The Time I Got Pissed On in Manila

And then, as I drifted back off to sleep, I felt my face being sprayed… nay, christened, with a hot, stinking torrent of some Norwegian asshole’s piss.

Intrigued? Horrified? A little turned on?

I can honestly say that participating in ‘water sports’ or taking a ‘golden shower’ is one of the few things not on my ever expanding bucket list, but I became an unwitting and entirely unwilling participant on one fateful night in Manila.

I went into that dorm room an idealistic travel blogger with a week in beautiful Boracay awaiting me.

I came out the next morning stinking of another man’s piss, and the thing I was most excited for was a long, hot shower and using every last drop of my body wash.

The Scene

It’s 10pm on a Monday night and our last night in Manila before jetting off to explore Boracay for a few days. The others have already retired for the evening and I am – as always – on my phone checking Facebook and generally wasting precious time that could be better spent on sleep.

I’m in a twin room, but so far the top bunk remains empty. I am hopeful of a night’s privacy and some good rest after having shared a room with my travel buddy for the last few days.

As I’m dozing off, however, the door opens and my roommate for the evening walks in. We make small talk: He’s from Norway and just arrived in the Philippines a few hours earlier. Do I mind leaving the light on because he’s going out to get a bottle of water?

I don’t mind one bit. I bid him adieu and, knowing I have a 6am start waiting for me, I roll over and go to sleep.

The Plot Thickens

I woke at around 2am to find the light still on and my roommate still absent. Remembering the night of drunken debauchery that greeted me when my mate and I touched down in Makati and discovered a section of the city that never sleeps, I correctly fathom that he’s headed out to indulge in the Manilla night life.

I get up, flick the light off, and go back to sleep.

Wake Up Call

It’s around 4am when I wake again, and this time it’s to find my roommate being helped into the room by the hostel’s security guard. The tiny guy is struggling under the weight of a very drunk and very uncooperative Norwegian, who is borderline unconscious.

Between the two of them, they manage to get the drunk idiot into bed. I’m a little miffed at the rude awakening, but I’ve been traveling long enough to know that I could have had it a lot worse.

At least he’s in bed and sleeping, I think to myself, He could be drunk and wanting a deep & meaningful. Count yourself lucky, CWB

And so I drift off to sleep once again.

THUMP!

I wake up with a start this time. The lights are out, but I know I heard something heavy hit the floor.

As if to confirm my suspicions, my Norwegian friend begins to moan in pain.

The idiot has fallen out of his bunk.

“You alright, mate?” I ask, helpfully.

“Yeah,” he grunts in reply. I hear him getting to his feet and dusting himself off.

I’ll be back off to slumberland soon enough.

It’s then as I drifted back off to sleep, I felt my face being sprayed… nay, christened, with a hot, stinking torrent of some Norwegian asshole’s piss.

Well, not my face (thank God), but my arm and upper torso. Plenty of the stinking liquid bounces up into my beard, however, and that’s a stain that all the perfumes of Arabia could not remove.

Outraged, I shove him away from me as he continues to redecorate the room in yellow.

“Get the fuck away from me, asshole!” I shout, ready to strangle the guy with his own pecker if need be.

“What?”

He manages to sound both offended and confused by my outrage.

“You pissed on me, you fucking dickhead!”

“No I didn’t,” he says, managing to keep a completely straight face despite the fact his flaccid cock is still in his hand and piss is still dribbling fitfully from it. It pools around his feet.

“You’re still doing it!” I point out.

Murder is on my mind, but I decide to go and fetch the security guard rather than land myself in a Filipino prison.

“He pissed on me,” I explain to the guard, indicating the pools of urine scattered about the room and the general reek of the place.

“Listen, friend,” the Norwegian explains to me, his penis still out, but no longer in his hand, “I’m not the kind of guy who goes around pissing on people”.

A reasonable thing to claim. If he’s not that kind of person, I’d hate to meet somebody who did go around pissing on people.

“You’ve pissed on 66% of the people in this room!” I point out, indicating the dark patches on my t-shirt and the piss still clinging to his naked, hairy leg.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about”.

