There and back again

Our final destination before heading back home was Singapore. Back to where it all started. It was a very nostalgic feeling to be arriving at the same airport, taking the same MRT, checking into the same hostel and even having the same room as the first time. What was once new, exciting and unknown felt cosy and familiar. Walking the same streets, eating at the same Hawker center and even visiting the same shopping malls. You can imagine how nostalgic it all felt. All the signs were pointing towards our trip coming to an end.

We spent the final day and a half doing some last-minute souvenir shopping, enjoying the last moments of real Asian cuisine and of course looking back at all the memories, jokes, adventures and experiences we made along the way together. We ordered sugarcane juice at the stall we got it after we first landed in Singapore 3 months before- we talked about our story and adventures with the lovely vendor, who refused to charge us and added some extra lime in our juice (it made it insanely good and refreshing). We agreed we would pay once we’re back in Singapore. :)

Then slowly it was time to head to the airport and leave the behind the continent where we spent the majority of the last three months.

The final sparks of joy we had at the airport itself. The Changi International Airport is famous for being one of the (if not THE) most luxurious airports in the world. It features the world's largest indoor waterfall measuring 80m in height, multiple napping lounges, a small jungle, as well as several skytrains and buses to transport passengers between terminals. Unfortunately we didn't realise the waterfall can only be accessed before passing immigration, so we had to resort to looking at it through the window of a skytrain passing by it. Even through the window it looked magnificent with colorful lights and the jungle and luxury stores surrounding it.

At some point it came time for boarding our 14h flight to London. It was an interesting one because for the whole duration of the flight we only saw darkness outside. We took off at 11 PM and arrived at 5 AM, truly a night-flight. We also had our first taste of being back in Europe already on the plane when we opened the small water bottles that we got. The bottle caps were attached to the neck of the bottle instead of coming off completely. That was something we were not used to at all anymore. We were also given some cheddar cheese for a snack- cheese is not a thing in Asia at all.

Slowly but surely, after some movies, a few hours of sleeping, and some flight meals later we arrived in London Heathrow. It basically felt like home already. The arrival was so early that the whole airport looked like a ghost town. During our layover people slowly started arriving for their morning flights. But soon we boarded our final plane of the trip to Berlin. Back to the starting point.

Needless to say the climate in Berlin was quite the opposite to what we were used to. It was fun and also a bit sad seeing our frosty breaths in the cold air. Our transportation home to Poland was provided by Ola's parents (Thank you! :)). Everyone was obviously incredibly happy to see each other. And off we went.

Upon arrival we had a warm lunch, some tea and cake, and it started dawning on us... we are actually home.

Some funny remarks from our first days back:

• Cars actually stop at crosswalks
• The mango-passion fruit yoghurts don't actually taste like mango or passion fruit
• Markets have a completely different selection of fruits and vegetables

We would like to thank everyone who has been following our journey. This blog has been a fun way for us to reflect on our own experiences and at the same time a convenient way to share the experiences with all of you. It will serve as a fun thing to look back on forever.