Time to Go

After 3 quick weeks in northern Thailand I'm already back in Bangkok packing my bags and preparing to leave for the last time. I am flying home to America the day after tomorrow after seven months in Southeast Asia. I can't even get my head around the fact that I'm going home. I've been gone for so long it just doesn't feel real. I can't imagine myself not living out of a backpack, staying in each place for less than a week. Part of me is excited, I can't wait to see my friends and my family and I have a lot of exciting things to look forward to this summer. The other part of me is sad. The experiences of the past seven months have been life changing and I'm anticipating some major culture shock when I get back. 

This morning I checked out of the guest house where I had been staying in Chiang Mai. The lovely Thai woman behind the desk gave me a big hug and told me twice that she loved me and was going to miss me. I stayed there for 4 nights. This genuine kindness is typical throughout all of SEA and is what I love most about this part of the world. Yes the scenery is stunning and the food is delicious but the real story of Southeast Asia lies within the people. Never in my 25 years on this earth have I met more generous, warm, and friendly people. I have not once felt unsafe here, something I can't say is true even at home. There is a gentleness amongst the people here that just doesn't exist in the western world. We are too focused on work, money, and status that we have completely distracted ourselves from actually enjoying our lives. We spend our entire lives working so that if and when we make it to 65, then we can enjoy ourselves. But the purpose of life is to live. I know for me, it is not meant to be lived in one place or doing one thing. I have confirmed what I already knew, the American Dream is not my dream. I will forever value new sights, smells, and sounds over a new car or money in the bank. I appreciate the luxuries that home has to offer but I recognize that they are just that: luxuries. They are not necessities. While I am looking forward to a full wardrobe and my own bedroom, I know it won't be long before my feet are itchy and I'm ready to carry my life on my back again.

Although I don't feel ready to go home at all, I have tried unsuccessfully 3 times to refund my ticket and it looks like it isn't meant to be. So in 2 days I'm flying across the globe and settling down on Cape Cod for a few months of summer while I plan my next adventure. I'm not quite willing to give up this lifestyle and I am fortunate enough to have a home on a beautiful island where I can continue to live laid back and care free all the while making and saving enough money so that the second the temperature drops I can be on an airplane. 

I often get overwhelmed thinking about all of the places I want to go. I know that I have plenty of time to go everywhere but my western mind wants instant gratification; I want to go everywhere now! Before I left home I thought that this trip would get the travel bug out of my system and I'd be ready to return home and resume "real life"- get a job, get an apartment, etc. I didn't even plan to be gone very long, I figured 3 months would be my max. But here I am, over half a year later and still trying to come up with excuses for the airline to change my flight. It seems wanderlust is in my blood and it isn't going anywhere. The question is, where am I going?! I guess I've got a few months to figure it out..

Asia has been nothing I expected and everything I needed. I am going to miss this place so much. Reading back through all of my posts I notice a very evident theme, gratitude. Traveling to 7 different third world countries opened my eyes to a different type of living. I have been constantly reminded of how fortunate I am to live a life full of opportunities and I intend to take advantage of them. I am so grateful for these past months, for all of the amazing people I have met, places I have seen, and things I have done. It has been the greatest adventure and I'm excited to see what life has in store for me next.

America, here I come!

Livin La Vida Laos (and Vietnam and Thailand)

Six weeks in Vietnam flew by. After Rose and I parted ways I reluctantly booked a tour to Sapa. I hate doing organized tours as they are never as fun as exploring a place on your own and don't allow for much spontaneity but I found an insanely cheap price and decided to take a chance. Upon arriving in Sapa at 6am after 8 hours on the bus, there were a few local guys ready to pick up passengers for their various tours. Naturally, my name was not on any of the lists they had and after sitting on the curb for an hour after the last person had departed I was starting to wonder what the hell I was going to do. I'd met a German guy on the bus the night before who was smart enough to only book the bus and instead rent a bike and explore the town on his own. So I counted my losses and joined him for 3 days of motor biking through misty muddy mountainside rice paddies. We stayed in the tiny valley village of Lao Cai and met the sweetest locals I've come across. The husband and wife at our guest house were so friendly and helpful and ended up contacting my tour company for me and getting them to fund my stay. I swear I have the best karma. We spent the 2nd night across the street at another guest house and I'm still regretting not taking a picture of the old lady who ran it. She was toothless and adorable and the only sentences she said were "tea Vietnam" when pouring our tea and "Sapa brrr" when accurately describing the weather forecast. 

