#middle of the night because they didn’t realize their hostel only took cash and his bank froze his account for using it abroad so they can’t

[castielsupernatural]

i always feel a bit vindicated when my best friend’s husband does a bad job taking care of her because he’s an honest to god idiot

[softpine]

Could we get another you don't have to read but it's interesting text post?? 👉👈

omg i hope this is what you meant, but umm here’s some backstory about griffin’s roommates? because even my nameless extras apparently need deep lore in my mind?? fjkjsd

TW: mentions of drug addiction, homelessness, religion, abuse, and biphobia. + me not being able to stop talking ever.

jeremy; 19. gay. [also the guy from this post.] jeremy grew up smack in the middle of the bible belt. his parents wanted him to grow up and be a pastor like all the generations before him. he was a model child and no one expected him to run away, so his parents actually thought he was kidnapped when, on a random tuesday, he left in the middle of the night with nothing but the clothes on his back. the police found him wandering towards the bus stop just a few hours later and dropped him back at home. everyone then repeated the same cycle again and again for years, before jeremy’s parents got fed up and agreed to legally emancipate him if he agreed to just stop embarrassing their family. he finally hit the road on his own when he was 15.

he met griffin at a train station out west a while later. griffin had just left his aunt’s house, and neither of them had any place to be. jeremy is the one that taught him how to pickpocket (although there was a lot less flirting involved in jeremy’s method – he relies heavily on the “dumb tourist desperately needing directions” angle). but jeremy can never stay in one place too long, so he left. a year later, they happened to bump into each other in another state and decided a coincidence like that was too big to ignore. so they started traveling together and eventually ended up in nyc, where they stayed. (well, kinda. jeremy disappears for weeks at a time and comes back with all kinds of stories.)

griffin sometimes gets pissed because jeremy likes to equate their 2 childhoods, but they were really nothing alike. sure, jeremy’s family was oppressive and he could never be himself around them, but they were wealthy, they loved him, they never laid a hand on him, and they’re still hoping he comes home someday. jeremy didn’t leave because he had to, he left because he wanted to. but he can’t seem to grasp the difference. still, he listened when griffin told him he should reach out to his family and let them know he’s okay. now they have scheduled phone calls once a month and they’re all happy with that amount of communication. 

all in all, jeremy is still a kid. he loves comic books, action figures, the atari he & griffin split 50/50, and going to the movies. he’s always looking for the next big adventure or something to make him feel more alive. unfortunately, that’s taken him to some darker places with drugs and alcohol, but he’s doing okay right now. he was worried about moving into an apartment because he thought it would make him feel too trapped, but he actually likes having a place that he chose, that no one is forcing him to be at. oh and no, he and griffin have never dated. jeremy just doesn’t know what personal space means. 

eddie; 34. straight [but probably aro/ace in modern terms]. he’s already been divorced three times, which he assumed is because he's a pushover, never fights for anything or takes his own stance, and seemingly lacks passion in every aspect of his life. for almost ten years, he worked as a personal accountant in the upper east side. his days were mundane: he ate the same breakfast (oatmeal), the same lunch (ham & cheese sandwich), and the same dinner (chicken noodle soup) every day. somewhere around the time of his third divorce, he realized he wasn’t going to find fulfillment unless he searched for it, so he quit his job, cashed out his family inheritance, and traveled through europe. as he was living in hostels and hitchhiking and relying on the kindness of strangers, he started to become well-acquainted with the homeless communities in every place he visited. he realized how out of touch he had become, and how privileged he was to be bored with his life. and thus, he had found his passion.

when he returned to new york, he got a new job in finance for a nonprofit organization for the homeless. that was nice and all, but he never got to see the benefits of his work, so he started volunteering at food banks and shelters. that’s where he met jeremy and griffin. jeremy was fascinated by how truly dull eddie is. he kept waiting for eddie to reveal some deep, wild, secret part of him, but it never happened. eddie never even bragged about his adventures in europe; he would always turn the conversation back around to others. by the time jeremy realized he really is that boring, he was already looking up to eddie as an older brother type (and griffin was just along for the ride).

eddie is the one that’s actually renting the apartment and then renting out the extra space to griffin, jeremy, and vincent at dirt cheap rates while they get on their feet. he agreed to keep doing this as long as they all have jobs (pickpocketing doesn’t count) and try to stay clean in jeremy’s case.

vincent; 21. bi. vincent grew up comfortable, but not wealthy, in queens, with his family who emigrated from singapore before he was born. his parents later got divorced, and now he’s the oldest of a combined total of seven siblings, though he’s always been closer to his mom and stepdad. growing up, his grades were just average, he had a few friends but was too shy to be popular, and he wasn’t particularly athletic either – he was on the swim team for a while, but he hated the competitive aspect. his favorite part was staying behind after practice and having the pool all to himself; he would float on his back for hours, just watching the pool lights reflecting on the ceiling. he struggled to fit in at school. this all changed when he started weightlifting during his senior year. he mainly started doing it as a way to keep himself busy, but he soon realized that the more fit he got, the more attention people paid him. he liked that.