It’s at this point that I begin to wonder if maybe I’m being Punk’d. I expect to see Ashton Kutcher’s infinitely punchable smirk as he enters the room, preparing to take credit for the most disgusting thing he’s done since Two and a Half Men.

“You want another room?” the security guard asks.

No, I think to myself, I’m going to crawl back into the wet, pissy bed and go back to sleep.

I’m about to give him a piece of my mind for asking such a stupid question, but a glance at my phone indicates it’s 5.15am. I’m supposed to be up in 45 minutes anyway.

“Don’t worry about it,” I reply sullenly, snatching up my toiletry bag and making for the bathroom.

Enter Fetal Position

I’d like to tell you I manfully shrugged off the moment and went about my day unperturbed, but I felt strangely violated to have been given such a nasty baptism to start my day.

I didn’t quite slip into the fetal position and sob to myself in the shower, but I did use almost all of my newly purchased body wash scrubbing away at my poor, ravaged beard.

Much as it manages to hold onto food that misses my mouth, so too did it hold on to the acrid stink of the Norwegian’s piss.

I swear, it didn’t quite leave my beard until later in the day when I gave it a good, long soak in the ocean.

Your Say

What’s the most embarrassing or traumatizing thing that has happened to you while staying in a hostel?

The Ultimate Road Trip: Driving Australia’s Pacific Coast

The Ultimate Road Trip: Driving Australia’s Pacific Coast from Sydney to Brisbane

An anonymous woman getting her road trip on.
An anonymous woman getting her road trip on.

If you’re looking for a stunning coastal drive to take on your next holiday in Australia, you can’t go past the Pacific Coast road trip from Sydney to Brisbane. One of the most popular drives in the country, the Pacific Coast serves up everything you could want on a car trip — beautiful views, stunning beaches to explore, plenty of quaint towns with cool shops and restaurants, and a multitude of spots to take in breathtaking sunsets. If you’re looking for a road trip destination for yourself, your family or a group of mates, you won’t be disappointed.

Read on for top ideas of things to see and do on a five-day drive along the Pacific Coast.

Day One: Travel from Sydney to Port Stephens

On the first day of the approximately 950-kilometre road trip, head north along the Pacific Highway to the Central Coast. In less than two hours you can be in the beachside town of Terrigal, a top spot to stop for a coffee at a cafe with great views of the ocean.

Terrigal is also home to many great restaurants, ice cream parlours and boutique shops. A short drive away you’ll also find The Entrance, where you and the family can enjoy feeding some of the pelicans who hang out by the water.

pelicans

Alternatively, stretch your legs along The Entrance Coast to Lake Walk, a self-guided walk that covers around 7.5 kilometres of pretty coastline. In the afternoon, keep driving north to Port Stephens, a popular dolphin and whale-watching destination. Port Stephens is also home to lots of great restaurants at the local Marina where you can enjoy a fresh seafood dinner.

If you’re feeling like a pit stop, take the opportunity to explore the beautiful seaside town of Tea Gardens.

Day Two: Travel from Port Stephens to Port Macquarie

seashore

Drive around 2.5 hours north of Port Stephens to the laid-back coastal town of Port Macquarie. Spend the day checking out the beaches, shopping up a storm, or getting immersed in local activities. A visit to the Koala Hospital, the first one in the world solely dedicated to the care and preservation of these iconic creatures, is recommended. The hospital features educational displays, as well as the opportunity to see koalas being fed by volunteers each day.

Travellers can also enjoy exploring Port Macquarie’s Sea Acres Rainforest Centre, one or the largest coastal rainforest reserves in New South Wales. At the Centre, you can read about local Indigenous culture; walk across the rainforest boardwalk that’s elevated 1.3 kilometres above the ground; and browse the on-site artist gallery and gift shop for souvenirs.

