the wind down

We landed in Chiang Mai at about 11:40 am on Thursday. There we were met by a driver sent over from our hotel. We're staying at the Vanilla Place and this place was the best find. It is truly a little hidden treasure. The rooms are comfortable, but what really makes it special is the couple who own it. They are absolutely the most helpful and accommodating people. We are definitely enjoying our stay. Yesterday once we got here we took a truck down a road and looked at some factories and saw how thai silk was made, a gem and silver shop and a few other things. We then wandered around a night market and I bought a wonderful handmade quilt. Dad and Mom needed a break from Thai food, and guess where we ate for dinner....Pizza Hut. (i'm not kidding) Then we headed in, made arrangements for Friday and called it a night.

Friday, wow, it's been quite the day. We woke up and at 7 am were in the back of a truck headed to an Elephant Conservation Camp called Maetaman Elephant Camp. It was a wonderful camp. We started with getting up close and personal with the elephants and got to ride them around for a few minutes totally bare back and then watched as they painted a pictures and kicked soccer balls around (...this really happened). We then went on about a 30 or 45 minute elephant riding trek where they took us to a little hill tribe market. We then took an ox cart back to the camp for lunch. (The ox looked like a weird breed of cow/camel/droopy rabbit ears...they were strange) We had a delicious lunch (Khao Soi is SO GOOD!!) We then got on a Bamboo raft and headed down the river. Sounds like a pretty good day right....it's not even close to being over yet. We then went to the Tiger Kingdom. There we got to play with baby two baby tigers and got to be inside with 3 HUGE tigers. Did you know the big tigers sleep 18 hours a day? Needless to say the baby tigers were much more playful. We finished up the day by visiting a monkey camp where we got to play with this adorably tiny baby monkey and feed a bunch or really obnoxious grown up ones. We headed back to the hotel and had dinner at a really good restaurant called Lemongrass.

The next day we went up to Chiang Rai & the Golden Triangle where Burma, Thailand and Laos meet. It was a lot of driving but definitely worth it. We got to see the White temple, the hill tribes, and ate amazing Burmese Curry. We then packed up our bags and got ready to head back to Bangkok to head home.

I wish we would have taken pictures of me an my ridiculous about of baggage at the airport because it was quite the site, especially because my bags were bright red and striped. But the flight went well and we are now safe at home. (Oh, I got a lovely welcome back to America as i almost got hit by a car coming out of LAX...definitely my fault I wasn't looking for a light, in Asia you just walk) Needless to say I've got some reverse culture shock coming my way.

parents and pretty flowers

Mom and Dad did it, they made it to Thailand. They got here on Monday and we just kind of wandered around town, met the most amazing tuk tuk driver "Jackie," got some good thai food, and called it an early night. Oh yeah, and dad got fitted for a new suit, and I got measured for a skirt and dress. We are really excited to see how they come out. Tuesday Jackie rented a car and took us out to Ayutthaya. It was amazing to see the ruins, the second time for me, but first for my parents and Jackie (can you believe it, he's lived here his whole life and never been able to see the ruins of the old capitol). We then had lunch on the river. It was a fun adventure for all of us, and I saw a lot of things I hadn't seen before. Afterwards Jackie took us to a ton of the temples in and around Bangkok, most of which I'd never seen or even heard of. It was a long day, and we ended it by getting some lovely dinner and a foot massage. Wednesday, we woke up and went to the Royal Palace and Emerald Buddha temple. We then lounged around the pool, went to our fitting and ended out day wandering around the flower market.Orchids are my favorite flower, they happen to be expensive and difficult to grow in the states, they grow like weeds here. I bought a big bunch of them for 30THB (=$1). Then bright and early Thursday morning we were at the airport on our way to Chiang Mai. Off to adventure number 2!

happiness

"Happiness is the consequence of personal effort. You fight for it, strive for it, insist upon it, and sometimes even travel around the world looking for it. You have to participate relentlessly in the manifestations of your own blessings. And once you have achieved a state of happiness, you must never become lax about maintaining it. You must make a mighty effort to keep swimming upward into that happiness forever, to stay afloat on top of it."
— Elizabeth Gilbert (Eat, Pray, Love)

Thailand, we've had a good run.

Everything I have owned for the past 5 months is in a bag. I’m going home with at least double what I came with…so getting it all into bags was not an easy task, but it has successfully been done. My parents will be here in the morning, I just want to go to sleep now so that it comes faster. I’m so excited for them to be here. We will then enjoy a 12 day adventure together. Bangkok – Chiang Mai – Koh Samui. It will be fabulous, then we are on a plane back to the states. That thought still seems so surreal to me. I’m going home, but I feel like I’m leaving home as well. Thailand has become home, it’s going to be really bitter-sweet to leave. I have no doubt that I will be back here, probably sooner rather than later.

Thailand, we’ve had a good run. It’s been an indescribable experience, parts of which only those who were with me will ever really understand. I’ve met so many incredible people, and made some lifelong friends. I came here alone, but never for a second did I actually feel lonely. I’ve learned so much about life, culture, others and most importantly myself. I’ve grown and discovered so much in the past 5 months. Things didn’t always go perfectly, but looking back everything was perfect. I wouldn’t have changed a thing.