soon after, he started his first relationship with a girl, kelly, who he intended to marry someday. they graduated high school together and both enrolled at the same college – though vincent hadn’t decided a major yet – and things were going great. he even came out to her as bi and she took it really well (especially for the time). they were settled into an apartment of their own at 19.

in his quest to figure out his major, vincent took up all kinds of new hobbies, his favorite being drumming. he even started a garage band with some of his friends. they started playing house shows, which ended up being somewhat popular, though they don’t expect to make it big anytime soon. at one of these shows, vincent ran into griffin and they bonded over their love of rock music. when vincent found out that griffin didn’t have a place to stay that night, he invited him to sleep on his couch – understandably, kelly was angry that he didn’t ask first.

kelly got increasingly more upset as time went on and vincent & griffin became better friends. even though nothing romantic ever happened between them (and i sure hope not, because griffin was like 16 at the start), kelly was convinced that vincent was cheating on her and that she was only there to cover for his “true” sexuality. when they inevitably broke up, vincent was devastated. not only that, but he now had to find a new place to live asap. that’s when griffin mentioned that he and jeremy were renting rooms from eddie and that vincent was welcome to join. and that takes us up to the present! (well, the “present” being 1987).

[splashrollstumble]

Europe Cycle Tour: Sweden (Part 1)

I was excited going into my cycle tour of Sweden because I had heard about their law that allows anyone to camp anywhere in nature for free. The law is called ‘Allemansvretten’ and roughly translates to ‘all man’s freedom’. It has certain conditions that are fairly obvious – you can’t camp on (or too near to) private property, you can only stay a few days and you must leave the area clean. Those making use of the law must abide by its conditions because Sweden is one of the cleanest countries I’ve ever seen.

However, having heard about a law and knowing how it works in practice are two different things, and I was a bit apprehensive about just how lenient this law is. Could I really just pull in and pitch up my tent wherever I wanted without being asked to move on? I was about to find out…

Day 1 – Stockholm to Soldetalje

I awoke in my overpriced Stockholm hostel ($30) ready to escape into the beautiful, and most importantly free, countryside. I spent the past week on a very expensive and boozy cruise through the Baltic peninsula and desperately needed a few cash-saving days of sobriety.

I had been raining heavily that weekend so I bought a rain suit and wrapped all my bags in plastic before heading out. However, by the time I got to the outskirts of the city, it was starting to clear. My first stop was a Decathlon just outside Stockholm where I hoped to get my bike serviced. Upon arrival, I proudly informed the store attendant that I had purchased my bicycle at a Decathlon in India over a year ago and ridden it through seven African countries. He looked disinterested and told me the bike mechanic wasn’t in yet.

Disheartened, I shopped around for a tent and some waterproof pannier bags, convinced I would be spending the next for months cycling in rain. Eventually, the bike mechanic arrived but told me they were booked up that entire week for services. He was equally disinterested in my global cross-country cycle expedition on a Decathlon-built bike that wasn’t designed to do more than collect groceries from the store.

I packed all my stuff into my new panniers and decided to see if any bike stores in the next town could help me out. Since rebuilding my bike in Stockholm after the flight it wasn’t changing gears properly and just needed a service in general after four months crossing Africa. I soon arrived in the next town of Soldetalje, following Sweden’s intricate but confusing bicycle paths all the way.

In Soldetalje I found a bike shop and the mechanic said he could have it done by tomorrow. I told him that would be fine and asked if there is anywhere to camp. People don’t usually camp in or around cities but Soldetalje benefited from a large forest on a hill right in the middle of it, so he told me that should be fine. I left the bike with him, took what I needed and headed into town to buy a simcard and grab some food. I got a simcard fairly easily at a small shop and topped up 3GB of data for 100 krona (€10).

I then checked out the town and ended settling at a familiar spot, a Subway sandwich shop, where I ate and used the wifi. I realised I was still wearing my cycling shorts so decided to change in the toilets. They only had a single toilet and stupidly I forgot to lock the door, so just as I had pulled down my cycle shorts and was bending over with my ass facing the door, somebody opened it! They must have gotten a terrible shock. Needless to say, I got the hell out of there pronto before someone called the police and reported me for indecent exposure.

I decided to check out the forest on the hill, called ‘Kussens Backe’, or Cousins Hill, and discovered its quite a popular after-work running area. I wondered if I would be able to find a quiet and hidden place to camp. The South African in me couldn’t shake the feeling that if somebody saw me setting up camp they may come back later in the night and try to rob me. Looking back now I realize I was more likely to get offered some coffee and cake than get robbed!