Day Three: Travel from Port Macquarie toCoffs Harbour

Another great town to spend time at along the Pacific Coast route is Coffs Harbour (around two hours’ drive from Port Macquarie).  Coffs, as it is known locally, is one of the largest and busiest destinations along the route, and is home to the famous Big Banana adventure park.

seashore2

The popular tourist attraction was built in 1964 and has expanded over the years, now including not just the famous “Big Banana” that can be explored inside and out, but also an ice skating rink, a banana plantation tour, a Candy Kitchen, a Wild Toboggan Ride, a multimedia theatre experience, and The Banana Slip Water park, the first three-storey-high inflatable slide in the country.

The Clog Barn, where visitors can admire a miniature model Dutch Village and view clogs being made by hand, is also a popular tourist spot in Coffs.

Day Four: Travel from Coffs Harbour to Byron Bay

Roughly a three-hour drive north of Coffs Harbour is one of Australia’s most well-known beachside destinations, Byron Bay. Apart from playing host to a number of great music and cultural festivals through the year that are always worth attending, Byron is very well-regarded for its white, sandy beaches; great surfing; and outdoor and spiritual offerings.

seashore3

Nature lovers are well catered to with the variety of National Parks that are nearby, including Mount Warning, Broken Head Nature Reserve, and Nightcap National Park (all of which feature lots of great walking tracks). Byron Bay is also home to many alternative healing outlets and shops; plus lots of great restaurants and cafes. There is even the Bryon Bay Premium Brewery for beer lovers to add to their itinerary.

Day Five: Travel from Byron Bay to Brisbane

Just around two hours’ drive north of Byron Bay is the final destination, Brisbane. Queensland’s biggest city has a range of sights and activities for all ages to enjoy. Apart from a multitude of both boutique and high-end Brisbane hotels you can relax at during your stay, the city is also home to a very popular Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA); the Queensland Museum; the iconic Suncorp Stadium where you can take in a game; and plenty of top restaurant and shopping strips.

bayshore

Head to funky Fortitude Valley for hip bars and boutiques; quirky West End for vintage stores and vegetarian cafes; or the Eagle Street Pier in the CBD for a variety of top-notch eateries and stores.


Regardless of where you’re stopping or who you’re traveling with, be sure to drive safely and watch out for reckless drivers. According to DingGo, the #1 cause of road accidents is speeding.

Your Say

Have you ever made the iconic Pacific Coast road trip in Australia? What were your favourite stops?

Operation: Safari in Tanzania

I’m a Lucky Guy

When I first started this humble travel blog back in October 2010, it was actually just a means to share a closer relationship with my girlfriend at the time. She’d started a healthy living blog and I thought it would give us a common interest if I blogged as well.

Over the years I’ve been lucky enough to make some money through my writing and to do some pretty spectacular things because of my site, but nothing compares to the adventure I’ve got in store for this November.

Thanks to Shadows of Africa Tours, I’ll be going on a four day safari in Tanzania that includes the Serengeti, Lake Manyara, and the spectacular Ngorongoro Crater – all at a time of the year where the annual Great Migration of wildebeests should be in full swing.

I’ll not only get the opportunity to see the Big Five in the wild, though. I’ll get the opportunity to spend a night under the stars and to interact with the local Maasai people as well, and I’m very excited about both.

The Safari in Tanzania

Myself and a few fellow bloggers have been invited to take part in the Four Day Tanzania Express Safari offered by the company. While I’m receiving a complimentary tour, I’ll be sure to give ya’ll the straight dope on my experiences and inevitable pratfalls there.

I’ll not only be providing plenty of photos and stories from my days touring the various national parks, but I’ll also comment on my experiences in cities like Arusha and Nairobi, coming to grips with the unique local culture, the food, the accommodation, and everything in between.

Visiting Stone Town & Zanzibar

I recently published a Travel Daydream about my planned trip to Zanzibar as well. With time and money both tight, I’ll only have three full days to commit to both – so I’m planning a day to explore the historic sites and quirkier elements of Stone Town, and then two days of doing very little on Zanzibar’s white, sandy beaches.

I’m praying there’ll be a new Song of Fire & Ice novel ready for the trip, as I’ll be getting a lot of reading done in between trips to the pool to cool off.

