Waking up was a struggle this morning. Our pre-booked taxis were waiting for us at 5:45 AM. I was hoping for a smooth airport experience like the day before, but unfortunately, reality had other plans.

We had to book our return flights from China before we even knew our exact plans. We went with the cheapest option for our departure date, which turned out to be a flight to Seoul with a nearly day-long layover in Tianjin.

We spent enough time in both countries to experience them as more than just typical tourists.

We left from Shenzen to Chongqing early in the morning. Since the metro wasn't running yet, we booked Didi taxis through Alipay the night before, and they arrived right on time.

After researching everything we needed to survive in China, I downloaded and activated WeChat, Alipay, and offline Google Translate while still in Vietnam.

Leaving Da Nang wasn't easy. We’d really grown fond of it and settled into a nice routine. The weather seemed to match our mood—it poured on our last day, adding a touch of melancholy to our departure.

After a few days in Ho Chi Minh City, we flew to Da Nang for a longer stay, tentatively planned for a month. This time, I made sure to arrive with zero expectations.

When we first rolled into Da Nang, it felt like we’d just landed in Europe—somewhere like Italy. Palm trees everywhere, the sun was blazing...

Finally! We traded Bali for Vietnam, and honestly, I was so ready for a change. Our first stop? Ho Chi Minh City—or Saigon, as the locals call it—down in the south.

Moving from Bali to Saigon was a total culture shock—it felt like going from a quiet village straight into the heart of a massive metropolis. The first thing that hit me was the sheer number of motorbikes...

We landed at Bali's only airport, went through security, and grabbed our bags. Dad ordered a taxi to our place, and we were excited to find a pool.

Writing a summary of our time in Bali starts with a heavy sigh. Honestly, I’m not even sure I want to do this. I don’t know where to begin, and I’m struggling to find a way to frame it so it doesn’t just sound like one long vent about unmet expectations.

When we first landed in Bali, I was expecting that deserted tropical island vibe—white sand, crystal clear water, the whole deal. Turns out, the reality was a bit different.

Bali's rainy season runs from November to March, with the heaviest rainfall typically occurring in December and January. These are exactly the two months we chose for our stay on the island.

We had an early morning flight from Bangkok, which meant I only got about an hour of sleep. The youngest member of our family had decided to take a long nap in the evening and was wide awake all night.

Since none of us really know what goes on in Simeon's head or how he's processing this whole adventure, I'll at least try to describe the 'adventures' he put us through.

When we arrived in Bangkok, the real vacation finally began. It felt so much more relaxed and laid back compared to the Emirates. Right after landing, we took the metro, and man, the humidity was on another level.

There was a chicken (rubber chicken) in the bus and when we honked, it gave a signal to the driver. We saw monitor lizards. So many.

We landed at the airport in Bangkok. We went to pick up our luggage and then went through customs. We looked for an ATM to exchange money and went to buy a token for the metro, which went over a bridge.

We arrived at Sharjah airport in the early morning hours, still under the cover of darkness. The roads were virtually empty, making the airport's hustle and bustle all the more surprising. After checking our bags and breezing through security, we found ourselves with some time to kill.

After our trip in Abu Dhabi, we took a taxi to Dubai. The journey took about an hour and a half – approximately 100 km, which is like from Dubnica to Bratislava. I slept through the whole thing.

A great advantage is that everyone speaks English there. This is related to the fact that in "subordinate" jobs and services, there are mainly Indians, Pakistanis, and Filipinos, so everyone can communicate in English.

We were at the square where the tallest building in the world was. For me it was boring.

We arrived in Sharjah by car. (Sharjah is one of the 7 emirates, close to Dubai.) We arrived at the accommodation, put down our things and went to eat.

Johnny's perspective on Dubai and Sharjah - from sketchy apartment swaps and packed metros to the world's tallest building.

We moved from Abu Dhabi to another accommodation. Again, we chose with the airport in mind, so we wouldn't have to travel long on departure day. We stayed in Sharjah, another of the 7 emirates, neighboring Dubai.

Since we can't exactly ask Simeon what he's thinking or how he's processing this whole adventure, I’ll just try to describe the 'adventures' he’s been putting us through instead.

Our apartment in Abu Dhabi was such that it wasn't very solid. There was nothing but desert.

We flew by plane to Dubai. Dad had already called a minibus. We traveled for an hour by minibus to Abu Dhabi. We had accommodation in the desert. It was small but cozy.

As soon as we landed, the plane doors opened and I almost passed out on the spot. I've never experienced such dry heat before.

We landed in Dubai. Plus 3 hours time difference compared to our time. It's 20:20. I'm turning on roaming. I activated it for this transitional period of 10 days when we will be changing countries often.

We searched for our accommodation for a while because it wasn't exactly the expected location and appearance. In the middle of white sand and nothingness stood a neighborhood of nouveau riche mansions, and in a side alley were entrances apparently for the plebs.

Our journey to Asia became an adventure the moment Wizzair airline started gradually changing our flight. The original Vienna-Abu Dhabi flight, along with ongoing time changes, was changed via Budapest-Abu Dhabi, and finally to Budapest-Dubai.

I don't want to write this for every article, so I'll just write it once here...

This journey is special. Because it's a dream come true. It took years. Sometimes I thought it would never happen. That I was just fooling myself. And here we are...

It's getting closer, it's here! Just a few more days and we're flying away. Are we really leaving? And for that long? What will it actually be like? Am I making a mistake? Why am I doing this?

To try living somewhere other than where I was born has always been my dream. Not forever. Exactly as I write – to try. To experience something completely different. A different environment, a different culture, different everything.