After experiencing the cold in Sapa I was excited to get to Cat Ba island where it would hopefully be sunny and slightly warmer. I had no such luck, the island was chilly and foggy and more or less deserted. Once again being on my own, I found the place eerily quiet and decided to spend only one night. I made the most of my time on the island by renting a motor bike and finally after 6 months I drove one all by myself!! It was shockingly easy and I'm now contemplating buying a scooter to zip around on Cape Cod this summer. And despite the fog I still had stunning views of Halong Bay and the enormous limestone karsts.

{Ignore the selfie stick and instead focus on the crazy limestones in the water and the fact that I'm on a bike by myself}

Back in Hanoi the following night I knew that my time in Vietnam had come to an end. Saying goodbye to my favorite country wasn't easy and I was nervous that the rest of my trip wouldn't compare. With sadness and excitement I boarded a flight to Laos, deciding that the 30 hour bus journey was too much to handle, and jetted off to my 7th country of the trip. 

{Flight got cancelled 10 minutes prior to departure though and I got one final night in Nam!}

Arriving in Luang Prabang I had no idea what to expect and was very pleasantly surprised. The city was quaint and quiet with a touch of a French influence. April is dry season, hot season, and the end of tourist season so the city was quieter than usual but I enjoyed a few relaxing days after being caught up in the hustle and bustle of Hanoi. I visited the most beautiful waterfall I have ever seen, ate at a $1 vegetarian street food buffet every night and did yoga overlooking the river and mountains. I found myself a little bit bored after 4 days of relaxation though and booked a bus to Vang Vieng. 

4 hours in a mini van winding through mountains was slightly torturous and once I arrived in Vang Vieng I was so nauseous I had to go straight to sleep. I planned to spend 4 days in VV and ended up getting stuck for a full week as often happens on my travels. The landscape in Laos is beautiful and there is no shortage of activity in Vang Vieng. A pub crawl on tubes down a river, swimming lagoons, cycling, rock climbing, hiking there are lots of adventures to be had in that town. There's also lots of cheap street food and bars that play marathons of Friends and Family Guy all.day.long. It's a stoner's paradise so being lazy is quite easy as well. I found a nice balance of active days and lazy nights and was lucky enough to meet a group of friends in my hostel who quickly turned to family.

Two weeks came and went in Laos and before I could blink my eyes I was back in Bangkok, eating pad thai, drinking Chang, and spending hours at the spa. After 2 days in Bangkok, I reunited with a Dutch boy that I met during my travels in Vietnam and we headed north to Chiang Mai for Songkram (Thai new year) celebrations. The city shuts down for 4 days for this water festival and it turns into an all out war zone. You can't walk down the street without locals dumping buckets of water over your head and foreigners strapped with water guns spraying you down. It's really difficult to describe it, I don't know any country that has any sort of similar celebration but it is quite literally a 4 day water gun fight with an entire city. I spent every day roaming the streets armed with my hot pink Hello Kitty super soaker seeking revenge from every person that aimed in my direction. 

We just arrived in Pai and are planning to rent bikes and explore the surrounding area. I only have two weeks left on this amazing Southeast Asian journey and I plan to spend them all in Northern Thailand relaxing by a pool, doing yoga, eating delicious food, trying Muay Thai boxing, and of course spending the last of my budget on unnecessary clothing and accessories. It's going to be very difficult to leave this continent but knowing I have an excited welcome crew of friends and family will make it a bit easier.

Hoi an to Hanoi

Over a month in Vietnam and I'm still not ready to leave this place. The past two weeks have been just as wonderful and exciting as the first two, if not more so. After leaving the sandy oasis of Life's a Beach, Rose and I settled ourselves in Hoi An for a week of shopping and relaxation (a theme of my trip perhaps). I knew Hoi An would be my favorite city as everyone I've met has raved about it. It is a picturesque town with lanterns lining the streets and the friendliest locals I have met so far. With tailors on every corner of course I took full advantage and spent the majority of my days shopping. Tapping into my childhood dream of being a fashion designer, I designed some rompers and dresses and met the most lovely tailor to make them for me. I felt like I was on an episode of Project Runway, zipping around the streets looking at fabrics for my designs to come to life. Rose and I were lucky enough to meet Mie on our first day in the city. Not only did she make us beautiful clothing, she invited us to spend the day with her and her husband, taking the boat across the river to her hometown where we were invited into her mother's house and cooked a huge Vietnamese lunch. The generosity of locals never ceases to amaze me. It really is true that those who have the least give the most.