Bucket List Focus

The trip does give me the opportunity to check off a couple of bucket list items. After the dismal failure that was my British trip (of the possible 13 bucket list items mentioned in Operation United Kingdom, I managed just two), I’m hoping I can check off all of my potential Tanzanian bucket list items.

  • Go on safari
  • Witness the Great Migration
  • See a tiger, giant panda, bear, elephant, lion, hyena, bison, blue whale, platypus, rhino, hippo, and gorilla in the wild.

Obviously, there’s no chance of me seeing a tiger, giant panda, bison, platypus, blue whale, or gorilla while on safari – but I’m hoping I’ll be able to check off the giraffe, lion, elephant, hyena, rhino, and maybe even the hippo while I’m on safari in Tanzania.

And I’ve already encountered a bear in the wild, when one scared Nomadic American and I shitless in Yosemite National Park.

‘Go on safari’ is a lock, and I’m quietly hopeful that the timing of the tour (late November) will coincide with the beginning of the Great Migration. Fingers crossed!

——-

It’s a very exciting time for Aussie on the Road, and I can’t wait to share some stories and photos from my time in Tanzania with all of you. All of my flights and accommodation are now locked in, so it’s just a matter of getting visas for Tanzania and Kenya (where I fly in and out) sorted and I’m set!

Your Say

Have you ever been on safari?

Riding Motorbikes Around El Nido

After the world’s bumpiest, least comfortable, and most over-crowded van ride from Puerto Princesa the night before, we’d have been forgiven for choosing to take our first day in beautiful El Nido, Palawan easy. Heaven knows, I argued strongly in favour of the ‘eat breakfast and then lie on the beach all day’ lifestyle, but found myself shouted down by Hogg and my traitorous brother, Leigh.

“Let’s get motorbikes and ride around the island!” came the cry from Hogg, and my brother was all too eager to follow suit.

I’m all about getting off the beaten path and being adventurous, but sometimes you just want to a day to throw yourself into a hammock with a good book and a six pack (or more) of ice cold beer, and just relax.


This is the beach I had my heart set on relaxing on.
This is the beach I had my heart set on relaxing on.

It wasn’t to be, but I can’t say I regret that.

Renting Motorbikes in El Nido

We weren’t the first tourists to think that renting motorbikes and exploring the island on our own might be a good idea, and there is an abundance of places in El Nido who have scooters, bicycles, and motorbikes available for hire for a reasonable rate (roughly $15 or 700 pesos for the day).

Despite not having a license of any kind to my name, nobody seemed at all phased at the idea of putting me astride a bike with my life (and potentially somebody else’s) in my untrained hands.

After leaving one of our passports with the bike hire company; we were handed keys and given a quick overview of how our bikes worked. With me being a rookie rider, we’d opted for gas powered scooters rather than full blown motorbikes; but that didn’t stop me from a few jaw-clenching moments of swerving or too sudden stopping as we made our way out of town.

The Drive to Heaven aka Nacpan Beach

Our first order of business for the day was to make the half hour or so drive north to isolated Nacpan Beach. Our bikes had come with maps that detailed the way as well as highlighting some suggested tourist spots along the way, but we tucked ours away as soon as we’d left town and were happy to let the road take us where it would.

Out of the crowded and warren-like streets of El Nido, we were able to stretch our legs and it was then that I started to realize what a brilliant idea hiring bikes had been. The day was warm and sunny, and the roads were eerily quiet as we flew past idyllic farms, lush green forests, and the backdrop of mountains that framed it all. The sky was impossibly blue. It was just one of those days where it felt damn good to be alive.

The bright blue sky soars over a distant mountain.
The bright blue sky soars over a distant mountain.
Pausing to snap a photo along the way.
Pausing to snap a photo along the way. Photo by James Hogg.
Impossibly green grass and a few snow white cranes.
Impossibly green grass and a few snow white cranes.

A few rickety bridges, a rough and bumpy back road, and a bit of speed-sapping sand later, and we were at the isolated and beautiful Naclan Beach.

Despite being a pretty popular tourist spot, the beach was quiet – with only about 12-13 people there. Couples were out in the mirror flat, crystal clear water or canoodling on the white sand, so a trio of single lads certainly looked out of place rugby tackling one another into the water.

