Looking back, looking forward

As I sit here in one of my favorite coffee shops outside San Francisco, I am finally getting the time to reflect. The past couple days since I arrived back on American soil have been intense; I have been on an emotional roller coaster with all the culture differences, not to mention that I haven't really slept.

As I look back on the past four months of my life I remember the first month was the most intense month. It was overwhelming to show up in a huge foreign city with very little plan and hope to settle quickly.  It was a daily struggle to search for a place to call home, learn the language/culture, deal with the emotions of missing home and to enjoy the moment. It was definitely one of the toughest months of my life.

As life started to unfold itself, it felt out of control yet exhilarating. Determining my steps was changing daily. I had no idea what direction to step in, but by the grace of God, plans started to fall into place. Emotions were high and Jenn definitely didnt see the most beautiful parts of me, but in hindsight, the challenges of moving to another country and culture with one of your best friends forced me to see really hard things about myself and catapulted me to personal growth in ways that I never expected. There were parts of myself I never wanted to acknowledge and was forced to.

As I went to Vietnam and Cambodia, I had very little expectation and was allowed to truly enjoy the outcome. It was one of the funnest months of my life and such a unique/defining opportunity. I can also describe my trip to Bali as life changing. After months of pressing myself to face reality, it all culminated in Bali. My questions of myself were answered and I feel as if I was given a new hope for the future. Clarity at its finest.

As I look forward, I am excited about the potential. I want to embrace life and myself in a different way. I want to feel more. I want to express more. I am walking towards it; I want to be more of me.

My time in South East Asia has changed me in many ways, many of which are so subtle that I may only realize them years from now. Home and safety has a new meaning. Im grateful for the people who have inspired me, hoped for me, allowed me to just 'be' and continue to love me. Thank you.

Phi Phi island one more time

Phi Phi island has been so good to me. Heather and I rented out the cutest little bungalow that was seconds from the beach front and found ourselves making friends with two sets of Swedish neighbors. It turns out that tons of Swedish people travel to Thailand, specifically Phi Phi island for some reason, during this time of year because its pretty dark and cold in Sweden right now. We had a ton of fun with the boys (yes, they were all boys; the ratio on the island of boys to girls was awesome for us). We spent most of our time with the guys chatting about the differences in our lives, our cultures, politics and so on. They say that their view of Americans has changed because of us in a good way, which we are very proud of! We ended hanging out with them almost every day, having fun each night and ended up also not sleeping during "normal" hours. Beach life is a very different life!


One of the days on the island, we rented a long tail boat with our new found friends and went to go snorkel/watch the sunset from the water. We went to an island called Bamboo Island and just relaxed for a couple hours. It was one of the most beautiful, uninhabited places I had ever been. The water was 5 shades of blue, the waves lightly crashing, the sand was white and the sun was hitting the rocks perfectly as I walked around to bask in the beauty. This day was also the 3rd anniversary of my dad's death so it was very special for me to be able to honor this day in such a peaceful, unique way.

One of my favorite parts of my trip has been the languages, the cultures and the many things I have learned from others around the world.  I imagine that it is going to be quite strange for me to hear so much clear English for the first couple weeks when I get home because I am so used to hearing different languages all around me and at all times. I love being in a part of the world where so many cultures and languages collide. It makes me realize how little I know and inspires me to learn more.

As we are back in in Bangkok to do some site seeing and shopping, my time is dwindling. We are headed to the Banyan Tree hotel tonight to enjoy a drink on top of the 61st floor of the hotel. It supposedly has an incredible rooftop view over Bangkok as you enjoy dinner and drinks. As I prepare to leave in a day my heart is sad that this time of my life has come to an end, but way more excited to be home and see what the future holds!

Its a beautiful life

I wrote this blog on Dec. 5 but didnt have internet available until today to post this:


As my final week approaches in south east asia, Heather has come to visit me. Its been awesome to culminate my trip with my best friend. I thought it would be really fun to take her back to the phi phi islands, which I feel in love with a month ago when Erin was visiting. They are so incredibly beautiful and fun.

We have had some really awesome conversations so far that have really helped me to realize some things that have been stirring in my brain and heart over the last 4 months. The questions and reasons why I came to Thailand are being answered in awesome ways. When clarity comes, it is refreshing, life-giving and hopeful. I have to take some big steps in the next year to challenge myself and walk in a new, free and loving direction. It is scary but hopeful.

I have had some intensely hard and lonely moments during my time in south east Asia, but those times have allowed me to ask myself the hard questions. I feel like through the hard moments, my trip has become that much more beautiful. Who in the world gets the chance and opportunity to do what I have done?! I feel so grateful and fortunate.

I am healthy, peaceful and so loved. Life is serene in this time and place.

Seminyak, Bali

I just spent the last two days learning how to surf. Bali has some of the best surfing, for all levels. The weather here is just perfect for surfing as well. Surfing was hard, tiring and fun! I had a great time attempting to be flexible, strong and energetic!  I'm actually really satisfied with my performance, considering it was my first time.  To be any good at it would definitely take alot of practice though!