Hoi An is one of those places that I could see myself getting stuck for awhile but after a week of pretty much just shopping, eating, and going to the spa, Rose and I were itching for a little adventure again. We sent our bags to Hue, rented a motorbike, and headed North. The journey from Hoi An to Hue requires driving over a mountain range and along the Hai Van Pass, made famous by Top Gear. It is a stunning landscape to drive through and I'm happy I got to sit on the back of the bike and take it all in. As always with Rose and I, there was no shortage of excitement along the way. We stopped to fill up on gas along the mountain and after the woman already filled our tank she told us it would be 50,000VND ($2.50). We are well aware at this point that the price for 1liter is only 15-20k so we tried to argue this point and things escalated quickly. Fast forward 30 minutes and I have been pushed and slapped, Rose has been hit, bitten, and dragged off of the motorbike. This woman was an all out psychopath. I managed to stay out of the fight since I could hardly contain my laughter. In the end, the lady siphoned the gas out of the bike using her mouth and a plastic tube and we drove off.

We spent only one night in Hue as there isn't much to do and it was just a halfway point between Hoi An and Phong Nha. There is one main attraction in Hue which is the Royal Palace (I think?) so we figured we might as well check it out. We got to the entrance and had a serious conversation about whether or not the entrance fee was worth it. If its possible, I think I'm becoming even more of a cheapskate than before I left home. We walked up to the ticket booth and Rose non-chalantly says "one adult and one child please". Apparently I can't pass for 12 anymore, the lady laughed and shook her head. We took a picture and left.

The next 2 days were spent in Phong Nha, visiting some of the largest caves in the world. Hiking, biking, swimming, kayaking, zip lining, and getting head to toe covered in mud. Mother Nature is one fascinating lady! Per usual, Rose and I ran into some issues on the day we rented a bike to drive to two of the caves. We were originally given a scooter that was so tiny, Rose was more or less sitting on my lap while she drove. It broke down on a hill so we found ourselves sitting on the side of the road for 30 mins waiting for a new bike to come. The second bike was normal size and worked much better...until the sun was setting and we tried to head back to the hostel. The bike wouldn't start and we once again were waiting on the side of the road for a new one. The third bike was another baby scooter and as we were finally driving home, enjoying the beautiful sunset, we realized that the lights didn't work. I almost had to pull out a flashlight as a make shift headlight but we managed to stay close enough to other cars and bikes that we had some light and made it back. Then we dropped off the bike and the guy showed us the switch to turn on the lights...which worked perfectly. Oops.

I am now in Hanoi, the bustling capital in the north of Vietnam. Rose and I parted ways this morning as she's off to China and starting her journey home to Amsterdam via the Trans Mongolia Express. It was sad to say goodbye but now I can look forward to Amsterdam in the fall :)

I am surprised by how much I like Hanoi. I thought it was going to be dreary and freezing but the weather is the perfect mixture of hot and cold and the city is overflowing with action. The streets are packed with cars and bikes and food stands and locals selling everything you could possibly imagine.

Tonight I head to Sapa, a northern village with famous markets and stunning rice paddies. I'll end my time in Vietnam with a cruise through the infamous Halong Bay before returning to Hanoi and boarding a 30 hour bus to Laos. I don't know that I'll ever be ready to leave this country but there are more places calling my name and for the first time in 6 months, I have a limited amount of time left. I finally bit the bullet and booked a flight home! I'll let you all wonder when it is for a little longer though :)

Life's a Beach, I'm Just Playing in the Sand

I've been in Vietnam for just over 2 weeks and I am absolutely in love with it. I had no intentions of staying longer than 2-3 weeks and now I am already planning to get my visa extended because one month is just not enough time. I thought my travel bug had subsided but it seems I have been bit again! 