I decided to go work a bit at another nearby restaurant and wait until after dark. Little did I realize that the sun only sets at about 11pm in Sweden at this time of year, so I had a bit of waiting to do. Eventually, around 10pm I decided the park should be empty and I headed back. My suspicions were confirmed and the park was deserted, most likely because it was now freezing cold by this time. I quickly pitched my tent in a secluded area and turned in for the night.

Day 2: Soldetalje to somewhere in the countryside

Unfortunately, I didn’t get much sleep since the sun awoke me at 3am! I suddenly realized why the Decathlon had such a large stock of black-out tents. It never gets dark in this crazy country! I tried to get back to sleep but mostly just lay down for another two hours before packing up and heading down the hill to find coffee.

Nothing was open yet so I sat outside a cafe until they opened and then I promptly left upon discovering their coffee is €3.50 a cup! I sat on some benches at a nearby cafe advertising €1 coffee and did some work while waiting for it to open. Eventually, the owner arrived, opened up and promptly shouted at me to get away, even bringing out a hose for added intimidation. Clearly, he thought I was some kind of laptop-using homeless person with all my bags.

I packed my shit quickly, flipped him the bird and then continued on towards the shop where I had left my bike to get fixed. Fortunately, I found a nice cafe on the way which did bottomless coffee for €2 and had some cheap sandwiches, so I had breakfast and worked there for a few hours until it was time to get the bike.

Unfortunately, the bike shop turned out to be a dud, and they barely did anything to my bike. All they did was replace the gear cable and realign the gears – I was expecting a full service. He even forgot to fix my right brake which I told him was loose. So that was a waste of €30! Long story short, Soldetalje is a shithole, don’t go there.

I cycled off towards a nearby store to buy some camping gear and food and then cycled out of town, happy to see the last of that place. Town quickly gave way to the countryside and I enjoyed the decent roads with a wide shoulder and minimal traffic as lakes and forests passed beside me. Eventually, I had forgotten all about Soldetalje and as the evening drew near I began looking for a camping spot. This turned out to be easier said than done.

As I turned down a side road to find a lake I suddenly got a puncture on my front tyre. It was quite strange as my Schwalbe tyres are practically bulletproof and I couldn’t find any thorn in the tyre. I did find a small split in the side, though, and fixed it quickly enough with a patch and then headed off again. Unable to find any decent lake or grassy area I settled for hiding down a dirt path in small patch of forest.

As soon as I stopped, thousands of mosquitos surrounded me and started sucking the very lifeblood out of my tired soul. Wonderful. I carried mosquito spray 5000 kilometres across Africa and barely used it, and now I need it more than ever! I quickly set up the tent, jumped inside with my stuff and managed to get it closed with only one ill-fated mosquito sneaking inside. After splattering him, I cooked some tasteless tomato pasta and got to bed.

Day 3: Random camp spot to Stavsjo

Cleverly using a thing to cover my eyes, I managed to sleep until about 6 am. I packed soon after a quick cup of coffee and headed off towards Norrkoping, my next destination where I had arranged to stay with someone from the cycle touring app Warmshowers (like Couchsurfing). The route was relatively uneventful as I cycled along back roads and through farms and fields. Towards the afternoon my left knee started to get quite sore so I slowed down and took it easy.

I reached the town of Stavsjo in the early afternoon and decided to get some lunch, rest my knee and do some work. After a few hours I tried to cycle again but my knee was still quite bad and the evening was approaching. I messaged the Warmshowers guy and said I’ll rather stop here the night and could hopefully still stay with him the following night.

Using ‘satellite’ view on Google maps, I managed to find a lovely spot next to a lake to camp for the night. Although it was on a walking track, I barely saw or heard anybody passing until late in the night when somebody ran very close by my tent but didn’t stop to bother me.

Day 4: Stavsjo to Norrkoping

Since it was only about 10km’s to Norrkoping I was in no hurry to rush off. I had a few coffees around my beautiful campsite and waited until the sun was quite high in the sky and morning cold had worn off. Eventually, I packed and headed off on a slow cycle. Along the way, I found an awesome viewpoint and took some pictures overlooking the ocean.

Arriving in Norrkoping around lunchtime, I found my host Emil’s house easily enough and met him, his wife and their toddler. After some they kindly shared their lunch with me, we headed out to check out the town. Norrkoping is built upon a complex water system that was one of the oldest operating hydroelectric power stations in the country until it was recently upgraded. Lots of the old construction remains, making for a beautiful old town built around a canal system and man-made waterfalls.

I bought a few extra pieces of equipment I needed and then we headed back for dinner at theirs. Emil offered to introduce me to a Swedish sauna, which inexplicably every building in Sweden has included as default. I was relieved when he told me to put on swimming trunks and we headed to his buildings roof-top sauna with a few beers. The experience was actually really cool as I’m not usually a fan of public saunas, but having the whole space to ourselves to drink some beers and chat was a nice change.