Bali is diverse, energetic and dynamic. The Balinese/Indonesian people are so rich in culture; its beautiful to watch their lives and how deeply rooted they are. It sounds weird, but they are so connected; with themselves, eachother and nature. Just watching them you can tell there is something different about these people. When I took my first surfing lesson, the instructors were showing us how to lift yourself and stand on the board. If you are not flexible (like me!) than it becomes a problematic task to bend your knees and keep both feet planted on the ground. They moved with such ease into these positions and when I was telling them later about taking a week of yoga, they said "can you teach us yoga?! come back and teach us yoga!!" I found it so funny becuase they were already way conscious of yoga than me simply by growing up here,in Bali!!!!

As I leave Bali and head back to Bangkok, I am thankful for an incredible experience. My time here has been exactly what I was hoping for; I have pushed myself to try new things, been refreshed, rejuvenated and set free in some ways too. I want to come back. This is one of the few places along the way that has drawn me in a special way.  All the places have been unique and beautiful in their own way but Bali has more to offer me.

On to my next adventure....Heather is coming!!!!! yyyyyyyaaaaaaayyyyy!

craniosacral therapy in Ubud, Bali

One of the teachers at the yoga studio I have been going to for the last week does craniosacral therapy as well. I have always wanted to do craniosacral therapy and see what happens. According to definition, 'craniosacral therapy is an alternative session involving the therapist placing their hands on the patient, which they say allows them to tune into what they call the craniosacral system'. In my terms, its an energy flowing session; it allows energy to flow and be released according to the bodies needs. Going into the session I figured it could be either a bunch of crap or a cool experience.


So, in the session, I laid on her table for 2 hours while she "worked" on my body.  It was invigorating, stimulating and so fascinating.  I felt this electricity run through my body that Ive never really paid attention to and really enjoyed my time. It was deeply relaxing.  After the session, Cat (the therapist) gave me a debriefing and said that my body is really sensitive and responds really well to this kind of work.  I was in a different, peaceful state of mind for the next couple days. 


I also wanted to come to Bali to give yoga a fair shot.  I have heard all the beneficial side effects of yoga and have not given yoga the time to be something transforming in my life.  So I wanted to immerse myself in yoga for a week and see what happened. I did yoga atleast once a day for 6 days, sometimes several times a day.  It was hard to not give up (because I am not flexible at all!) but the results are awesome.  After just one week, I feel like a lighter, relaxed, energized new person!


The point of me writing all this is to summarize my time in Ubud.....I came to a unique place in my journey.  Up to this point in my life, I have known I was sensitive and have become more aware as time passes at my strong efforts to avoid this fact. I have avoided dealing with my body or being connected to my body for a long time.  This has also become apparent to me in Bangkok with all my food issues. My week in Ubud, Bali was healing, satisfying and freeing.  I am eager to continue my journey in wholeness...


I am now in Kuta/Seminyak, Bali.  I have several surfing lessons over the next couple days and a great hotel so I'm excited to relax, enjoy and BE.

Bali, first couple days

I got to Bali a couple days ago and went straight to Ubud to start my yoga/detox/alone time. Ubud is this artsy, healthy community on the inland of Bali. So, Im not next to the beach (that comes in a couple days!). Alot of the natives here speak English really well because this is such a commercialized area of Bali, in alot of ways.  Its the place to find yoga, health food, spas, spiritual guidance...you name it in the arena of new age!!!

I came here through balispirit.com and they set up all my accommodation, spa treatments and yoga classes. The place I've been taking yoga classes offers classes basically all day long so you can come whenever you want. I told myself that I would give yoga a fair shot; that I would really attempt it and take it in.  Its been two full days now of yoga, and Im having my doubts that I will ever be a 'yogi.' Im just not flexible and alot of yoga is painful for me.  I don't know what happened to all those years of dance and gymnastics, but I no longer have any flexibility to me. Its been a bit frustrating and quite embarrassing to say the least, but also enlightening as I find parts of myself that need to be released.  What do I mean by that?!  Well, I have noticed alot of stored emotion in the last couple days and as I find myself in certain positions during yoga, I just start crying. Interesting...

On the other hand, I have had several spa treatments here and they are to die for!! The U.S. has no idea what its doing when it comes to spa treatments, come to find out. And its SO much cheaper!!  They actually pamper you, touch you and know how to work with your body.  Today I got a spa treatment called the Ayurvedic. As you walk into the treatment rooms, it has a table, a shower and a tub overlooking rice paddies with the windows open. In Bali, you get completely naked and they massage you pretty much everywhere. Its not like the states in that sense, you must be very comfortable being naked. You lay on your stomach first for an hour, than your back and then you sit while they massage you once more.  The fun part about my treatment today was that it focused on my chakras. So, the massage oil was put on my chakras first and then I was massaged according to these seven energy points in my body. Then you get a warm oil slowly dripped on your 'third eye' in between your eyebrows. The Indian yogis call this shirdara and it restores calm and vital balance to the mind and nervous system. It is supposed to enhance self awareness. After the massage, I was scrubbed down and then sat in a tub filled with water and flowers to relax while overlooking rice paddies and lush greenery!(and while drinking fresh juice.)  They end the treatment with a shampoo.  It was 4 hours of heaven...

The people here are so fascinating too.  It attracts alot of spiritual people.  I was sitting in the coffee shop yesterday and this girl sat next to me and started asking me about my kindle (my electronic book). We started talking and she started telling me her story; shes from California and travels quite a bit with her 'partner' (its a man) and teaches tantra. For those of you that dont know what tantra is, its basically sexual healing/energy/some would say yoga; living out of your sexual being. She told me alot about it and it was so funny to notice that while she was talking to me, she was also very comfortable touching herself in those 'private' areas. I was simply speechless trying to take it all in...