How's the serenity?
How’s the serenity?
This hammock was my favourite part of Nacpan Beach. I may have caught a few Zzzzs here.
This hammock was my favourite part of Nacpan Beach. I may have caught a few Zzzzs here.

A couple of vendors were on hand with ice cold beers and snacks, and we even splashed out on a BBQ lunch served on paper plates in a rickety old shelter.

It was an afternoon of simple pleasures – good, hearty food, the sun baking the water off us, and a bit of me time in a hammock to wrap it all up.

A simple lunch of pork and rice. Delicious!
A simple lunch of pork and rice. Delicious!

Fair Warning: They don’t sell sun screen at Nacpan Beach, so make sure you have some with you before you leave!

We’d forgotten to pack some, but were able to barter with an Israeli couple in exchange for a couple of San Miguel beers.

Hiking to the Waterfall

Most motorbike hire places will include a map in your bike hire, and this map mentions both a hot springs and a waterfall that are worth visiting. We had no real inclination to find the hot springs, but did think we’d squeeze the waterfall in to our day’s activities.

There are no shortage of locals standing along the side of the road in the heat trying to flag you down and offer to play tour guide; so like any group of single lads would – we opted to take the  tour with the prettiest girl.

After buying a couple of refreshments from a quaint little ‘shop’ they ran out of the shed by their house, we were off into the jungle for the 30-40 minute hike out to the waterfall. It’s not a hard hike by any stretch, but definitely not one I was enjoying attempting with my thongs on. I completed most of the 90 minute round trip barefoot.

James and Leigh beckon me to join them in crossing this raging river.
James and Leigh beckon me to join them in crossing this raging river.

You cross something like 8 or 9 rivers (streams, really) on your way to the waterfall, and they’re a blessedly cool reprieve from the oppressive jungle heat.

Sporting my Finn the Human hat, I slog through the jungle.
Sporting my Finn the Human hat, I slog through the jungle.

The waterfall is worth the walk, though, and we took a few minutes to take a dip in the chill water and pose like idiots beneath the waterfall while our guide watched on.

My ridiculously good looking brother showing off under the waterfall.
My ridiculously good looking brother showing off under the waterfall.
At last! I take a breather after we arrive at the waterfall.
At last! I take a breather after we arrive at the waterfall.

On the way back to the road, I struck up a conversation with our nineteen year old guide about her experiences living in a tourist town. We had a good chat about silly foreigners, but also discussed the darker side of things; the pushy foreigners, the creepy old men looking for young brides, and the realities of living in paradise.

It’s easy for us to get caught up in the romance of a tropical island where we can drink cheap fruit smoothies and get cheap massages, but it was a sobering reminder that the locals don’t have it as easy as we do. This girl completed the 90 minute hike we did about 5 or 6 times a day, and doesn’t get a whole lot of money for her efforts. If this bothered her, I didn’t pick up on it. Like so many of the Filipino people I met, she was cheerful and friendly.

Returning at Sunset

We arrived back in El Nido shortly after sunset. The whole day probably didn’t set us back more than $30 a head including a few beers at Nacpan, the waterfall tour, the bike hire, and our BBQ lunch on the beach.

The sun sets over El Nido as we return from our adventure.
The sun sets over El Nido as we return from our adventure.

We also had to pay to fill the tanks on our bikes before we headed back, but that didn’t exactly break the bank. The town’s only gas station was a tad hard to find, but nothing three burly lads couldn’t handle.

 Your Say

Have you ever rented motorbikes, scooters, or bicycles to get out and see a place on your own? Where?

Relationship Best Before: My Experience Expiry Dating and Breaking Up to Travel

Relationship Best Before: My Experience Expiry Dating

When we made the decision, we had months before it would affect us. It was winter and we wouldn’t be saying goodbye until summer.

Suddenly, I was saying goodbye to co-workers and we were starting a seemingly unending parade of lasts. The last day at work was followed by the last dinner at the place we liked, the last time we had a couple date with so and so, the last run, the last episode of Game of Thrones…

…and just like that those months had become weeks and, all too soon, they were days.