This was actually my first time as a Warmshowers guest and I was amazed at how welcoming and hospitable complete strangers can be. That evening after a nice dinner, Emil and I went out to town for a few beers and chatted about football, cycling and my life growing up in Cape Town.

Day 5: An awkward day in Norrkoping

My knee was still hurting in the morning and the night before Emil had offered to let me stay another night, so I told him I would. Unfortunately, I don’t think he had expressly discussed this with his wife so I may have caused an expected exchange between them. I didn’t understand what they were saying but it seemed awkward, even though they both said it was fine. I probably should have just left but then it may have made her feel bad so, unsure what else to do, I just kept quiet and stayed.

We all visited a beautiful nearby lake together which they had probably planned to do alone as a family that day. Either way, everyone seemed happy enough so I just went along with it. We swam briefly in freezing cold water and then hiked a nearby mountain that is clearly very popular with rock climbers.

Feeling bad for overstaying my welcome I stupidly offered to cook everyone dinner, as if my cooking would somehow make things better. Foresight lacking, I headed out to the shops and bought some lasagna sheets, butter, CRAZY EXPENSIVE beef (€10), cheap low-alcohol beers (50c), normally priced cheese (€2) and tinned tomatoes.

Back at their apartment, I placed myself in front of the stove promising my poor hosts the best lasagne they’ve ever had. Within minutes I had burnt the butter and set off a fire alarm that automatically alerts the fire department, so they had to call and tell them it was just an idiot homeless cycle-tourist who had forgotten how kitchens work.

Crisis averted, my long-suffering hosts somehow allowed me to continue my rampage of destruction and I managed to cobble together a barely-passable form of Italian cuisine that I feel unqualified to call lasagne. They assured me it was lovely in that special way that only parents with children are able to do. Needless to say, we all got to bed early and I made my thanks/apologies and departed early the next morning.

Day 6: Norrkoping to Gamleby

I cycled southeast from Norrkoping towards Valdemarksvik, a small coastal town where I hoped to find a pub playing the Liverpool – Spurs Cup final that night. The route took me along some lovely forested lanes and a town bizarrely called Tindered where I would have stopped if they had a pub with a TV.

Arriving at Valdermarksvik by early afternoon I quickly discovered they wouldn’t be showing any football in this tiny fishing village. After some lunch and a nap in a park, I continued on to Gamelby which Google Maps promised at a bowling alley and sports bar. On arrival, however, Gamelby was a literal ghost town, with the bowling alley long-closed and dilapidated.

I realized my quest was doomed and resigned myself to following updates of the score on my phone. I found a lovely quiet little spot on the river mouth, set up camp and made dinner. I briefly attempted to fish with a fishing line and hook that Emil had kindly gifted me but without proper bait, I didn’t have any luck. I ended up eating pasta and tomato sauce again.

Day 7: Gamleby to Oskarshamn

Heading south from Gamleby I discovered a strange wooden troll outside the town of Vastervik and decided to cycle onto a small, dirt forest road to see what I could find. After about 20 kms this quickly turned into a disaster as the path degenerated into a sandy, overgrown scrub that was impossible to cycle on. Too far in to turn back, I pushed my bike for a few kms until a more cyclable terrain reappeared.

I passed a shooting range which inexplicably faced ON to the road but fortunately was empty and then managed to rejoin the main tar road. I got back on the highway and road along in the fairly decently sized shoulder until I was almost in a small town called Oskarshamn.

Once again, Google Maps’ satellite view showed me a nice, discreet bit of lakeside forest that I could reach via a side road. I cycled off down there and found a quiet spot to camp. It was quite early so I spent some time exploring the forest and watching some fishermen who actually knew what they were doing.

Day 8: Oskarshamn to Kalmar

After leaving Oskarshamn I managed to find a decent bicycle path that weaved through the forests along the main road, keeping cyclists away from traffic. Unfortunately, it was also quite difficult to follow and often just ended without notice, leaving the cyclist abandoned in a random town. At one point while I was resting a young cyclist passed by and offered me an energy bar – I must have looked tired!

I decided to stop going on adventures and just get back on the highway and head straight to Kalmar where I was meeting friends I had met in Vietnam the year before. My knee was getting really sore again but all the strange and bizarre objects along the roadside in Sweden managed to keep me distracted long enough to arrive in Kalmar safely.

I pulled into a Burger King and spent a few hours working while waiting for my friends to get home from work. Oskar and Maria are a young couple who live in a lovely 1-bed flat in Kalmar and kindly let me crash on their couch and do some washing. We also visited the amazing Kalmar castle and the nearby island of Oland, accessible by a crazy long bridge.

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[ikonislife]

Lost Boy

-Donghyuk x Reader

-Angst, Fluff

-Nothing is worse than having to go through a fading friendship. As your best friend slips out of your grasp, you couldn’t help but let the inevitable happens.