I'm really grateful to be around people that understand health food. Bangkok does not have any clue what health food is, so its been refreshing to eat what I normally eat at home and feel healthier.

We will see what the next couple days brings, it should be interesting, challenging and enlightening!!!

Hong Kong-ing it up

I just arrived back to Bangkok from Hong Kong this afternoon.  Im leaving in the morning for Bali. Talk about living out of a suitcase...

I absolutely fell in love with Hong Kong. Its a place I have always wanted to visit and when I found out that my friend Sarah was studying abroad there, I basically made her say it was ok for me to visit!!! Haha! We had a great time together.  She had class all of the days I was there, so we spent the evenings together and I spent the days in the city.

I think one of my favorite things about Hong Kong was the food. Sarah enjoys food like I do, so it was awesome to share meals and go to our favorite cuisines. The first night I was there, we went across the harbor to watch the light show in Hong Kong and then found an amazing Italian restaurant overlooking the water. (For those of you that dont know about Hong Kong, they have a light show every night with music and the buildings. There are lights on the buildings and lasers and you watch it from across the harbor.  It's a Hong Kong novelty!) At the Italian restaurant we went to, we had the most amazing wine and cheese appetizer. I never realized how much I take good wine for granted.  Thailand doesn't believe in wine and it has been depressing to not find any here, without paying quite a bit of money for it. Sarah and I also enjoyed Malaysian, Vietnamese food and Dim Sum.

In Hong Kong, wednesdays and thursdays are ladies night. So on Wednesday night we went out to enjoy the free beverages and dancing.  Long story short, we found ourselves heading home at 7:30 in the morning and were hungry so stopped for Dim Sum.  It was such a neat experience because we were hanging with all the locals as they had breakfast. We ate a ton of food and only paid $14 between the 3 of us. Its ridiculously cheap!  That is literally the 2nd time I have ever stayed out dancing that long (the other time was in Prague) and Dim Sum was perfect for breakfast! Now my body will just be screwed up for a couple days...

Hong Kong was cold while I was there (about 65 degrees). All the residents were dressed in parkas and were freezing.  They dont have heaters in Hong Kong, so it was very interesting that the buildings just all get cold when its cold outside. I was actually freezing!!  I guess that means my body has acclimatized to Bangkok weather, but it was so nice to get out the humidity and heat of Bangkok.  Im so tired of sweating all the time!

Now off to Bali to yoga, spend some time in the mountains, see volcanos and surf!!!

An afternoon at the hospital

I have heard great things about the health care and dental care in Bangkok, but got my first experience with it today. Ever since Erin and I were in Chiang Mai a week and half ago, my bowels have not been happy.  In the last couple days, I have felt incredibly bloated and uncomfortable.  The symptoms from what seemed like food poisoning just weren't going away and I was getting more uncomfortable and my appetite has pretty much disappeared because I get sick from everything, so I decided to check out this hospital first hand. Its a good thing I went because when I got there, they weighed me and no joke, I have gained 12 pounds in the last week. gross...

So, I registered myself in the hospital and went to see the doctor. I had a great experience, she understood me fully and basically she thinks I have an infection in my bowels from food poisoning and that the weight gain is from water/salt retention.  She thinks I should be back to normal within 5 days (she didnt make any promises about the weight though).  Its so weird that 5 days ago, I was feeling happy, healthy and now I feel un-appetized by everything and really fat. Just how a girl wants to feel when its 100% humidity outside!!

On another note, the hospital care was incredibly affordable and I had such a great, easy experience.  The hospital was pure luxury; it felt like a hotel, the doctor was really great and helpful and I wish that health care was this simple back in the United States.

Asian culture lesson #923

I have so much to still learn about this culture.  Sometimes the hardest things to learn are those which you refuse to accept. I have had the hardest time accepting certain parts or understanding things Asians do.  For instance, you will be standing in line at the grocery store or at 7-eleven (yes, they are on every corner) and some mane or woman (usually a woman) will come and just cut you in line like you aren't even there.  It is the rudest thing to me.  It even happened in the line to get into Thailand from Cambodia.  Kelly and I put up a stink and told this little lady she had to go to the back of the line and it took her a good few minutes to finally comprehend that we were not going to let her do that to us. I just dont get it...

On another note, just got back from Koh Samet yesterday for a couple days.  I wanted to get out of the city for a couple days before I leave for Hong Kong on Tuesday and it just happened to work out that my friend Joe, from highschool, just moved to Thailand to teach and had a couple days to go with me.  We had a lovely time just sitting on the beach and doing nothing except sitting,eating and drinking  Thai beer.

Today I finally made it to the weekend market in Bangkok. The weekend market is huge in Bangkok and I can't believe I hadn't made it out there yet.  It was fabulous!  Now that I am used to the markets in Asia, the crowds and craziness dont bother me as much. You expect to walk slow and sweat alot; pretty simple really. Its my last official weekend in Bangkok.  From here on out, I wont be in Bangkok for a weekend.....how crazy and weird!  Time is going so quickly!

