:: T H A I L A N D

When the opportunity to travel to a new country, a moment in the world, crafted by God, arises, financially willing, I never decline. As with many trips before (and I am sure those to follow), such was the case with my last, most recent trip to Thailand.

Stars, moons, planets and coins in alignment, a 10-day Southeast Asian adventure was planned. The first half to be spent with a larger group of friends and the second half a “Bestie” vacay – breakaway. Thailand was sure to be filled with not only rest & relaxation but also nothing but good times, good vibes and good people.

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Starting our trek in Bangkok, Thailand, we skirted our through the inner city-life of this magnificent country. A motor-bike colored city, Bangkok was marked by the symbolic powered up mopeds that carried, many times than not, entire families to and from various destinations. Corners packed with street carts full of traditional Thai delights, Bangkok was like a New York City on steroids. Yet, unlike New York City, Bangkok’s traditional architecture left a constant reminder that the city was once a city that sprung from the ornate. The skyscrapers and modern structures of today were not the ONLY face of the bustling city. Bangkok, like many cities beyond the borders of America, was a wondrous juxtaposition of old world vs. new world.

A sight,

Worth seeing.

We did just that. Filled our days with sightseeing and our nights with comrade-ry. Our Bangkok experience was full of amazing Thai cuisine, drinks, sticky rice, souvenir bargaining, and at times, moments of being shaded by Thai people watching us struggle to make sense of what it is they were saying. We got close to elephants – some pet, fed and bathed elephants – rode in Tuk Tuks, zoomed by in the streets of Bangkok with no regard to street lanes and found ourselves encountering some of the nicest people on earth. Endless laughs and wonderful memories, the first half of the trip was truly one for the record books. Not to mention, it was also filled with GOOD SLEEP. You never realize how good sleep truly is when you don’t have to wake in a rush to do anything.

From there, my best friend, Anetra, and I parted ways with the larger group to begin our second half of our Thailand experience. Opting to keep our journey in Thailand, versus venturing with the larger group to Cambodia and Vietnam, we decided to take our show on the road to Phuket, Thailand. Sparing a day to visit the Phi Phi islands, Phuket was meant for pure R E L A X A T I O N.

Sleeping in late, sipping cocktails by the infinity pool, walks along the beach, late-night TV watching, more sleeping, and of course eating and sightseeing, Phuket was nothing be peaceful. And even despite our resort experiencing low-tide majority of our stay there, it was a stunningly gorgeous city. Tree-lush, the green in Phuket was never ending. Unlike any place I’ve ever been, the beauty was almost too much to comprehend – especially during our day trip to the Phi Phi Islands – which, on its own was painfully stunning. We ate fresh cashews in just about every flavor possible, pet and played with tigers, saw wild monkeys close up, had our skin brutalized by the bites of giant mosquitoes, and even learned to cook a full course Thai meal. We experienced the great joy of simply spending time with just each other – and even fit in some alone time for ourselves. It was truly a one of kind vacation.

Not wanting the trip to end, we closed out our Thailand adventures back in Bangkok with an easy day of light shopping and of course more eating and sleeping. Infused with new memories, new inside jokes, and just good vibes, Thailand was a trip well worth the wait.

A country like no other, Thailand was a respite.

A treat for the soul.

Ceaselessly beautiful in every sense and aspect of the word, Thailand was the perfect mental break from the everyday drudgery of American life.

In a constant state of awe, I took in all Thailand had to offer us. And I cherished it all.

I’ll be back again, someday.

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:: Post Rationalizing(s)

“Blessed are the curious for they shall have adventures.”

― Lovelle Drachman ―