There is a hello for every goodbye

"Why can't we get all the people together in the world that we really like and then just stay together? I guess that wouldn't work. Someone would leave. Someone always leaves. Then we would have to say good-bye. I hate good-byes. I know what I need. I need more hellos." -Charles M. Schulz

...so begins a new season of goodbyes.

Amid an eventful and definitely interesting weekend, I lost my wallet, along with cash, my Malaysian ID, and a debit card to pickpockets... but monetary losses pale in comparison to human ones.

The goodbyes looming ahead of me over the next two months make saying goodbye to Malaysian friends seem like a piece of cake. Even though it was hard, somewhere deep down I knew I would be seeing them again.

With the friends I've made and come to love at university, I won't be seeing many of them again for a long, long time. If I even do again, that is.

And then there has been a different kind of goodbye - a goodbye to a story that has been seven months in writing - or eight, if you're counting from the very start. A goodbye to a person who defined an important chapter in my life, but also, a chapter that over the past few weeks, has very quietly and graciously come to a close.

There are many reasons to be sad - many reasons to mourn my losses. What more, the hassle of getting my debit card replaced and having to call the Malaysian embassy to find out what to do about my lost ID card (which is a PAIN in the rear to get replaced, what more from abroad) is like getting salt rubbed into an already raw wound.

But, before you think this is a sad and emo post - it is not. There are plenty more reasons for me to be happy.

And that's the thing about life. For every reason to be unhappy, there is a reason to smile. And vice versa. It just depends which you choose to dwell on.

Today, I'm filling my thoughts with all the happiness around me - wonderful friends who care about me, the opportunity to visit perhaps the most beautiful city I have ever stepped foot in, and the privilege of meeting amazing people who help me see all the beauty in life and remind me that there is so much to be thankful for.

Over the roller coaster ride that has been the past six months (I find myself describing seasons of my life as a roller coaster ride far too often - I should just accept the fact that the rest of my life will be one big, crazy, adventure-filled ride), I've lost more than I expected to. But I've gained much, much more than I had imagined I would either.

Some of the things I've gained are:
Patience
Tolerance
A better understanding of people from different cultures and countries
The opportunity to visit three capitals in Europe / UK - Edinburgh, London, and Paris
New dances moves thanks to the amazing people at Tees Extreme
A (hopefully) better ability to budget

New friends
A friend I met at uni (who very kindly and graciously obliged to be our tour guide around Paris and also my personal translator at the French police station) told me that his mother always said it didn't matter so much losing things, "as long as you have your health".

I thought about it and remembered I have my health plus my family, self-identity, and love for writing and music intact, which is plenty to be thankful for.

Life is crazy, harsh, unfair, and sometimes, even cruel. It's easy to look at the craziness and forget that life is also so beautiful if you're looking in the right places.

Life may give you reasons to cry - but when you find a reason to smile, hold on to it, because all you need is that one reason to remind you everything will be okay. :)

"This world is made out of sugar. It can crumble so easily but don’t be afraid to stick your tongue out and taste it." -Sarah Kay

P/S - Paris travelogues will be up soon! :) Look out for them...