Chiang Mai

After our time on the islands, Erin and I headed back to Bangkok for a day and the proceeded to Chiang Mai, in the north of Thailand. Its obviously quite a different landscape since we are no longer near the beach and find ourselves in a rain forest/mountainous area. On our first day here, we went on a 'trek' and rode elephants, went bamboo rafting and white water rafting.  Since our 'trek' was gear towards tourists, it ended up being quite cheesy but we had fun with a british couple that was on their honey moon.

Yesterday we spent the morning relaxing and spent the afternoon and evening zip-lining through the trees outside Chiang Mai. We drove an hour outside of Chiang Mai and sailed above the trees from platform to platform screaming, turning upside down and having a great time!  When we got back to the city last night, we wanted to make it to the Thai boxing match but didnt and instead enjoyed the famous night markets of Chiang Mai, where good deals, food and enjoyment are always had!

Today we head back to Bangkok for a day and then Erin leaves.  I have about a week before my trip to Hong Kong.  I am looking forward to some down time with no plans since the last month of my life has been such an adventure!!! Maybe I will find myself heading down to Koh Samed for some beach time...

Extending our trip

We were walking to the pier yesterday to hop on our boat back to the mainland and both decided that we were not ready to leave phi phi yet, so we changed our flights and everything to stay a couple more days. phi phi is apparently calling us, it is so amazingly beautiful here!

Last night was also the full moon party. We have been watching this fire show every night on the beach and gotten to know one of the performers Johnny. He is absolutely hilarious and incredibly talented. He wanted us to come join him and his thai friend celebrate the full moon party. They totally took care of us and took us to a beach dance party where we danced until the wee hours of the morning. Awesome, beautiful, sweaty, hilarious and just what we needed...

Today we will just lay on the beach while drinking fresh fruit drinks, we will probably get coconut oil massages, we will eat great food and it will be perfect.  Life is good.

Phi Phi Islands

Erin and I came to the Phi Phi islands for a couple days and words cannot describe the beauty of this place! When you see pictures of the beaches in Thailand, you are most likely seeing pictures near the phi phi islands.  Yesterday, we took a private boat tour around the islands, went snorkeling and got to see one of the most amazing sunsets I've ever seen from our long boat (the boats they use in thailand). It was so awesome!

We have also been drinking fruit shakes a pretty much every opportunity. The fresh fruit shakes around here are phenomenal. Pineapple is usually certain to be the best.  I think when you imagine coming to a tropical island, the picture that comes to your head might be something like getting a massage on the beach while drinking a fruity drink out of a coconut.  This is the place to do that, and I have found the drink I want to be sipping on. While watching a fire show on the beach last night, I drank a blend of fresh mango, rum and coconut milk while I think enjoying a piece of heaven at the same time!  I love these moments in life to simply just enjoy!

missing my peeps

Im having a hard time with my Australian friends being gone now and my tour being over.
I love that life gives you moments that are so glorious that you never want them to end. The last 3 weeks of my life have been absolutely incredible. Words cannot describe how hard I have laughed, how much I have laughed, the beauty I have seen, the freedom I have felt, the simple things to enjoy in life that make everything worth it.
I guess words cannot express how incredibly grateful I am. Thank you Hayley, Shannon and Kelly for the experience of a lifetime!

My friend Erin is here now visiting for two weeks, so Im excited to see the islands of Thailand and Chiang Mai with her!  More stories are waiting to be created...

Hell

My idea of hell might look a little like this:

I had to go to Jenn and I's aparment in Bangkok to gather my belongings because she is moving back home.  As I gather my stuff, of course it doesn't all fit in my bag and of course, it weighs 85 pounds.  So I am lugging my bag around, sweating the whole time, and trying to hail a taxi to take me to my hotel in the city.  I was turned down by 3 cab drivers who didnt want to drive that far and then finally got a lady to help me explain to the cab driver where to go.  He can't understand a lick of what I am saying, nor can I understand what he is saying.  We are driving down the highway and all the meanwhile, he is texting and the car is swerving.  I counted 3 times where a car almost side swiped us.  He is also calling the hotel because he has no clue where to go while Im fearing that at any moment he is going to drop me off on a corner out of frustration and leave me to carry my bags around Bangkok while no one understands anything I am saying....

Thank god my day got better after that...

Cambodia

I wrote this a couple days ago but didn't have internet access to post it:

Cambodia is rich in life, culture and heat. I have sweat so much since being here and my clothes are soaking wet at the end of each day.  

We went to phnom penh for two nights and one day when we first arrived. cambodia is much more rugged and not as advanced as a culture. there are still alot of dirt roads among other things that might symbolize a modern society.  

phnom penh is the capital and the city where Pol Pot did most of his brutal and heinous torture of the Cambodian people from 1975-1979.  We went to see the main S-21 camp.  The Khmer Rouge (Pol Pot's regime) overtook most of the schools and used them as prison/torture chambers for the educated people of Cambodia. They kicked everyone out of the city, and killed anyone that was educated and foreign. Seeing the S.21 camp where they found the last 14 bodies after Khmer rouge was kicked out was intense to say the least.   in each of the rooms, they had pictures of the bodies that were found there, all of them unidentifiable because of the decomposition and torture that was inflicted upon them. 

In the afternoon, we went to the killing fields where thousands of people were taken to be murdered and buried, sometimes buried alive. During the time, they would play loud speakers with fun music so that the areas surrounding these killing fields would not hear the cries of those being murdered.  The number of people murdered are unknown, but its somewhere in the vicinity of 1.5 million.