The journey began with a 2 day boat ride down the Mekong River from Cambodia and into Vietnam. I was very underwhelmed by the Mekong and found it to be a bit dirty. I was happy to arrive in Ho Chi Minh and experience the craziness that characterizes Saigon. Arriving during Chinese New Year, I spent the first few nights partying with new friends and celebrating Tet. I ended up staying in the city for 5 nights which was longer than planned but I was having such a good time I decided I didn't need to be in a rush. Visiting the war museum was eye opening and emotionally scarring for me. I found myself fighting back tears the entire time as I stared into the faces of those whose lives have been destroyed by a disgusting and unnecessary war with none other than my home country. I could go on for longer about my thoughts on the war but I'll save that for another day.

My friend Rose who I traveled through Burma with met up with me on the second day in Saigon and we have been traveling up the coast together. Our adventures have been endless and we aren't even half way up the country yet. Our first destination after HCMC was Dalat. We took the overnight bus from Ho Chi Minh expecting to arrive around 8am forgetting that the Vietnamese have no concept of time and instead we arrived at 5am, half asleep and freezing cold. We got the worst seats on the bus and while the 20 other passengers were comfortably sleeping, I felt like a popcorn kernel in the microwave bouncing and rolling around for 5 hours straight. We went to our hostel hoping they would have an open bed we could crawl into for a few hours...no such luck. Instead we found a lobby with 3 others already sleeping on a mattress on the floor and when we asked kindly if the boy could also fetch us a mattress or atleast some blankets and pillows we were met with a blank stare and shown the time repeatedly. Yes sir, we are very aware that it is now 5:30 in the morning, we have not slept and would like you to please provide us with a pillow. Communicating with Asians who don't speak English is like trying to use sign language with a blind person, it just doesn't work. We finally managed to clear off a wooden bench and secure ourselves a blanket and curled up in the fetal position for 2 hours before the entire hostel woke up and the day began.

Within 15 minutes of waking up from my 2 hours of sleep on a wooden plank, I was tying my sneakers and heading out for an action packed day of abseiling down rock cliffs and waterfalls. I was not entirely sure what I signed up for and once I saw the demonstration I had a mini panic attack. "I have no coordination when I'm this tired, I am totally going to be the one that falls and cracks their head open" was one of the thoughts going through my head. Good thing I have travel insurance! Knowing that it's all a mental game, I gave myself a little pep talk and stepped up to the plate. I successfully rappelled down an 18m rock wall into some frigid mountain water. It was so much fun! Once I did that, I was awake and ready for the rest of them. We slid down waterfalls like slides, jumped into white water pools and floated with the current through the mountains and up to a 25m waterfall. This time the fear got to me again as I watched the group in front of me hesitantly descend down with water plunging into their faces. A little Asian girl slipped within her first few steps and instead of trying to recover and stand up she sat there crying and yelling for help as the waterfall slammed into her head. I can not let this happen to me! I had to really hype myself up for this one, I considered skipping it but that would just be lame, I had to do it! My turn finally came and I am happy to report that I made it down without a hitch. I was actually surprised at how much easier I found it. I also had such a blast that I wanted to do it again! Instead I jumped 7m off of the next waterfall and floated down to the last 15m cliff. I had so much fun all day, I may have found myself a new hobby for the future.

A big family dinner with the hostel and quite a few bottles of wine called for a fun night and a not so fun morning and bus ride the next day. The road from Dalat to Mui Ne looks something like this: pothole, 5 feet, pothole, 3 feet, pothole...you get the idea. For FIVE HOURS. It was miserable. Anyways we made it to Mui Ne, a small beach town overcome by Russians with a beautiful coastline and sand dunes to marvel at. It's a main destination for kite surfers which was our reason for going since Rose is into that. I spent my days lounging by the pool or riding a quad along the sand dunes. Another favorite new hobby! Vietnam is becoming my little playground and I'm just having so much fun.

