Tanned Buns In Thailand
There's a cluster of photos that have somehow made it into the default settings of computers all over the world (look here). It's of the pristine waters and beautiful rock formations of Koh Phi-Phi Leh. Every time I stumbled across one of these photos I longingly acknowledged its beauty but never thought I'd see it in person. It just seemed too far away.
But I'm happy to say I was wrong!
Coming all the way from Miami and having chosen the most ridiculous travel route possible it took over 30 hours to arrive at my destination, but I'd do it all over again if that meant I could relive this trip. Exploring this beautiful part of the world reminded me that finding paradise on earth is very much possible.
I traveled to Thailand with the Australian based tour company Contiki! Having traveled to Europe with them before, and knowing their reputation of attracting young and open-minded people I knew this would be a great way to make the best out of my short stay in the country! With Contiki, all transportation, hotels and fun touristy things are planned out for you by the assigned tour manager so that basically eliminates 90% of the stressful factors of traveling. The tour manager assigned to our trip was great at anticipating the things we wanted to do and was a delight to interact with, so he heightened an already great experience! This trip allowed me to meet and interact with people from all over the world and reinforced my thought that we're all more alike than we are different.
In less than a week I managed to have heart-to-hearts with individuals who were mere strangers just a few days prior and looking back on that, it's a bit weird because at home it sometimes feels impossible to form genuine bonds with people I see every day, but I managed to achieve this with people from across the globe in just a few days. Not only did we get drunk together, but we found the time to talk about what we did back home, watch each other get tattoos, give each other relationship advice, and make each other feel like we were exactly where we needed to be. We spent the holidays together, so naturally, we began to feel like a little family!
NYE!
Contiki Fam!
Maya Bay Beach with these beauties!
Always say YES to buckets!
One thing I was worried about when traveling to Thailand (and India) was my lack of experience with spicy foods. While at home I typically avoid anything that makes my tongue feel fiery, but I wanted to be open to everything Thailand had to offer so I said yes to everything. I will admit that I did start off by ordering my food by saying "little spicy" but everything usually came back spicy AF anyway, so I slowly began to build up my palette to handle hotness in my dishes even if I wasn't necessarily trying to. Now that I'm back to my normal routine I find myself purposely trying spicy dishes and I have Thailand to thank for that. I finally understand the appreciation that others find in adding hot peppers to their food.
My lips were half a size bigger after I finished this spicy Grouper but it was so worth it!
Thailand was the first country I've ever been to in South East Asia and one of the things I was most excited about was delving into the Buddhist religion. Although I haven't delved fully into Buddhism, I am aware of its core principles and I truly appreciate them. I was so curious to see what people who followed this faith were like, how they interacted with one another, and with themselves. My brief visit did provide me with the opportunity to see that Thai people were kind, peaceful, and self-aware. It seems to me that the overwhelmingly Buddhist population has ingrained Buddha's teachings and go about their lives with certain ethics at the forefront. While in Thailand I always felt safe, welcome, and present. So, as great and beautiful as the temples I visited were, what I loved the most is how the Thai people embodied Buddha's teachings.
I really loved exploring the Thai Islands and I know that I'll be back to explore the country better soon. More than anything, I'm glad that I let go and was present on this trip. This was the main reason behind why this trip was so great for me. Nothing was able to permeate my wall of intense appreciation for just being there. I constantly thought of my privilege and could not find it in my conscious to complain about a single thing- I'm going to keep this mentality in all of my future travels. Being in Thailand constantly reminded me of how great my life really was. I remember looking out the back of a boat as it speedily trailed out of Maya Bay and thinking "There are so many people suffering at this very second, but I get to see this. What have I done to be so lucky?".
I write all of this to say, save up your money and make your way out to Thailand. Like, ASAP.
When in Thailand and on your 2nd bucket, get body painted!
*For the sake of transparency, I have to let you know that I could've traveled Thailand with a fraction of what I paid Contiki, so if you're on a budget and their prices fall above what you'd like to spend please don't get discouraged! Traveling throughout this country is extremely affordable and you can find ways to have a great time without breaking the bank.*