decisions I have made up to this point in my life although there were times when I felt really stuck in life. Just before the new year, I was thinking whether I should end my trip and go back to a normal comfortable life in Brunei or continue to travel with the little money I have left and see what opportunities I have in the outside world, and keep exploring the unknown. I chose the latter. I feel the most happiest when I’m living a life full of passion and traveling is my passion. I decided I will continue this lifestyle.

Australia is known as the land of opportunity and its true! I am now a paid model and dancer here, just after a week of looking for jobs. Things are falling into place. Everything is perfect.

Happy new day, readers! ❤

Ready to go.

As of today, I officially have a week until I’m off for my birthday travel to Bali and Australia.This trip is a big deal to me because over the last 6 months, I have gone through some of the toughest times I have ever had to go through and discovered the life that I truly want to lead.

Here’s a breakdown of my life achievements in the past 6 months:

• I hired a life coach to help me empower my life
• Broke out of my comfort zone and craving for the unknown
• Stopped being a smoker
• Completed 2 life projects
• Started playing violin
• Started my couchsurfing lifestyle
• Discovered my purpose in life and passion
• Ended my 4 years relationship
• Loving myself! Loving life!

Growing up, I followed what I thought were the safest paths such as studying business instead of arts and drama and worked in a well established company instead of a non profit. These choices led me to a well-paying job with a good title and decent responsibilities. But it wasn’t enough for me. I was hungry for something else. After hiring a life coach, everything is so much clearer and I keep learning new things about myself by doing the life exercises. From negative to positive, from impossible to possible, from small dreams to the biggest dreams!

I have to say that hiring a life coach was the best decision I made in my life. Love you, Vena!