Another beautiful morning in the city and you had the unimaginable luck of having the day off. It was well deserved if you had to say so yourself. Having to grind out 3 weeks in a row of constant overtime and late night meeting, your company finally pushed through and signed perhaps the biggest deal of the decade. Low key, or very high key, this earned you a pedestal in your boss’s list of trustworthy assistants and a very, very long time coming promotion and raise. Best of all, he was in such a good mood that all the key players in the project had the wonderful opportunity of days off, their choosing. This brings it back to why you were sitting in a bustlingly loud restaurant at 10 AM when you could be having a snooze fest at home. Your eyes droned out, nursing your third glass of tea as another clear pearl of condensation rolled down the fading shade of the brown liquid. 

None was more happy for you about the promotion than your best friend. Although you two weren’t childhood best friend, or even high school best friend, you both knew enough about each other to write biography in each other place let something bad happens. 

You had first laid eyes on him struggling with a paper map wandering a small street in one of the small historical towns of Nagano, Japan one random December almost six years ago. A stick of yakitori precariously hanging out of his mouth as both his hands were too busy to hold the snack, his eyes frantically searches the writing, the number, anything to indicate his destination. Judging from the heavy, overstuffed backpack and the confuse doe eyes, you made the conclusion that he was also backpacking just like you. Something about how helplessly lost he was that made your heart swelled, a gentle smile found itself upon your lips. 

Not to be a creep, you forcefully teared your eyes away from that magnificently well sculpted face and return to the colorful rows of mochi and the kind eyes of the old woman. Somewhere in between deciding on whether you should get the mango or the matcha mochi and buying 5 different flavors at once, a small voice sounded out from behind startling the small coins to stumble out of your hand, clinking on the glass display case.

“Uhm, I’m sorry to bother you...”

The voice was so velvety smooth and gentle, sounding like the clearest of bells and somehow a hint of a crisp spring afternoon. You collected your change, bowed to the old woman in the shop before having all the air knocks out of your lungs from the view. The lost boy stood next to you, nose and cheeks redden from the cold, a bit of blond hair sticking out from the black beanie sitting low on his forehead. Even as disheveled and wasted from the frosty wind of nearing Christmas, he was so divinely handsome. He offered a weary but no less than bright smile as a peace token, as if to let you know he meant no harm.

“Are you alright? You looked uhm... bit worn if you don’t mind me saying.” You replied with utmost carefulness, cautious of the stranger. 

“Not at all. I think I’m a bit further than just ‘worn’” He giggled and if sunshine was a sound, that would be it. “I’m disastrously lost, if you could...” Another nervous giggle. You swore if he giggle one more time, not only would you give him direction but all your money. Seriously, how could anyone be so adorable.

“Let me see.”

It wasn’t even a minute before you realized his destination was the same hostel as yours, one and only. Opting to give him verbal direction anyways, you didn’t want to overstay your welcome. For all you knew, he could just be nice for the sake of getting help. Bowing deeply several times, he trekked off on his own as you sauntered not too far behind deciding it was time to lay your head. After 5 minutes of walking, you had forgotten about the lost boy that was no longer lost completely. It wasn’t often you got to see dainty wooden houses lining the foot of mountains green with endless amount of trees. Quaint artisan shops littered the path with happy faces of grandpa and grandma offering their lifelong skills to show visiting folks a bit of their town’s specialties. Almost forgotten.

“Uhm, you don’t have to walk me there you know. Showing me the way was kind enough of you, I can’t possibly have you going out of your way.”

That smoother than butter voice permeated your eardrums once more.

“Huh?” You gasped before realizing you had closed the gap with him sometimes in the middle of daydreaming about living here. “Oh, I’m not.”

“Are you... following me?” He said ever so reluctantly yet that playful glint in his eyes said otherwise.

“Oh, yea. I’m a serial killer. I pretend to be trustworthy to get your info before brutally murdering you.” You glared at him, almost too serious with your words as you see the life in his eyes looking for an escape route before laughing like a maniac. “Get off your high horse mister. We’re going to the same hostel. I can’t believe you.” You groaned a bit, although internally, you were hoping the banter you caught on isn’t just your imagination.

“OH! Why didn’t you say so. We could’ve walk together.” He exclaimed at the same time veering off toward you.

“You just took off so I don’t know, it’d be weird if I like chase you down. Plus, I don’t even know your name, blondie.” 

“It’s Donghyuk! You are?” He stuck out his hand, smile lingering on those chapped lips.

“Y/n! Nice to meet you.” Taking his hand, you smiled to the best of your ability under the winter numbness that must be what it feels like to be under botox. Offering a piece of your fresh mochi to commemorate a new friendship, you listened as he rambled on the “life decisions”, as he put it which earned a small chuckle from you, that got him to the point of beyond lost.

“... and here we are, walking together eating mochi!” He said brightly, making you wonder about the mismatching between his appearance and his excited self. “So, Y/n. What brings you on this trip? I see that you’re alone also. You don’t travel alone unless there’s a reason to. Judging from how lovely you are, it can’t be because you’re a loner.” 