From Mui Ne to Hoi An is about 16 hours on the bus so we thought we would stop at some other coastal towns along the way to break up the journey. We spent a night in Nha Trang, another Russian beach town that is actually much nicer than Mui Ne but was desolate and therefore quite boring. Yesterday we left Nha Trang for Quy Nhon, another rather quiet and boring beach town. I have been pleasantly surprised by the parks in Vietnam. Almost every town we have been to has had a wonderfully landscaped park on the waterfront and has made the chore of going for a run much easier. Our main destination is the tiny village of Bai Xep 10km south of Quy Nhon and we were very eager to finally get there this morning after 2 nights in uneventful places. After a nice morning run we got on what we thought was the correct bus only to realize 45 minutes later that we were going in the wrong direction and were now 40km away instead of 10. I can't help but laugh in these situations. They are frustrating but with the right attitude, they are just another part of the adventure. After 2 hours on the bus we finally made it to Life's a Beach, a quaint little guesthouse right on the water. It is absolutely magical and I fell in love the second I walked through the gates. Worth the 2 days of traveling? Yes. The ocean is the most magnificent shade of blue and there are cliffs and rocks and fishing boats and smiling children and I'm just so happy to be here! For $6 including breakfast tomorrow morning, we are spending the night in hammocks. I am so excited! Right now I am sitting on a bamboo bed in the sand, looking out over the ocean at hundreds of tiny sparkling lights dotting the horizon and listening to the waves crash on the shore with an almost full moon in the sky above me. My mermaid heart is full! Life is just so perfect sometimes I can't do anything but smile.

Finding Center in Cambodia

After leaving Burma, I was feeling a bit lost on my journey. I was tired of traveling and missed the comforts of home. To be honest, I was ready to throw in the towel and buy a one way back to Boston. But I knew that as much as I missed home, my time out here was not over yet. I returned to Bangkok for a week of relaxing before deciding where I would go next. I got a one week pass to a nice gym, worked out and did yoga everyday, had 6 thai massages, and of course did some more shopping. I finally felt more myself and was excited to continue my travels. I had been wanting to do a yoga retreat for awhile so when I received an email that there was one spot left for a 5 day retreat in Cambodia I took that as a nudge from the universe. Cambodia was one of the countries that didn't really call to me as a place I cared to visit and for that reason I knew I would probably end up loving it. Right I was!

The yoga retreat was a nice continuation of the healthy lifestyle I had tried to re-obtain in Bangkok and a great way to meet some like minded travelers on similar journeys. Daily asana and meditation practice plus 3 vegan meals a day and sleeping in an open air bamboo hut was the perfect way to kick off my time in Cambodia. I left the retreat feeling similar to when I left Bali, centered and grounded and ready for the next adventure.

Back in the dusty city of Siem Reap, I made my way to the Temples of Angkor. World renowned, breath taking architecture paired with rich history made for a memorable experience. I watched the sunrise over Angkor Wat, the world's largest religious building and was awe struck by the collision of nature and architecture. The temples are so old that enormous trees have grown in the ruins, intertwining Mother Nature with one of man's most impressive creations. 

I wasn't planning to spend much more time in the country but when numerous people started telling me about the island of Koh Rong I thought I might as well check it out. 15 hours of bus travel later and I was sitting on the speed ferry headed for the island in the Gulf of Thailand. Koh Rong is a mixture of laid back beach atmosphere and a hard core party scene. Upon first stepping off the ferry I can't say that I was extremely impressed. The beach was loaded with bars and backpackers and felt too crowded for my liking. However a few minutes down the beach and I found some peace and quiet. A treacherous 45 minute hike through the jungle brings you to one of the most beautiful beaches I have ever seen. Rightfully named Long Beach, as all of my favorite beaches seem to be, the sand is so white and pure that it squeaks under your feet as you walk. The water is crystal blue and even swimming over my head I was able to see the ocean floor. 

By far the best experience I had on Koh Rong was on my second to last night. I went out with some friends from the yoga retreat for a delicious pizza and wine dinner followed by a dance party on the beach. Dancing in the sand under the moonlight in front of the DJ booth, we all decided to sneak off and go skinny dipping in the ocean. The water was as warm as a bathtub and once we started splashing about we realized dozens and dozens of glowing dots all around us. Almost like an ocean filled with glitter, we were surrounded by phosphorescent plankton! It was one of the coolest experiences of my life.

