In September 2024, when we moved out of the apartment we'd occupied for five years, I wrote a post called "The end of Part 1".

And now we've had another rotation of the wheel. We've moved out of another apartment, and are planning to formally domicile ourselves elsewhere.

After being rooted in Southeast Asia for more than 14 years (here's my commemoration of the 10-year mark), we're about to set up a base on the Island where I was born.

But the curious thing is that I don't really feel I'm leaving... We still have very good friends here. And stuff here. And all those intangible connections that weld you to a place. And a dentist... And a GP who'll see you the day you want to be seen...

Plus, we're planning to return in August. We're intending to spend a chunk of every year here. And who knows what might happen further down the track?

It's true that things have been so busy lately that there honestly hasn't been time to process anything. But it really just feels as though we're heading off for some travel, and will return just like we always do.

Still, I've enjoyed savouring these last few days. We've still been busy, but the frenetic pace of the previous weeks has slackened, and it has been really great to hang out with friends, and do a tour of favourite cafes (or some of them, at least -- we have too many favourite cafes in Kuching to get round them all in the space of a couple of days...).

Here's my little diary of the final stretch of Part 2:



















So, we'll be back!

I very much feel our Kuching story is not over. Part 3 awaits.

And in the meantime, our temporary departure is wrapped in a warm and fuzzy glow, as we gratefully salute the kindest of friends and the warmest of citizens.