After Phnom Penh, we came to Siem Reap, where its most famous for the Ancient temple built by the Angkor people called Angkor Wat.  It took 37 years to build and it was all done by volunteers and people traveling through.  It is strictly a temple and not a place for anyone to reside.  It was absolutely magnificent. We arrived just in time for a Thai holiday so had to fight the thousands of tourists that also wanted to see the magnificence.  Words cannot describe how amazing it was, along with the several other temples we saw including that in the film "Tomb Raider."

All in all, Cambodia is a bit hot for my liking, especially when going around to temples all day.  They use the dollar here, so because you dont get a great exchange rate, its a bit more expensive than Thailand or Vietnam, which came as a surprise to me. 

Next, we are back to Bangkok again and my friend Erin arrives on Wednesday for a two week adventure around Thailand!

Accepting a beautiful thing

I find myself starting to adjust to the weird idiosyncrasies of Asia and its very uniqueness that makes it Asia, while at the very same time experiencing a parallel acceptance of myself.  As I walk through the crowded streets, dirty places and uncomfortable conversations, I have been willing to go to those places in myself.  The past week has been a beautiful distraction for me from the intensity life has thrown my way since arriving in Asia; but all at the same time, I have began to accept the beauty, laughter, and passion of me and everything else that goes along with me. 

Vietnam is a beautiful country, and as I leave Vietnam in a day and head towards Cambodia, I reflect on what Vietnam has shown me.  The people here are meek, gentle and friendly.  We have experienced the fog of Vietnam, the bicycles and motorbikes creating unbelievable traffic, the wine, the ocean, the rain, the awesome food, the tailors, dancing on the beach, the other travelers (met a boy named Adam!) the temples, the river boats, the overnight trains and found myself truly taking in each moment.  These are the moments to cherish for a lifetime and that most people never get to experience. 

Dear Vietnam, 

Thank you for being so good to me.

Love,

Hayley

Nha Trang, Vietnam Day 7

Wow, so much fun to be had, so little time to write a blog!!!  Its been a nice distraction from my introverted thoughts last week to be surrounded at all times and just having fun this week. We have done so much and had so much fun.

There are four of us on my tour, which is surprising but has turned out to be perfect.  Hayley and Shannon are a couple from Sydney Australia.  Hayley is also a hairstylist and we have so much in common.  Shannon is a really laid back guy that is really awesome about being with 3 girls all the time.  Kelly, my roommate, is a medic in the Australian Navy.  She has experienced alot, has alot to offer the group and has a little edge that is feisty and hilarious.

When we left Hanoi on Monday, we took an overnight train to Hue. The four of us brought two bottles of wine on the train to ease the pain of being in such a tight space.  It was fun to chat and hang out with each other.  The front of the train had a community area which we ended up finding ourselves hanging out with other travelers and some of the Vietnamese navy, who ended up singing us all their patriotic songs.  It was a picturesque moment.

In Hue, we went on a motorbike tour for the day and truly enjoyed the surroundings.  It was absolutely beautiful.  Hue was the capital of Vietnam at one time and so its updated, yet very quaint. We also went out dancing for the first time in Hue and had many stories the next day thanks to my roommate Kelly, who had WAY too much to drink. I think this was the night that we all really bonded. We have been laughing about it since...

From Hue, we went to Hoi An. Hoi An is known for their awesome food and great tailors.  I had 2 dresses, a suit jacket and a shirt tailored for me as well as some shoes made.  They are all so awesome; couldn't be happier!  The shoes are not how I described them, but thats what happens when you dont have a picture and cannot speak the language!!!  But they are awesome leather and very comfortable. We also took a cooking class in Hoi An which was a unique experience as well.

From Hoi An, we have found ourselves in Nha Trang.  Its the most beautiful beach in Vietnam.  Yesterday we went on a boat cruise around the islands of Nha Trang, but the weather was crummy, so we ended the trip early, came back and found ourselves at a french restaurant drinking wine and eating cheese.  Last night we went to the sailing club where they had dancing all night and it was a blast.

The accommodations have been absolutely lovely.  I have always been hesitant to come on tours because I felt like it would hold me back from what I really wanted to do, but it has been nothing but awesome for me.  It has been great to be around people my age, have all the details of travel taken care of for me and to get to have the experiences I dream of!

Tonight we are headed to Saigon on an overnight train for a couple days and then headed to Cambodia.  Its all going way to quickly...

Hanoi, Vietnam Day 1

heres a story for ya:

    I wake up this morning to the sound of my cell phone saying "its 4 am, time to wake up. its 4 am, time to wake up." this is after a girl came into the hostel last night at 1 am wrinkling every bag she could possibly find while proceeding to "organize" or whatever for an hour. 4 am to catch my flight to vietnam has come WAY too soon. 

     I arrive at the airport, waiting for my flight to find that im sharing a flight with a whole flock of asian travelers all wearing red hats from some tour company.  they are snapping pictures of each other left and right....so apparently they dont just do it when they are in the United States. 

     I arrive in Vietnam where I have to obtain my visa upon arrival to get in the country.  I have already been pre-approved, but just need to pay and get my stamp in my passport. I arrive at the visa office to find that I am the first of many in a line that is forming rapidly and no one is moving.  Come to find out that we had to wait for an hour because "the boss" wasn't at work yet. "So, you mean to tell me that I have to stand here and just wait for your boss to show up to work?!"  Good start to vietnam, eh?