After 5 nights on Koh Rong, I had enough of the island and made my way to the capital city of Phnom Penh. It is here that the gruesome S-21 prison and killing fields are located. It is amazing to learn about the genocide that this country went through less than 40 years ago. In school we are taught about the world wars and the holocaust and yet the mass detainment and killing that occurred during the Khmer Regime in Cambodia are not mentioned once. Visiting the museum and the killing fields is a heart breaking experience. The traumas that were endured are unthinkable and what is even worse is that it was Cambodians killing other Cambodians. You go on the tour and you sort of float through, listening to the horror stories but not really comprehending them. And then there is a moment where one detail rocks you to the core and suddenly you feel sick that such an event could ever take place. For me that moment was during the tour of the killing fields when we came to "the killing tree" located next to a mass grave. At this tree, babies were held upside down by their feet as their heads were bashed against the tree, bludgeoning their skulls before they were tossed into the pit to the right. This was done in front of their mothers, who stood helpless, naked from the rape they had just endured, watching the final torture before they themselves were mercilessly killed and tossed into the pit along with their children. My entire body had chills when I heard about this. It is sickening and heart wrenching. These are the stories that make you grateful for the life you have been granted. I try to remember these stories when I am having a particularly rough day as it puts things into perspective pretty quickly.

The rest of my days in Phnom Penh I have spent running along the river, taking yoga workshops, getting massages, and dining with new friends. I am enjoying the calm and centered feeling that I so often take for granted at home. Traveling does not allow you to have a routine, it forces you out of your comfort zone and it can sometimes feel like life is a big whirlwind and you're trying to hold on. My time in Cambodia has been much needed and I've realized that there are certain things I must do in order to maintain my balance during a time in my life where there is no structure and spontaneity rules all. It's amazing how much better I feel after a quick run, a yoga class, or some meditation on the beach. It is so important that I remember that this journey is all about me. Taking the time to do things that center me, make me feel happy, and nourish my mind and body is a major priority. 

I have loved my time in Cambodia, a beautiful country with even more beautiful people, and I am sad to leave but I must continue forward. Tomorrow I will take a 2 day boat journey down the Mekong River and into Vietnam. I will arrive in Saigon just in time for the New Year celebrations! Looking forward to good food, rich culture, more beaches, and custom made clothing! Cheers to another country down and another one to look forward to!

The children in Cambodia are the sweetest!

Had a massage and was wondering why the man was running his fingers through my hair afterwards- you can't see the mini braids but I walked out with a full up-do!

Minding myself in Myanmar

My experience in Myanmar has been vastly different than the other countries I've visited. To be honest, I don't really like it that much. I've had a hard time admitting it because I feel for some reason that I must love every place I go and talk excitedly with other travelers about how marvelous it is. But I just don't love it here. It is an extremely corrupt and impoverished country and I've felt very outside of my comfort zone. I am grateful to experience it, to understand how much of the world lives, and I am beyond grateful for all of the blessings in my life that these people could not even dream of. 

It hasn't all been unpleasant. The street food in Yangon was delicious. Sharing a border with India means there is a lot of Indian influence on the cuisine and it is a vegetarian paradise. At the same time there are parts of this country, Bago in particular, that actually feel like you are in India. Complete sensory overload; cars, trucks, busses, motorbikes, cows, and bicycles all crowd the streets honking and yelling and blowing black fumes into the air. It's hard to believe I ever had any reservations about riding a bike on the streets of Boston! After peddling along that crowded highway I think I could handle biking in any major US city. I felt so dirty in the 2 days that we were in Bago. I refused to eat at any of the restaurants and survived instead on bananas and avocados, the only foods I could find with skin and therefore felt safe to eat. 

Arriving in Bagan in the middle of the night with no place to sleep, I had resolved to change my flight to an earlier date. I had all but reached my breaking point when we found a comfortable guest house that opened its doors and let us stay the night free of charge. The next day we walked through the market and had a real meal at a nice (and clean) restaurant. Bagan is much quieter and cleaner than Bago and I felt my trip turning around. We climbed to the top of the highest temple at 5:30am to watch the sunrise over the city, saw hot air balloons floating through the sky, and we watched the sunset from the top of a pagoda while chit chatting with some friendly locals. If the rest of the country is anything like Bagan, I thought, I'll actually really like it here.

