Coming Home
Coming back home to Slovakia after more than six months was such a bizarre feeling. After everything we experienced in Asia—Bali, Vietnam, China, Korea, Kazakhstan, Thailand, and Dubai—it felt like I was returning from a completely different world. Honestly, the biggest shock for me was hearing Slovak spoken naturally for the first time in half a year. I remember we were taking the bus from the Vienna airport, and the driver said something like, “Hey Johnny.” It literally felt like a scene from a movie. I was just so stunned to suddenly hear my native language spoken all around me, even though we were still in Vienna. You don’t realize how much you take it for granted when you’re home every day, but after being away for so long, it was an incredibly powerful feeling.
Another thing that really caught me off guard was how quiet and peaceful Slovakia suddenly felt. After the bustling cities of Asia, everything here seemed empty. In Vietnam, for example, it was completely normal to see street food stalls on every sidewalk, millions of motorbikes, constant honking, crowds of people, smog, and non-stop action. The second you stepped outside, you felt this vibrant energy. Here, I walked outside and there was almost no one around. Just silence, empty streets, and zero chaos. It was only then that I realized that even though I live in the capital city, compared to what I saw out there in the world, Bratislava is incredibly quiet—it almost feels like a small town.
To be honest, I was also surprised by how gray and colorless everything looked. Asia was full of bright lights, neon signs, vibrant colors, and massive, modern buildings; everything felt so alive and energetic. Cities like Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi were absolutely mind-blowing in terms of how huge and modern they were. When we got back here, it felt like everything was moving in slow motion, a bit dull and even a little depressing. But after a few days, I started to notice the good things too.
Most of all, I realized what a great place we have to live. After all those mega-cities, I’m incredibly grateful to live right here in Karlova Ves. We have forests, tons of greenery, peace and quiet, and we’re still close to shops and the city center. There’s no extreme chaos, and you don’t see many sketchy or sketchy-looking people. I’m not saying the countries we visited were bad—quite the opposite, it was an amazing experience that taught me a lot—but coming back makes you appreciate a normal, quiet life. In Asia, there were so many places where massive crowds were everywhere, and you could rarely escape the city noise to just unwind. The locals don’t really think about it because it’s just their everyday life. But here, you suddenly get this beautiful peace and quiet.
Coming home triggered a really strange mix of emotions. On one hand, I miss Asia because there was always something new to explore, the vibe was super laid-back, everything was cheap, and the people were incredibly friendly. On the other hand, I realized that we have so many things at home that we take for granted, but they really aren’t a given. Especially the peace, the safety, the nature, and the fact that you don’t have to deal with overwhelming chaos every single day. This return showed me that it’s only when you leave for a long time that you truly begin to appreciate where you live—just like a certain wise person predicted ;)
What I Learned
During those six months in Asia, I learned how to navigate and thrive in completely unfamiliar environments. I had to figure out public transit, where to go, where to eat, and how to get around all on my own. I learned not to be afraid of approaching strangers to ask for help or directions, which really helped me level up my English. In Bali, I even made some new friends, which showed me how easy it is to meet people when you’re pushed out of your comfort zone (mostly because if I didn’t, I would’ve been bored out of my mind). I also got much better at researching things and solving problems on the fly whenever I needed to get something done or find something specific. Experiencing new cultures and ways of life gave me a much broader perspective on the world. This whole experience taught me to appreciate what I have and to stop sweating the small stuff that doesn’t really matter.
When you see that so many people in the world live in much tougher conditions—whether in material poverty or spiritual hardship—you start looking at your own problems with a lot more perspective. I realized that the weight of the world doesn’t rest on my shoulders, and that life goes on regardless of my personal struggles. My anxieties shrank because I understood that most of the things I stress about aren’t that big of a deal in the grand scheme of things. More importantly, I realized that the everyday things that stress you out are the exact same things everyone else stresses about too. You’re not weird or an outlier; you’re just a perfectly normal, healthy human being. I learned to focus more on my own immediate circle and on the goals that make my life meaningful and fulfilling, because at the end of the day, I think that’s what we all need most.
Overall, this trip made me much more independent, confident, and open to new experiences.