D1 Throwing everything away

12/13 Monday, Sunny 
Lyon, Geneve, Amsterdam

I left Lyon this afternoon, 2pm, bus number 3, I guess that’s the last time. The administration office requires us to check out before leaving, so that I checked out at half pass one. The process was quick so that after 5 minutes later, I was sitting in my room, not exactly “my room” but an empty space with warm sunlight. It was too early to leave, so that I hang around le Galion, said goodbye to everyone. I missed Toby and Mathias in person but the time’s up so that I left. (Left a roll of toilet for Toby and a beer for Mathi in the kitchen.)

Sitting on the bus, I started to recall the days we had, and the people I met in this 3 monthes. The first day was tough, Alison and I walked all the way just tried to find the dormitory, which is hidden behind the woods. We met Nischint, our Indian roomie or kitchen mate, he was settled down and looked confident. We’ve heard there’s a Taiwanese girl from NTU, so that we went to carrefour together, Joey, a sweet girl became our close friend afterwards. Paul and Fookie were waiting for the bus and we bumped into them. Toby had problem with Internet connection at the first day he came, I fixed for him. Mathias came with Manuel, they stole a cart from Carrefour and hide that in the wood. Jose always played loud music with heavy base. And Angela from Italy did not often show up in the kitchen. Shy Indian girl always cooked her food by herself, but she always sat at the front roll of the classroom. Shy Spanish-speaking dude locked his door everytime he went out, even grab a cup of milk in the kitchen. These memory flash through my mind vividly, I can even recall the dialogue.

Right before Mexican party

Then I arrived Part-Dieu, the metro system was still stink and litter all time. I used to regard Lyon as my second hometown, and then I realized that I was about to leaving and might never coming back again. I was really upset. Nevertheless, that’s what we called life. I arrived Geneve for transfering flight to Amsterdam, my first destination of the tour, I named it “Across the borders”

By today til 17 of January, I will begin my big tour around Europe, I will visit so many cities and different countries in a month. It waill be a milestone in my life since most of the time I will have to handle all the situation, make decisions by myself. Besides, I loose my faith to people after I’ve got robbed on the street. Became afraid to talk or to meet strangers that I used to be. I need to move on, across the border of my mind, start to trust people again.

First stop, Geneve

The weight limitation of easyJet is 20 kilos, and sadly I’ve packed almost 30 kilos in my luggage. One kilo of excess will cost me 20 CHF as fine. So that I started to throw things in front of the check-in counter. I had no choice but throwing clothes I like a lot, contract with Societe Generale, and my favorite boots! (The ones I wore on the hammered night in San Sebastian, Mathi cleaned those for me) I was extremely depressed after I realize how much I like the boots, it’s not warm enough to talk in the snow but I wore the boots to many places in my life, I missed the boots. Yes, I’ve thrown 8 kilos of things, really sad :(

Throwing of the boots made me think of that I have to throwing away things that prevent me from improving myself. Sometimes I was locked in my own comfort zone and easily satisfied. Satisfied with people I met before so that not willing to meet more friends, rather staying at home then see more around the world. Those bad habbits became obstacles in my path of becoming a better man. It is not to day that old friends are not important, I remembered that I wrote to somebody that: Life has highs and lows and we’re lucky to have friends to support us all the time. The truth is that friends can’t always around your side, but only the true friends will be there anytime you need them. That’s the most precious thing.

Hotel on a boathouse, Vita Nova

I arrived Amsterdam city in the night. Everytime strangers walked close to me I got scared, as if they wanted to do something to me. But got lose in the train station force me to talk to pass-by. It says that people in the Netherlands are friendly, it was true. I am glad that I choose this friendly city as my first stop.

AIESEC band, from Mexico

After I took off the band that Erika gave me today, I fell asleep.