A 7 hour bus ride brought us from Bagan to Kalaw, the starting point for the 3 day trek to Inle Lake. There really is nothing in Kalaw and the only reason for going is to trek. We ran into a lot of rain the next day and had to postpone our trek. Although the day was extremely boring, I welcomed it because it wasted a day of our trip. It's awful but everyday I wake up and think about how many days we have left to endure. I have a countdown in my head of when these 3 long weeks will be over. Even though I have been enjoying some of them, for the most part I can't wait to leave. Part of me wishes that I saved this country for last because being here has made me want nothing else but to go home. I want to feel clean again, I want to sleep in a comfortable bed, I want to use a toilet that I can actually sit on and not a hole in the ground. I want to make my own food, take a proper shower, and see all of my friends. I want all of the comforts of America and none of the people who constantly insult where I come from. 

But. I just can't go home yet. I still have too much to see here and although I have my moments, as every backpacker does, I truly do love traveling. Plus it's cold at home and I want no part of that. 

There are 11 days left on the countdown. We are finished with day 1 of the trek, 15km down and another 38 to go. Sleeping on the floor of a local villager's hut with no electricity and no running water. I think to myself, I am so lucky to have been born where I was born. I can't wait to get to Inle Lake, it is supposed to be breathtaking and despite my overall lack of enthusiasm for this country, I am actually really looking forward to it.

Update: We finished the trek today. My toes are covered in painful blisters and I think it will take a few more showers until I actually feel clean again. The boat ride across the lake to the main village was beautiful- a placid lake surrounded by mountains. I've been here for less than 2 hours though and I am already bored. 9 days left, there is no way I can make it. I am putting my stubbornness aside, throwing in the towel and booking a flight back to Bangkok for tomorrow morning. Afterall if I'm not enjoying myself then what am I doing here? 

Hello 2015!

I spent the last day of 2014 laying on the beach and rang in 2015 watching the fireworks and partying on the beach. It's hard to believe the year is over. 2014 brought some major life changes for me. I quit my job and moved out of the apartment in Boston where I lived for 3 years, broke up with my best friend who I dated for 5 years, and I bought a one way ticket to Southeast Asia. I moved home to the Cape and waitressed to fund my dreams of traveling the world. In the meantime I strengthened old friendships and created new ones. I fell in love with my home all over again and learned to appreciate the beauty that constantly surrounds me. I became a certified yoga instructor, I swam with sea turtles, I got scuba certified, I bathed in waterfalls, and I danced for hours on the beach under a canopy of stars. I lost friends and I made friends. There were highs and lows, as is usual, but one thing is for sure it was a year of transformation for me and I don't think 2015 will be any different. I'm not dwelling on the past nor am I anticipating the future. Instead, I am focusing on the present and living in the moment.

After treating ourselves to a bottle of wine and a fancy dinner for Christmas Eve on Koh Tao, Laura and I took off for Koh Phangan. Known for the famous Full Moon Party, the island is filled with 20-somethings in neon shirts and body paint, ready to rage at any hour of the day. We went to the full moon party on Christmas and had an absolute blast. Thailand being such a popular destination for Europeans, I found myself speaking Italian, Spanish, and a mix of other languages all night. I was fascinated by the fire shows, with young Thai boys tossing flame colored ropes into the sky, twirling them around and managing to not get burned. Then there were the fire jump ropes which are exactly what they sound like. A massive jump rope engulfed in flames and the brave souls who risk a 3rd degree burn to get a good picture.

Koh Phangan was fun and there is a lot more to do than party. The farther north you go on the island, the prettier the beaches get and the more yoga and health centric spots start popping up. We stayed on the island for a few days, zipping up and down the coast on our motor bike, before deciding we wanted to explore the Indian Ocean side of Thailand. So now we are on Koh Phi Phi (pronounced Pee Pee) and have been doing little more than sunbathing everyday. This island is stunning and the weather has been perfect so we are taking full advantage and getting our tanning time in. Made famous by the Leo Dicaprio movie, The Beach, Phi Phi is a tiny island with no cars and a mixture of backpackers and vacationers. 

I am so sad that our Thailand adventure is quickly coming to an end and Laura is leaving me in a week. She has been the perfect travel companion, always on the same page as me, and I'm going to miss her so much when she goes! As for me, I have 8 days before they can legally kick me out of the country and I don't quite know where I'm going yet. If the Myanmar website would work and I could secure my eVisa then I would say I'm going to Burma but so far I've had no luck. As always, I have faith that things will work out the way they are supposed to and the universe will nudge me in the right direction. :)