      After the visa experience, I catch a mini-bus to Hanoi.  It is PACKED full of people.  I notice (since I am squished next to two men) that men here wear their fingernails long, especially the thumb nail. kind of a turn off...

The ride takes about an hour, but as we enter into the city by highway, I have never experienced such a shit-show (excuse my language) in my life. There are a tone of motor bikes around asia, but in Vietnam, there seems to be a ton more motorbikes than cars, and some of them go SO slow!!!  But since they can drive on the highway with normal traffic, you have cars winding in and  out of the motorbikes, some broke down on the side of the highway, people driving in the middle of the two lanes.  Point being, there are NO traffic rules and its a free for all!!!  And everyone is honking in the meantime, as if it actually does something. 

      As you come into Hanoi, its very much what you would picture Vietnam to look like; kinda misty/foggy, lots of rice paddies and you see all these people wearing those bamboo tent-like hats. Its got more of a european feel to it with smaller streets and cafes (makes sense being that they were colonized by the French).  Its very different than Thailand, but the people are very friendly. So friendly in fact that I had a guy come up to me today in the park first asking me to take a picture of him then proceeding telling me how beautiful I was and how he wanted me to meet his family.  The least it does is put a smile on my face for the next hour! and since i will be here for the next 10 days, I am sure I will be smilling from the many more adventures to be had...

yep, still sweating

I am happy to be back on the blog circuit and report of recent events:

1- Since I got back from Koh Samet last week, I have spent time at our apartment reading, reflecting, watching movies and enjoying some down time.  Although these are the times you usually feel the most lonely, I have really enjoyed this time and have come away with some important realizations.  Jenn and her mom, Kristy just came home for two nights during their travels and it was refreshing and fun to see them and hang out with them!  Now they left for Chiang Mai for a couple days...

2- I bought my plane ticket home for December 11. Yes, I am coming home in December.  After letting the situation play itself out here in Bangkok, it has worked out for the absolute best. I am traveling intensely, doing the things and going to the places I have wanted to go and then am going to make it home in time for Christmas and my mom's wedding!!!  The wedding was an event that I was having a hard time NOT being at, so I decided to come home early to attend. I am leaving on December 11 to meet my friend Jamelyn in San Francisco with her closest friends for a long weekend to celebrate her 30th birthday (which was ALSO an event that I didn't want to miss celebrating!) 

I am still having alot of moments where I struggle with this unique, different and exhilarating culture, but there are many more moments these days where I breathe deep and truly enjoy what this time of my life is offering me and teaching me. What an awesome experience I am taking part in!

I am leaving tomorrow for my trip through Vietnam, Cambodia and ending in Thailand. I am excited and anxiously awaiting what I will see, experience, eat and do on my 18 day adventure!!! and now i go on...

International Beach Dancing

Among the many things I have wanted to do on my trip, dancing is probably in the top 5.  I want to dance all over the world and "leave my mark" if you will!!!  I love to shake my booty with my friends and last night was the first night I have truly gotten to experience this in Thailand.  A couple of weeks ago, Jenn and I had a quite disappointing dance experience in the night life district of Bangkok that didn't actually dance, so Thailand needed a little "dance relief/recovery" in my mind after that experience.

Last night, Mark, Vicky and I wandered down to the bar on the beach and found ourselves just enjoying a couple drinks. Soon enough, these french boys come into the bar area and start dancing.  I started to get really excited at that point.  A few minutes later, one of them came over and asked me to dance. His name was Arija (still cant pronounce it like he did) His french accent was so thick that I very quickly told myself "pretend like he is saying the most romantic things and enjoy just listening to him!"  We had a great time dancing and after a while, these English guys joined in on the fun, some other French girls, a guy from Sweden and some Thai people were in the mix as well.  I was definitely the only American, which is so different for me (to experience the setting where I am the only American)!

Mark and Vicky launching a fire ballon on the beach and making a wish

All this to say, it was an amazing night for me; rejuvenating, releasing and just a ton of fun! Very needed! These are the nights full of memories, joy and international friends that I want to bring home and remember forever...

the adventures of a scooter on koh samet

Today, I rented two scooters with Vicky, Mark and Poleen (a woman I met from Canada). It cost us 500 Baht to rent them for the whole day ($15). Our plan was to venture around this small island we are on and explore. So we started on our journey at the ripe hour of 1 pm (its my new hours of functioning) and found ourselves scooting through the nastiest mud pits, crappiest of hills and shadiest of roads. I wish I could have pulled out my camera to take pictures, but instead I was attempting to gun it up the hill in hopes that we wouldn't fall backwards while at the same time telling Mark to get off the back and start pushing me. Then Poleen was in front of me with Vicky going up the hill cautiously (like most drivers would do if they weren't me) but instead I would rather hit the pedal to the metal and hope for the best (good philosophy? I dont know, but its worked so far!) and almost had to lay my scooter down because she kept swerving across the rocky, pit-ridden road.  All this to say, I got to experience some beautiful destinations today because of our journey.  Waves crashing against the rocks with nothing to look at but beautiful teal ocean in the distance. It was like a movie scene from a romantic comedy. And I got to experience it in real life! All in all a great day on my journey.

my first beach drink

one of the things I have wanted to do most on my journeys is to drink beverages with the freshest juices (aka, mai thai, pina colada, all alcoholic beverages of course!) while on the beach and I finally got to do that last night.  They show movies here almost every night at the beach resorts and so last night we went to watch The Bucket List while eating dinner and then went to the bar for "ladies night." I thoroughly enjoyed my Yoga on the Beach (baileys, malibu, sambuca and coconut milk) and an Orgasm (kahlua, baileys, triple sec and milk) all the while tasting everyone else's delicious beverages.  I am not usually a "fruity" drinker. Needless to say, it was wonderfully delicious and I can now check that off the list...