Gorgeous, charming, and smooth. You really got yourself into some trouble now. You watched as he nearly killed himself focusing intensely on eating the scrumptious mochi you had offered him, almost walked the small manmade ditch that delivered fresh water from the mountain through the town. He went on eating without missing a beat so you let it slide, suppressing the small laugh he gave you.

“Soul searching.” You hummed simply, eyes gazing off into the redden sky that matched his cheeks.

“Wow, deep shit. And I don’t mean that you’re full of shit, just wow... I’m over here like yea, you know I worked hard so I wanna spend money. You’re just wow.” He took his eyes of the snack for a few seconds to stare at you, almost with admiration.

“Yea, you know. Sometimes you just gotta... I’m just kidding.” You heaved a hearty laugh. “I wanted to see the snow monkeys.”

“Is this gonna be a normal occurrence with you? You are full of shit, and not the good kind. Hey, me too though. I wanna see the monkeys. Let’s go together.”

You gave a small nod before continuing the cheerful banter the rest of the way to the hostel. That night, you both spent most of it planning out the trip after finding yourselves having nearly every destination matching. Although tired, both of you stayed up till closer to sun up sharing interests and hobbies, finding out that you both in fact live in the same city back home. Crazy how life worked. You went 20+ years living in the same part of the world without ever meeting each other then by some crazy fate, you both ended up in the same foreign country, staying in the same place, having the same destinations. 

Your day dream cut short at the sound of the cheery waitress whom you suspected of drinking 20 shots of espresso because damn, her personality rivaled even Donghyuk.

“I have your egg Benedict and your date’s omelette. If you have any other question, let me know. I’ll be right over there.” She cheered in a high pitch tone, smiling so wide it felt a bit unsettling.

“Nah, we’re just celebrating her promotion. Not a date!”

Donghyuk chimed in, eyes momentarily parted from his phone and honestly, you were shock to hear his voice after what seemed like an hour of him smiling at the screen. You both sat next to the bright window of a French bakery and restaurant combo with pristine white tiled wall from floor to ceiling. Black ornate chairs and white cloths cover the rows of dinning table, perfect for a morning brunch date. He had returned to clicking away at the screen, smile still prominent on the handsome face. His hair no longer blonde now as it was all those years ago but a warm shade of chestnut brown. To be frank, he could dye his hair rainbow, lose all his arms, legs, the ability to speak or hear and you would still think he’s the best person in the whole wide world. It wouldn’t be too frank either to say that perhaps, you had fallen for him a bit. None of that really mattered though judging from the way he lovingly giggle at whatever, whoever it is on the receiving of those texts. Your eyes glued on him and his on his phone.

Watching the condensation pooled at the bottom of the tall glass, you sighed dejectedly. Neither of you had seen each other in two months and to say you were overjoyed when he asked to hang out would be an understatement. His offer of having a nice day out was too tempting for you not to cash in one of your paid days off your boss had so kindly given you. However, you were less than thrilled when the second you both got seated, he immediately clung onto his phone like his life depended on it.

It wasn’t always like this. Donghyuk was the most considerate, caring, observing person you had come to know. Your mind wandered off once again at the repetitive clicking of his text, drifting off to the days of the snow monkeys. It was a long hike and neither of you had gotten much sleep the night before. You both had under-eye bags for days but nothing could stop the overflowing determination of seeing some damn macaques bathing in hot springs. You had seen the monkey, taken pictures with the monkeys, done everything you could possibly think of before heading back down in the early evening. Both you and Donghyuk parted way at the hostel, crashing into your respective bed and knocked out for lord know how long. When you opened your eyes to take in the world later on, the man in moon had already came out to grace the Earth with his brilliant silver streams of light and the stars twinkled, illuminating the dark sky. Groaning loudly, definitely regretting staying up so late, you rubbed your eyes of its tiredness before checking to see a few texts from Donghyuk. 

[12:30] You up yet?

[12:45] Meet me here when you up :) 

[1:05] Y/n~~~~~~~~~

Pulling on the thick coat, you made your way down the small stone paved street before ending up in front of a wooden sliding door with bright lanterns hung on each side. Pushing your way in, a loud, manly shout of “いらっしゃいませ~” tear through the air. Already, not even one step in, you could feel the difference in the bustling nightlife of a 居酒屋 and the quiet countryside nightlife outside. You bowed to the chef, smiling despite the late hour and boiling heat of the fire grill surrounding the kitchen. 

“Yay, you’re up! I was beginning to think I’m getting stood up.”

“Sorry, I feel like I just got hit by a bus. How are you so chippy... I legit feel and look like shit.” You mumbled a bit, taken back at how sprightly the boy sitting in in a booth on the far end of the restaurant still is after a long tiring day.  Sliding into the squishy, worn out bench, you let your eyes fell onto the bottle of sake already empty.

