Mosquito bites die maar niet stoppen met jeuken, kids die boos op je worden omdat ze moeten stoppen met gamen op je telefoon, 24/7 glimmen van het zweet, prikkend zeewater in je ogen en stiekem een traantje (of tien) wegpinken wanneer je wederom afscheid moet nemen van iedereen. It took me 30 minutes to come up with five things I didn’t like about my trip. Five things that would make me feel good being back at home. But they don’t. They don’t outweigh all the other things I loved. I call them ‘kleine grote geluksmomentjes’.

Spotting turtles, swimming in the middle of a huge school of beautiful fish (couldn’t stop smiling in my snorkel mask), the kids calling me Yannikerrr, sleeping like a baby during an early monsoon storm, listening to the sound of the water while walking on the beach, thinking about going back next year, noticing the (pipe)water is back when you just filled three cans of water at the well and had a well shower, seeing a squirrel in the house while everyone else is still asleep. And maybe the most important one: meeting people with the same spirit, enthusiasm and intention to make a difference. People who inspire you to become a better person. Although that’s actually a ‘groot groot geluksmoment’.

Even though today it simply sucks being back home (tomorrow I’ll feel better), I feel so rich! And watch my words: one day I’ll go back and do it all over again. Like the sweet little three year old girl Dina always said when you threw her in the air: lagi lagi, again again.

[voor alle reizigers die nog op zoek zijn naar een goed eco voluntourism project: www.ecoteerresponsibletravel.com]