We spent our last night together in bed watching movies, as if our lives weren’t going to change dramatically the following day.

By breakfast, the hours had become minutes and all too soon it was a taxi honking or a flight number being called.

Then it was last kisses, last hugs, last goodbyes, and that last long, lingering look at a person leaving your life forever.

And then the tears really came.

Breaking up to Travel

It may seem like an odd phenomenon to somebody who hasn’t spent a great deal of time on the road, but being in a relationship with a predetermined expiry date is something that many of us with the travel bug have had to deal with at one stage or another.

In my case, my two most significant adult relationships have – at some point – been given an expiry date. Neither person was the ‘love of my life’, but both were the only girls I ever loved for more than a few months; so that’s something.

I’ve written in the past about finding a relationship on the road and about dating while traveling, so it seems natural that I’d also write about breaking up on the road too.

If you’d like to read a post from immediately after a break-up on the road (one of the two that inspired this post), you can read all about Goodbyes.

Why Expiry Date?

There are a great many reasons why you might choose to ‘expiry date’, but the reason that leaps out at me is a simple one: because you care for the person and want to spend more time with them.

I remember when my girlfriend of two years and I announced to our friends that we’d be splitting up at the end of the year, a number of people asked me:

Why wait? Why not just break up now?

I guess in a conventional relationship, when you typically break up with somebody because you’re unhappy in the relationship, it must seem odd to have a reason other than ‘I am no longer happy with this person’ behind the break up.

My ex and I were not unhappy. Far from it. I look back fondly upon our last months together as some of the best of the relationship.  It was strangely liberating knowing that we had a finite amount of time together and that it was up to us to make it special. Rather than let the sadness of our imminent separation wear us down, we went out and got adventurous.

In the final months of that relationship, we:

In the other relationship we were no less adventurous. We visited Qingdao and Jiuzhaigou, and spent a wonderful month together backpacking in Thailand and Cambodia.

Sounds Crazy to Me, Chris

I can understand, though, why some people might think it’s easier to just break up when you realize that the relationship has a ‘best before’ sticker attached to it. After all, aren’t you only going to fall more in love with the person before they leave?

Won’t it save you a lot of tears if you end it now, rather than in a few months time?

I guess I can see the appeal in that route. Certainly, I didn’t stop caring for my partner in that time, and it’s safe to say that I continued to learn things about them and love them all the more as time went on.

It came down to a fairly simple sum.

Did I love this person enough that I wanted more time with them?

Was staying with them going to make me happy enough to justify sadness down the line?

To me, it was an easy decision to make. I’d let future Chris deal with the sadness, and present Chris could continue to be happy sharing his life with somebody he cared about.

Why Break Up, Then?

If this person made me happy and we weren’t unhappy, why were we breaking up?

I could take the easy route and say that it was a simple case of a visa expiring in both cases. That would certainly be a part of the reason.

The deeper reason, though, is that (in both cases) we wanted different things long-term. While we were both generally happy within the relationship for the time being and cared a great deal for our partner, we knew that the relationship couldn’t last forever.

One of us wanted to settle down while the other wanted to travel.

One of us wanted to spend another year in one destination while the other wanted to move on.

Relationships are about compromise, it’s true; but sometimes you have to acknowledge that compromising on something so fundamental would be doing both people in the relationship a disservice.

It was better to bid one another farewell and part on a high, rather than letting that compromise become resentment and, eventually, a sad ending to something that had been bright.

It’s the Seinfeld theory, really. Do you go out on a high while you still love one another? Or do you let it continue knowing that one of you is going to be giving up something that they love?

Maybe it seems cowardly to end the relationship, rather than take the time you have together and enjoy it, knowing you’ll hurt all the more at the end.

Or maybe it’s more cowardly to give the relationship an expiry date rather than seeing if the compromise could work.

I don’t know. I can’t.

The Pros and Cons of Expiry Dating

Pro

Con

You get more time with the person You fall more in love with the person
You go out ‘on a high’ Tearful airport goodbye
More kisses and sex Sadder kisses
No bitterness and arguing Wondering ‘What If?’

