2024 in Review

 2024 in Review was originally published on December 31, 2024 in "Heaven on Earth"

I was travelling in Asia at the beginning of 2024. After spending a few days in Malaysia, I flew from Kuala Lumpur to Dhaka on January 8th. There had been civil unrest in Bangladesh prior to my arrival. The long-time Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, had been re-elected for her fourth term. In anticipation of large-scale protests in the capital city, I opted for an unusual route: I visited places of interest in descending order of preference. I worried that I might have to leave the country earlier than planned. In the end, however, the government was not overthrown during my visit. That did not happen until August.

The next country I visited was the Maldives. I stayed there for the month of February. I based myself on the island of Maafushi and took short trips to several other islands using public ferries. There are many foreign workers in the Maldives. I stayed in a building where workers lived. My air-conditioned ensuite room cost about $30 USD per night. The cost of food was relatively low by Canadian standards. Inter-island public transportation was a flat rate regardless of stops on any route. If I had chosen to stay in a resort on a private island for 5–7 days, I would have spent the same amount as my one-month stay in the Maldives. Beyond saving money, I also needed time to recover and organize my return to Canada in early March. What better place to do that than the Maldives?

Before returning to Canada, I visited Qatar. I had originally planned to visit this country in 2019. However, due to the embargo imposed by Saudi Arabia at the time, Qatar was omitted from my itinerary. When I learned that the embargo had been lifted, I booked my return flight via Doha. Thanks to the 2022 FIFA World Cup, I witnessed an updated version of Qatar with ultra-modern buildings and infrastructure. I based myself in the capital and used public transportation to visit various places of interest. Qatar is similar to the United Arab Emirates, with a high cost of living. Since the embargo, Qatar has become more self-sufficient, building many temperature-controlled farms in the middle of the desert.

From March to December, I stayed in Vancouver. Finding a place to live was exceedingly difficult this time around. I spent three weeks in hostels before finding my current accommodation. The standard of living was not as high as before. Landlords seemed primarily concerned with collecting rent. Many properties were poorly maintained, as high turnover encouraged frequent rent increases rather than long-term upkeep. To cope with this, I learned to do various DIY repairs and maintenance. I even managed to eradicate ants and mice from my place.

Vancouver felt economically strained, even though it was more crowded than ever. Prices were higher than in August 2023, when I left for my seven-month Asian journey. The minimum wage in British Columbia was raised to $17.40 per hour on June 1st, the highest among Canadian provinces. However, the living wage in Metro Vancouver was calculated to be $27.05 per hour for a family of four. It was perhaps unsurprising that residents appeared stressed and businesses increasingly unethical. There were public boycotts of supermarket chains. I supported the movement by shopping at smaller independent stores.

Years ago, when I became a part-time global nomad, I developed a habit of being a tourist in my hometown whenever I stayed in Vancouver. This year, I visited Fort Langley and South Tsawwassen near the Canada–U.S. border. I enjoyed both places, although each trip required over two hours of public transportation each way. 

When I was not exploring, I spent a lot of time praying for world peace. Now that I have visited 121 countries and territories, news from distant places feels more personal and immediate. I do not regret deleting my social media accounts last year. I would not know how to offer words of wisdom to the people I have met during my travels. I believe that only divine intervention could end conflicts around the world. At times, I even think we are already in World War III. As always, I remain hopeful that the best is yet to come.