“So what’s up with you and the sake?” You asked casually, not wanting to cross the line.

“Nothing much.” He muttered, pouring a small cup for you before downing his own. “I can’t drink with my new friend?”

“I guess that’s as good of a reason as any.” You chuckled softly, somehow his words seemed heavier than it supposed to be.

“Hey, Y/n. Earlier today when you said you’re ‘soul searching’, you actually meant it, didn’t you...” He hesitated. “It wasn’t a joke, right?”

“Hmm... how’d you know?”

“Your eyes. The chaos behind them...”

Pouring 2 more glasses, you both downed the shots before you let on a sadden smile. It wasn’t much of a story to tell really. It was the typical cheating boyfriend soul searching one. The bastard had actually wanted to go to Japan but was too poor to afford the trip. Of course being the gracious girlfriend you were, you offered to pay as a present for your 3rd anniversary. Like a God given miracle, you found out about his sleazy way a month before the trip and affectively canceled his half. You had thought about cancelling the trip altogether of course but what’s the point of punishing yourself over a dirtbag so off you went on your own. Donghyuk smiled, offered himself as companion for the rest of your trip. 

“You said no one travels alone unless they have a reason...”

“I suppose you want to know mine now?” He said, still holding onto your hand supportively. At your nod, he continued. “I kinda lied... I’m sorry!”

“You what?!” you blurted out, not really angry, just curious.

“I was really curious about the beautiful girl with the sad smile traveling all alone so I lied. I said that so I could have an in. I’m sorry Y/n. I’m here by myself just cause. There’s no reason.”

“Oh my God, our friendship is base on a lie. My heart, how could you do me like this.” You clutched your heart dramatically, faking pain as his giggle pushed away your loneliness. Somehow, sitting here drinking sake with a boy you barely knew, your soul felt the calmest it had in a long time and you knew, everything will be okay.

Staring at him now, you would think twice about your own statement about him back then. You swore even the waitress felt sorry for you, being completely invisible to the boy across the table. Or perhaps she pitied you. 

“Donghyuk, why did you wake me up early to hang out if you’re just going to text all day.”

“I’m sorry, Y/n. It’s just Yoonji had something important to tell me.” His smile faltered yet his tone lack the guilt it should’ve been laced with for ignoring you. “So about the trip, you down? We can go to Europe or somewhere else too if you don’t feel like going back to Japan.” He set his phone down before digging into his plate.

“We can go back to Japan, I don’t mind. It’s not like I’ve been to every single prefecture.” You replied to his question halfheartedly, wholeheartedly over this whole brunch. You want nothing more to just tucked in with your teddy bear for a good slumber. 

“Hmm, maybe we can go to Hokka-” His words cut short by that annoying ringtone you had heard too many time, the one that has the name “Yoonji” attached to it. Almost on instinct, his kind smile graced you with its appearance as his fingers reached for the flashing phone. “Sorry, Y/n. I really need to take this. I won’t be long”

Without even a bit of hesitation, not even pretending to offer to ignore the call for your sake, he stood up and walked toward the patio, almost singsonged his greeting. A wave of jealousy and anger washed over your whole body. A wave that you knew was completely irrational. Donghyuk had always been a good friend, offering you everything he got despite the million things he had going on in his life. You must be out of your damn mind to be demanding for more but still, you can’t help but let your eyes glowed green with envy. Envy of a person that got all his attention without even physically be here. As far as you concerned, Yoonji is his other, ultimate best friend, the one he grew up with, the one he shared most of his life with. Compare to her, you were paler than a goldfish without sun. 

Not wanting to let the illogical surge of ugly emotion in your heart manifest itself, you stood up. Engulfed in a blitz attack of feelings from pure jealousy to insecure and unworthy, you paid for the meal and left before the threatening tears could see the light of day. With one last lingering gaze at the cheery boy laughing away on his phone outside completely unaware of your exit, you reminded yourself that he had never asked for this. He didn’t asked for you to be completely powerlessly in love with him. You knew no matter what, Yoonji will always take the cake in his heart. With a heavy sigh, you hailed a cab heading toward your company. Work will be the one thing that will never disappoint you.

[freewomanjourneyofalifetime]

* HEALING TRUST

Spirit called me to Rwanda....

I have work to do here.

I just landed TODAY.

I have never been to Rwanda before.

Don't know a soul who lives here...

Not even totally sure what the 'work' is....

But I know that I am going to the next level as a healer

And I will be facilitate healing for people all over the world

- Like never before -

As a result of coming to Rwanda.....

I said, 'Yes, Spirit!'

And then all the details had to be taken care of.

HOW WOULD I RENEW MY PASSPORT? Passport expiring, I had to renew it at a cost of $110 that I didn't have....

Can't go to Rwanda without a valid passport! Where was the money going to come from?

Out the blue somebody (and you know who you are) sent me $100 just because I exist

The US Department of immigration gave me an emergency passport the same day I applied (a miracle) so I could leave on July 4.