A New Day has come!

Getting ready to surrender to the process is impossible and I have yet to learn that! Although I tried my hardest to come here with no expectation, the slightest of my expectations have been blown out of the water and right into my face! I say all this to say that my plans have changed drastically from when I left the states and go as follows:

I am going to travel pretty intensely for the next couple months. It is what I came here to do and the situation has allowed itself. So, over the past couple weeks as I have been researching my options, things have fallen into place and this is the plan...

I am now at Koh Samet beach for the next week or so with our friends Mark and Vicky that we met in Pattaya a couple weeks go.

-On October 11, I leave for Vietnam where I will be meeting up with an adventure tour group for 18 days to travel through Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand (click this website to see where Ill be Gecko Tours IndoChina Discoverer

- I get back on October 28 and that same day my friend Erin flies into town for two weeks and we will go to Krabi, Phi Phi islands, hopefully Chaing Mai and possibly Vietnam (details are still being worked out)

- On November 17 I fly to Hong Kong to visit my friend Sarah who is studying abroad there

- On November 21 I fly to Bali for a Yoga retreat for 7 days and then stay there for an extra two days

- On December 1, Heather flies into town for 11 days

- Who knows what happens after that...more adventure surely!

Im so excited at how this has all come together. Its going to be intense, but awesome. I can't believe some of my dreams of this trip are actually coming true. I mean, BALI?! really?!

Being a swimmer in my youth has not provided to be a profitable sport for me in Asia, considering that they have cute clothes here but my broad shoulder and chest do not fit into the tops! These people are built so incredibly different than me! I guess its good because it means I wont be spending much money on clothes while I am here! I will most definitely be tired of the ones I brought by the time I leave though...

I got atleast two clients on Friday night. We went out with Jenn's co workers for several of their birthdays and manipulated my way into being their new hairstylist! I miss cutting hair on a daily basis!

We went to church for the first time on Sunday and it was great. It was refreshing to go somewhere that English was spoken and it felt like a piece of home. Afterwards we found this mexican restaurant and both Jenn and I were ecstatic! I, especially, was excited to find guacamole in Bangkok! I miss guacamole terribly.

This city is very safe. For those of my family that are worried and loose sleep over my travels to such a foreign place, I want to console you and tell you I feel incredibly safe here! In fact, there are many moments that I feel safer here than in certain places in the US. The people are so non-threatening.

Jenn has one more week of training at the school and then 3 weeks off, I believe. I am looking forward to traveling around a little bit more with her and seeing some more of Thailand. We have yet to decide what the plans are but whatever the vacation may bring will be good!

I have been trying to post pictures to facebook, but the internet connection is usually too slow here....the gloriousness of foreign countries!

my water bottle is sweating on me

wow, the last week has been crazy. we moved on wednesday from our beloved bangkok hostel to our new apartment on the campus of the school that Jenn will be teaching at. It takes us about an hour to get there from the middle of the city depending on traffic.

Our apartment is one big room with a kitchen behind it. It is kinda dirty and nasty, but its free, so we cant complain much. I went and bought a bed so that we can sort of separate the living areas into two. The other good news is that its on the top floor (5th floor) so we hope that will attract less creatures that are unwanted. We are constantly seeing frogs, geckos, and other fun creatures everywhere we go.

On Friday night we went out with some of Jenn's co workers and we had a blast. It was great to get out and see a little of Thailand's night life. It was LOUD! So loud, in fact, that its nearly impossible to talk and you fear for the sake of your eardrums. t was so nice to be out having some drinks, dancing and having a great time with people that understand us.

I haven't written on here much because we haven't had an internet connection. The rumor is that the high-ups at the school and most thais in general dont like the internet and refuse to catch up with technology (i.c. installing fiber optics as they repave the road) so we are left to look for other options in our net-browsing needs. We will figure something out...

The other issue is that its been an emotional roller coaster and I dont have many words to say. There is alot to learn and process and take from what we are experiencing. The culture is alot harder than we might have imagined, there aren't as many friendly people as we might have hoped and the language is one of the hardest in the world to learn...

We are good, we are safe and we are making the best of it...

a sweet escape

Last night was very needed. The hostel that we were staying at on Jomtien beach was amazing. The owner was this french guy that bought this building and made a really sweet hostel. It was the nicest hostel I've ever been to yet very inexpensive. At the hostel with us were several british blokes and a canadian that we found ourself hanging out with. First of all, it was incredibly nice to have english conversations, second, it was a really nice place to stay and third, we felt incredibly comfortable there! Jenn and I both decided we would definitely live at this hostel if it were in Bangkok, but instead its on a beach that we do not care to visit again because of the sex industry in this area. Bummer. Anyways, John lives in the penthouse on top of the building, and invited us up for pizza dinner and drinks. It was a taste of comfort and community. Incredible...