I’m sure there are more pros and cons to it, but these are the ones that leaped out at me back in 2010 – and they’re the ones I contemplated when I made the decision to expiry date in 2012 too.

Did I miss any?

So, You’re Expiry Dating…

Perhaps you’re reading this and you’re in a situation where you know the person you love/really like has to leave somewhere down the line. You’ve chosen to give it a go and you’re wondering how you’ll ever come to terms with the idea that this wonderful person is going to leave your life in the not too distant future.

I won’t lie and say the decision always sat well with me. There were nights that I’d kiss them goodnight and my heart would swell with love. I’d suddenly realize how little time we had left and it would all prove to be too much.

There were times when I’d realize we’d done something – even something as innocuous as riding the bus – for the last time and it hurt like a punch in the stomach.

But those times were outweighed by the extra memories I got to create with the person by sticking it out.

Surviving Expiry Dating

What would my tips be for surviving?

  • Don’t talk about it too often. It’s healthy to share your feelings, but if you’re talking about it every night – it’s only going to hurt you both.

  • Make new memories. Get out and do things together that you enjoy. Try things you’d always wanted to. Make those last months awesome, rather than sad.

  • Keep saying ‘I love you’. (Assuming you’ve already been saying it).

The most important tip?

  • Say goodbye

You’ve been blessed with something that few relationships that end have – a chance to say goodbye and end on a positive note.

If You Love Something, Set it Free

While others have to deal with angry phone calls, slammed doors, accusations, and unanswered questions that keep them up nights; you’re able to say goodbye to the person you love, hug them goodbye, and send them out into the world the happier for having had you in their life.

If you love something, you set it free – and sometimes, though it hurts to do it, that’s exactly what you have to do.

I’ve had relationships that ended with shouting or drunken arguments outside Gwangju bars.

I’ve asked myself ‘Why did she leave?’ or ‘Is she with somebody else?’ and kept myself up nights worrying over it.

I’ve also shared one last, tearful goodbye with a woman who changed my life for the better and been able to kiss her and say ‘I love you’ before sending her on her way.

I’ve sat, teary eyed in a coffee shop at a Nanjing airport and read a heartfelt letter to a woman who had been in my life for so long that the idea of her not being in it felt alien to me.

I got to bite back tears as she read hers to me, and give her a dozen kisses goodbye because we kept finding time for one more before her flight boarded.

Those tearful, heart-breaking moments were painful, I won’t lie.

They were both moments I can still recall with absolute clarity. Moments that reaffirmed that I was alive and that I had been lucky enough to love. Moments that, I’ll admit, I’ll never be able to recall without a hollow feeling in my gut.

But they were worth it for the extra time we had, and because in both cases we got to part with happy memories.

What I Learned Expiry Dating

I don’t ever want to die wondering.

My past is so full of ‘what ifs’ that I’ve long stopped beating myself up over missed opportunities and the things that could have been.

While it might have been easier in the long run to cut and run when we knew our time together was finite, I’m glad for the extra time I got to spend with the person. I’m glad for what it taught me about love and sacrifice.

Instead of two ugly, angry break-ups and a thousand unanswered questions, I got extra time with a person I loved and, perhaps more importantly, closure. We didn’t die wondering. We played right up to the whistle and got to say our goodbyes with sad but smiling hearts.

Both have also given me some valuable perspective when it comes to love and life. Sure, there’s a teenage touch of drama to the ‘lovers that can never be’ feel of it, but both experiences have both opened me up and hardened me.

They’ve opened me up to loving completely and openly without fearing the consequences.

They’ve hardened me in that I’ve experienced those sad moments, survived them, and can now look back at them for what they were: the ending of something great that, ultimately, wasn’t ‘the one’ for either of us.

And both were one helluva ride.

Your Say

Have you ever made the tough decision to stay with somebody despite knowing they would have to leave?

Do you have any tales of goodbyes on the road?

Or do you want to state a case for acting differently? Does expiry dating lead to more heartache than it’s worth?

Featured photo by Danny Howard, who somehow captured three couples saying goodbye at the same time.