Thursday, January 2, 2014

My Reflection on 2013 & Resolution for 2014

Just like previous years (here, here and here), this post serve as my first official blogpost for the brand new year 2014. Nothing much interesting things happened to my life except for travel, which indirectly being part and parcel of my life within these few years. As for my working life, I received few freelance jobs that able to support few of my trips and because of that too, I able to fully sponsor my mom a trip to Japan. Well like they said, "Work hard, Play harder!"

Simplified it and here's the recap of my travel adventures for the year 2013:

  • January - Johor Bahru & Singapore. Boyfie & I went Johor Bahru just for the sake of Legoland. We also spend a day trip to Singapore. Thanks to AirAsia 1Malaysia Integration Programme by offering 10,000 free seats to all Malaysian early of the year where we managed to grab such a grab deal as low as RM15 for a return ticket KK-JB-KK.
  • February - Bangkok, Thailand. My family and I went to the Capital of Smile for Chinese New Year holiday. Within less than half a year, I went Bangkok twice and I really love to return there again. Oh boy! I think Bangkok has put spell on me.
  • March - Siem Reap, Cambodia. A small gathering with my collegemates to Kingdom of Wonder. We spend completely 6 days in Siem Reap itself and cover most of those top attractions such as Angkor Wat, Bayon Temple, Ta Phrom, Tonle Sap and more.
  • June - Hatyai, Thailand. Impromptu decision with a very good friend of mine. For someone who has bitten by travel bugs and not being able to travel for more than 3 months, the heart and leg were indeed super duper itchy for not able to leave footprints in elsewhere within that period. Hence, it was kinda last minute booking and luckily the airfares were a great steal where I got a return airfare KK-KL-KK via Malaysia Airlines for just RM136 and KL-Hatyai-KL via AirAsia for only RM161.
  • July & August - Central & Northern, Laos. To continue another journey of mine for South East Asia adventures and this time around, I went with a humble and friendly Malaysian travel blogger, Jeff Chuah. It was a freaking long bus ride where we started from Yangon Vientiane to Vang Vieng, Phonsavan, Luang Prabang and finally ended back to Vientiane again. In total, more than 24 hours bus ride for 8 days trip #butthurt but then, it was indeed one of the greatest adventures in my entire life and now, I'm looking forward for another South East Asia long overland trip. 
  • September - Kuching, Kedah & Penang. It's like Cuti-Cuti Malaysia month for me. Early of the month, went Kuching for my cousin's wedding and in the middle of the month, went Kedah & Penang for my very best friend's wedding. Seriously, I was putting on more weight cause both Sarawak & Penang are well-known to be food city. So sinful but then it's really  hard for me to resist all those heavenly foods. 
  • October - Japan. It was a birthday treat for my mom cause she always wanna go this Land of the Rising Sun. Flew with Malaysia Airlines for just a return ticket that cost RM797, it was indeed a great steal and we're purely focus on certain Kansai area such as Osaka, Nara, Himeji, Kobe and Kyoto. Now, both of us pray hard for another Malaysia Airlines great deal to Japan again.
  • November - Kota Bharu. Being invited with few Sabahan bloggers together fellow medias for an exclusive 4D3N Media Fam Trip to Kota Bharu, Kelantan in conjunction with the inaugural flight of this significant new route which AirAsia is the first carrier to connect between both East Malaysia and East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia directly. 
  • November & December - Taiwan. My year end trip with Boyfie. For this trip, we also tagged along Boyfie's best friend also tagged along and within 7 days, we covered both Taipei and Taichung.

Oh dear! If not cause I cancelled my trip to China and Vietnam with few of #TravelholicAwesome members that took place in April and May, I guess I'll travel almost every month. Part of my travel plans were booked earlier but there were some consider kinda last minute booking such as to Hatyai, Japan and media fam trip invitation to Kota Bharu. It's not my intention to travel every month but there were some beyond my control somehow. 

All in a nutshell, 2013 is another year I included another two new countries into my list (Cambodia and Laos) and visited few new cities. I also managed to repeat my 2010 travel history - visited Japan and Taiwan for second time, which was part of my travel #wishlist. I totally lost count on how many times I flew with plane but I really enjoy the feeling of boarding on a plane since I was a month old baby.

Speaking about blogosphere, little did I know this little tiny blog of mine has reached another milestone whereby I received few media familiarization trip invitations from Malaysia Airlines, Malindo Air, AirAsia, Legend Resort Cherating Pahang (specially thanks to Fienuts for the recommendation) and more. But I know for sure that this blog of mine couldn't go any further if without any support from my blog readers. Once again, from the bottom of my heart, I would like to extend my gratitude to every reader of mine for the continuously supporting my blog!

As for this year resolution, I decided not to have another unforeseeable long list cause I didn't manage to accomplish my 2012 resolution. What a failure! Now all I can do is let what may come and brace myself for another possible adventures in this brand new year. But of course, like every other years, I wish to travel endlessly.

Till then...

Have Dayre? Follow me at http://dayre.me/dtdianateo

14 comments:

  1. Good to know you enjoyed every bit of your months! :)

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  2. I love travelling too but i can't afford to travel ever month. You are one lucky girl :)

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  3. Travel every month without even needing to set a resolution for 2014! XD

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  4. Diana, there's some typo on the July & August section. We started from Vientiane, not Yangon.

    Well, let's hope you'll get more media familiarization trip this year! Keep calm and travel on.

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  5. You travel so often, it makes many of us envy! :D
    Furthermore, all the best - you've deserved all the media attention, thanks to your dedicated blog entries on your travel adventures. :)

    Keep it up!

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  6. Happy New Year Diana.. Hope to see more on travel from you this year! Have a great day!

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  7. happy new year.. wow "almost travel every month"... terbaik tu.. untung la boleh travel dgn geng travel hollic awesome.. :D itu pun boleh jadi azam untuk tahun ni :D

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  8. Your life cannot live without travel..haha..
    Through your blog can see many sweet memories during your travel.
    Wish you all the best in 2014!

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  10. Happy new year and many happy travels to come. :)

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  11. Fuiyoh...travel nearly every month. That is great. At least break the monotonous daily life

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  12. You have spent ur precious time to write such amazing posts. You deserve to be well known :D
    Happy New Year Diana

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  13. OMG!!! You traveled more often than the airlines pilot.

    I always enjoyed your travel posts very much as I got to learn a lot of tips!!! Thank you!

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  14. wahh..i lose~u every month..hehehe me every 2 months...haha Glad that you enjoy travelling as always~
    Happy New Year 2014 and hope that this year will be filled with travels again :D btw, I will be going to Tokyo next week...hehehehee...FOC again..

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