By Today is the last day I will be in Bangkok, Thailand. Tomorrow morning, at an excruciatingly early hour I will board a bus to the airport and from there a plane back to Canada. I am filled with bittersweet feelings about the end of my Asia trip. On the one hand I am excited to be reunited with family and friends, and on the other I feel as though I have only just touched the surface of the unlimited adventure, knowledge, and growth that Asia has to offer.
For me this trip has been a time of understanding. I have begun to better understand those around me, both familiar and unfamiliar; close and far away. I have also begun to understand who I am in relation to them and the commonalities between us that are intricately woven into the making of mankind. The most striking similarity that I feel connects us all together is the undying need and search for Truth. Over the past two months I have visited various countries across Asia, each one with a different dominating Religion. Each Religion holds its own explanation of Truth and purpose that influences society, culture, and life. In some cases these conflicting beliefs have even been the basis of hate, murder, and war. What I have come to realize however, is that ultimately regardless of age, ethnicity, or faith we are all the same. We are all aliens in our homeland forced to acknowledge our own existence and the mysteries that it holds. How we choose to interpret and discover these enigmas is up to us. I’ve witnessed the desperate search for answers on both individual and national levels. What this solidifies in my own understanding of humanity is that there must be something more to this life that to just simply live. I also believe that because of the innate desire for Truth that seems to be within all of us, there must be the existence of Absolute Truth. Though this concept can be extremely intimidating and frightening, it also gives me some degree of comfort. It tells me that there is a purpose to Creation and that part of the adventure of life is taking that journey to discover what that purpose is.
I definately do not know all the answers nor do I pretend to. What I do know for certain is that Asia 2009 has been an amazing adventure and I cannot wait to see where my road will turn next and I am unafraid to take the next step forward on my personal journey to find Truth.