#travelnotes

[winstondawson]

Planning a long-haul journey from Canada to India can feel overwhelming, especially with so many routes, airlines, and seasonal fare changes. A clear flight-booking guide helps you understand when prices drop, how travel seasons affect fares, and what factors matter most when choosing your route. Many travelers don’t realize how much timing, flexibility, and airport selection can influence overall cost and comfort. Whether you’re visiting family, exploring India for the first time, or planning a cultural trip, knowing the basics of booking smart makes the entire experience smoother. A little preparation goes a long way when flying across continents.

[artdjg]

Travel Notes: MN-IA (Sep. 2025)

2025 | marker, graphite, crayon, tape on paper | 8.5" x 14" (x3)

[2n71828]

14 June 2024 at 21:08

I have been in Ho Chi Minh City for a few days now, and it seems like I came here just to sleep.

Sometimes I think: 'What a romantic life I lead, witnessing sunrises and sunsets in different parts of the world, observing the diversity of other people's lives. I should be grateful!' But in the same moment, I wonder: 'What I am talking about? What about my own life? I'm completely lost, a wanderer to my core, endlessly lonely. If this is romantic, then it's madness.'

People always desire for what they don't have, and because of this, they can't hold the present second in their hands, chasing dreams in minds.

If only I could accept myself as I am, maybe the world around me would accept me too, and it would be easier to breathe. I wouldn't seek validation from others to prove that I'm alive; my own observation would be enough.

Maybe then what I lack would come to me on its own, like a wild animal trusting a human for the first time. Without the desire to dominate, control, or fix-maybe I could finally unclenching the fist that was once a gentle hand.

Trust and love are among the most fragile things. Trust and love for oneself are like the most expensive crystal - transparent, delicate, and easily shattered...

[2n71828]

14 May 2024 at 15:55

As I sit in the wonderfully fragrant Turkish café; the rays of the spring sun glisten on my hair. My best friend, who came to Istanbul to help me eat all baklava in the city, sits opposite me, devouring kebab with both cheeks, while giving gentle remark that I tend to take many stories I hear too close to heart and struggle to accept things as they are because I'm an idealist.

And I found myself lost in thoughts.

The first thought was about how, when I wrote the words of the poem, the last thing I wanted was for it to portray an unhappy woman seeking a strong man to save her; I hate and despise such narratives. I see it differently: how a woman, in her struggle, acquires masculine traits, while a man softens into contemplation and inactivity. Coming together, they complement each other.

When I write words of love, I try to create stories of understanding and mutual enchantment.

There's nothing more difficult than being dependent on something, especially on another person's love. I believe that only truly independent individuals can build enduring relationships of any kind in such unstable world.

The second thought was that when I am able to write a poem like this in Japanese, I will be able to die peacefully.

[2n71828]

10 May 2024 at 11:03

Sea walks are an integral part of Istanbul life.

Changing one shore for another, the waves begin to hypnotize. The sun dances on the water's surface, creating a golden gilding on the silver waves. As thoughts meld with the backbone, there is an atmosphere which inspires a desire to capture the moment, not let it disappear through the flow of time. One wants to preserve it and beautifully weave words together creating an ode, like the Moirai who wove the canvas of someone's life story.

Yet life, more often than not, full of complexities than a romanticized story, where sharp edges are smoothed. And inevitably, I am fated to lose this moment only to find another. In the kaleidoscope of days to maintain stability is the hardest thing; for each of us has our own seasons. Sometimes, clouds gather, and a storm brews in the mind. Some people seek salvation by turning to divine power, others ask for support of loved ones. As for me, I seek solitude and delving deeper into, believing that everything begins and ends within the mind. For those who tame their minds, no storms are insurmountable.

[2n71828]

5 May 2024 at 22:27

Cloudy skies and chilly winds enveloped the city.

Determined to devote all my time to work, I forbade myself from taking photos. But damn it, during an evening stroll for groceries, my breath caught at the sight of divine creatures everywhere. A cat on a car, a cat on a bench, a cat under the bench, a cat around the corner...

Finally, the distinguished cat stood behind me in line at the cashier; allowing me to stroke its fur and even touch its belly, it likely hoped for a treat. Realizing I had nothing to offer, swiftly decided to find a new victim.

Stocking up on dried persimmons and pistachio chocolate, I felt childish joy and evening delight.

For a while, the worries and anxieties vanished; sometimes, it takes so little to find moment of happiness.

In pursuit of self-improvement, I constantly have dreams of being late everywhere and failing to gather my things. But the only thing I must manage to do is not to overlook such moments: pet the cat, savor a persimmon, and cherish that simple fact that I'm still breathing.

[2n71828]

4 May 2024 at 13:59

Constantinople - the city of 1001 cats, which you'll come across in just one night.

Getting into the cab, without greetings or unnecessary phrases, after 10 minutes, the taxi driver meaningfully uttered 'smoking,' while showing me a pack of cigarettes. I hurried to inform him that I don't smoke, but he could indulge himself if he wished. However, I think he didn't ask for my permission to smoke in the car; he simply offered a cigarette🤣.

His face expressed the thought better than his words.

After finishing the process, he flicked the butt directly into another car and laughed mischievously like a child, receiving a kind response from its occupants, wholeheartedly; and that means I'm in Turkey.

Once again, along the sunset streets, melancholic songs of people about broken hearts will be heard under the guitar, and on the dawn streets, the chants of mosques and the powerful cry of 'EKMEK!!' will resound. To this magic word the seagulls which so large, I bet they could swallow a cat whole, flock instantly.

It's as old as the world country, with an incredibly unique flavor can enchant you or disappoint from time to time, but it definitely won't leave you indifferent.

[inkandembers]

🪽 Благие знамения, Good Omens

Before reacting: be smarter

en ⬇️

Башни и равнодушие

Это очередное послание и фото тебе, которое я никуда не отправлю, а просто положу в коробку.

Они строят башни, чтобы доказать, что могли бы дотянуться до небес. Я улыбаюсь, потому что знаю: небеса, если бы захотели, тоже могли бы дотянуться до меня.

  🔥 𝔢𝔫 🔥

Towers and Indifference

This is another message and a photo for you that I won’t send anywhere — just fold it into a box.

They build towers to prove they could reach the heavens. I smile because I know: if the heavens wanted, they could have reached for me too.