AND THE PLANE TICKET? Where would the money to fly to Rwanda come from? Turns out some folks wanted long distance energy readings... Ticket paid for

AND THE VISA? The government of Rwanda allowed electronic payments! Thank goodness, because I had no cash And there were no ATMs in immigration when I landed.

I HAD TO TAKE ONE STEP AT A TIME....

AND HOUSING? How would I afford housing? Where would I stay?

A good friend found housing for me in Rwanda with an old school mate of his. The school mate promised to host me.

AS I BOARDED THE PLANE yesterday, I CALLED my host in Rwanda just to touch base as plans had been confirmed by e-mail.

He said: 'Yes, you have a place to stay with me.'

BY THE TIME I LANDED in Rwanda TODAY, I called my host as promised:

He said: 'Sorry, but you cannot stay at my house.'

BUSTED.... Two airplanes, a 14 hour lay over in Nairobi which forced me to sleep in the airport and I was busted in Rwanda.

Speechless...my stomach fell as I realized I was homeless.

The phone stuck to my ear....

The No Longer Host man was throwing all of these words at me

All of this chaos and confusion.... even somehow trying to blame me for his cancellation

But when I looked UNDERNEATH the words he was throwing at me: all I could see was that he was backing out of something he had never really committed to in the first place.

He threw words after words ..

Until I hung up telling him that I would call back....

I knew it in my belly:

Our connection was dead in the middle of summer.

SCARED...

I remembered that SOMETHING had told me to look up a name, number and address of a backpackers in Rwanda before I left South Africa.

I have learned - the hard way - to not depend on other people to have my own highest good.

I threw all my bags on the grass outside the airport

Found the piece of paper with the backpackers number in the bottom of my bag

AND CALLED....

The backpackers had plenty of room!!!

I told the FRONT DESK WOMAN my housing fell through and she said, 'Oh no! Come stay with us!'

Just what I needed to hear!

The Front Desk Woman told me:

- how much the room cost

- how much a taxi cost to get to the backpackers from the airport

Excited, I went to the ATM:

INSUFFICIENT FUNDS

My deposit had not gone through.

I only had $20.00 to my name.

I had $20.00 to my name and I was in the middle of Rwanda.

I ONLY HAD ENOUGH MONEY FOR 1 NIGHT in Rwanda.

Spirit had told me to stay at least 3 weeks.

No return trip plan ticket...no money to buy a ticket anywhere.

I laughed out loud and said, 'FREE WOMAN!'

WHAT WAS I GOING TO DO?!

Should I call the No Longer Host man

And ask for help?

Is something better than nothing?

Maybe I should keep him as a plan B in case money does not come at all!!

Spirit came through and said, 'What is the truth?'

He had mislead me.

I said, 'He is not trustworthy. I do not want to rely on him for any sort of arrangements.'

He has shown me who he is.

Why go back to someone who abandoned you and ask them to save you?

Slippery

Avoiding taking responsibility.....

I could not hold on to him, so I took a deep breathe, text him and told him that I found other arrangements and LET GO.

Panic started to set in...

What other arrangements?

I have no money for housing!!

I breathed/ closed my eyes/ said out loud, 'No! Spirit did not bring me this far just to leave me!'

I stood my ground and said, 'Spirit is protecting me. Keeping chaos and confusion out of my life. This man/housing/situation must not be for me. This is a blessing. It just doesn't feel like it yet.'

And I said my prayers....

And I asked for help...

And I realized I had enough:

Money for taxi fare to the hostel One night in the hostel Some food

I had what I needed for TODAY....

Tomorrow was another day....

I said to myself, 'I was called here. Whatever called me will take care of me.'

And the Spirit of my mother came upon me and said, 'This man [who was supposed to host you] is not God. There is still God. God will take care of you.'

I felt so loved/held/supported by the ancestors....

I jumped in a taxi at the airport....

Got to the hostel....

And the FRONT DESK WOMAN came out of the hostel

She helped me carry my bags to my little bed

She helped me to get online so I could check my accounts

Helped me figure out how to got to the memorial sites where 800,000 victims of genocide were buried.... so I could heal

I booked a week at the backpackers- even though I only had money to pay for ONE NIGHT.

Front Desk woman told me that I could pay them LATER.

I breathed through fear and told myself, 'The money will be here right on time. I AM CALLED HERE..'

The Front Desk woman made me feel comfortable and welcome.

She took care of my every need.

I asked the Front Desk woman what her name was?

She said, 'Divine.'

I giggled and said, 'Of course. What else could it be?'

*Trust yourself or When you answer the call, the call answers back or When I went back to the ATM in the afternoon the funds had cleared, I am covered for at least 10 days (and held at all times). or By faith, not by sight or Thank you God/Goddess/Ancestors for taking care of me.... or Free Woman

Copyright 2017 Kisha Montgomery