In about 3 days’ time, I’ll be jetting off to the Land of Thousand Smiles. Though this is not the first time I’ll be overseas, it’s going to be one of the longest period of time that I’ll be away from home since my 17-days BMT confinement. Will I get homesick or will I be so tired out and busy to even think about home? That’s a question I have no answer to. Interestingly enough, it’ll be my first time on a plane. I guess I am a frog in a well as the furthest I’ve ever been away from Singapore was in Malaysia. And to never have taken a plane before, at the age of 19 in the 21st century, that’s a joke.
So, am I worried about the trip? Definitely. Like many of my peers, there’s a tinge of unwillingness to fly to Thailand. To most, our top worry is the living conditions and accommodation. Sanitation certainly wouldn’t be as developed and properly maintained as you would find in Singapore. Food-wise, according to hearsay, we would probably be better off spending our money on canteen food. And then, you have the unpredictable weather. Extreme variation in temperatures between day and night is undoubtedly going to cause some of us to fall ill if we fail to adapt to it quickly.
Honestly speaking, if you ask me how we’re going to survive there for 20 days, I’m tongue-tied. I’ve no idea how we’re going to get through the days but I’m sure with mutual support and encouragement, we’ll pull through together. But before we can do that, we’ve to prepared ourselves mentally and psychologically for the worst. Maybe you would say I’m pessimistic but for many of us, it’s only human nature to feel this way when we foray into unfamiliar territories. Perhaps it’s the sense of security in Singapore that we’re so used to that we take for granted. However, we mustn’t forget that it’s because of soldiers like us that our loved ones can sleep peacefully every night. Even if we should die, it’s ultimately a sacrifice to fortify our defence against aggressors.
But there are always 2 sides to everything. Every cloud has a silver lining. We must believe that we’ll come out of this as a stronger and more resilient person. Because with this belief in us, we can overcome the odds. So, here we come Thailand!
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