Also, since we have been in Thailand, we have found that next to pretty much every toilet is a water hose, like used in our sinks to wash dishes. We found ourselves asking "what is this possibly for and how do we use it since its conveniently located right next to the toilet?" John gave us a few pointers and my new word for this device shall be "ass blaster," because of its intense and intimidating water pressure. I know that you can imagine how this thing works from here. The thai people do not use toilet paper usually and make good with this device instead. and so shall we...

check out Jenns blog; its hilarious: www.jenniferfranson.blogspot.com

We had a funny yet very long day yesterday and she tells the story...

no pictures

I have tried almost every day to upload pictures to this silly blog and it takes so long that my connection always times out. I am in the process of uploading pictures to flicker and then attaching the website to this...

Today we went to visit a friend of Jenn's mom in Chon Buri. It is about 2 hours outside Bangkok and 1 hour from where we have been on the beach. Her name is Sweety and she works on the school board here and wanted to meet Jenn. She wanted Jenn to do a radio spot for a festival they are having in october and then took us to lunch and showed us around chon buri. we definitely learned alot about the culture from her today. The hour long bus ride to and from chon buri was fascinating. The thai people are very willing to help us out but at the same time talk about us alot! I think they were talking about us and staring at us for nearly half our bus ride back tonight.

Then we came back to our hostel tonight and had a lovely dinner. The hostel we are staying at is owned by this french guy, John. There is a canadian and two british travelers staying here with us and we all had beef stew together along with some other thai food. It was incredibly nice to speak english and have people understand you, but to also talk to other travelers about where they have been, advice, etc. Tomorrow we are going to a resort with them and then we are eating pizza in the penthouse on top of our hostel. very excited for that...

The first weeks thoughts

It has now officially been a week here in this crazy, crazy city. It seems as though it has been a month but here are some of my thoughts and things I've learned about Bangkok.

1-This city has very little trash. As in, the street vendors throw out very little at the end of the day. The city is making a strong effort to conserve the environment and its very very impressive.

2- Tuk-Tuks are a tourist rip off. BAD. We figured out after traveling by tuk-tuk for the first couple days that taxis (which are in fact actual cars and have air conditioning, might i add!) are about 2/3 of the price! When you are talking in baht, its a HUGE difference!

3- This city is quite expensive to live in when living off a "teacher's salary." Jenn and I will have to live quite cheaper than we were planning to make it work....

4- We only know how to say hello/goodbye and thank you. Thai is hard...

5- The sidewalks here are horrible. We have been walking everywhere, but the sidewalks are so bumpy and I tripped 7 times tonight on the way to dinner. Maybe I should pay more attention...

6- Not many Americans here so far.

7- We are thankful to NOT get whistled at like we do in the states

8- Nothing really opens here till about 11 am. Hard to find breakfast places.

9- Lots of white bread and fried food. They haven't learned yet. Neither have the Americans I guess...

10- Order food from stands that have women cooking; they are cleaner. This is just our personal observation. We have yet to order anything "daring." maybe next week...

11- This city has so much western in it.

12-Thais have really fun hair and style.

This week has been long, intense, emotionally draining and so full of life, learning and dirt on my face!!! I'm so incredibly grateful and excited for what next week brings...

have i mentioned that everything smells like fish sauce?

Not much has happened in the last couple days worth mentioning! We are sweating our little hearts out, searching for a job for Jenn, searching for a living space and in the mean time trying to figure out our budget! Not to mention that we are still getting adjusted to the food....

Books, music and Facebook are keeping us sane right now. Im hoping one of these days I will get used to this smell....

no english?

After my episode with the mango shake, my body was pummeled and I just woke up from sleeping for 16 hours straight. The last time I slept for that long was when I had mono in high school. The good news is that I feel back to life now...

One of the most unexpected things on our journey so far has been the lack of people speaking English. I don't necessarily mean the Thais themselves, but more so the white people that we see. We have yet to meet any other Americans. We see quite a few white people but they are speaking other languages! We have met a few Australians but no Americans. It has been quite surprising.

Today we continue on our search for housing and jobs....we have to remind ourselves regularly that it is only day 5.

Day 4, really, thats it?

So much has happened in 4 days its crazy and Jen and I also feel like not enough has happened either! We are still looking for places to live, but feeling a little more hopeful about the situation. We contacted some people yesterday that are hopefully going to be able to help us out! Jen starts her hunt for jobs tomorrow.

On another note, I have now officially had my first disagreement with food here. surprisingly it was a mango shake from a restaurant. needless today, today I am pretty tender all over and low energy from making best friends with the toilet last night. dang it!! mangoes are some of my favorites!

Good thing its sunday today so there is not alot on the agenda...

First days activities

Yesterday was a crazy day. We had booked a hostel for one night so when we woke up, we had to eat breakfast and lug all of our stuff to the next hostel. the funniest part is that the taxis here aren't big enough to carry our bags AND us in them, so we ended up having to strap our bags by bungee cords inside the trunks! we immediately said to ourselves, "lets find a place to live quickly so we dont have to do this anymore!" not to mention the fact that everyone was making fun of us for how big our bags were! After we got situated, we started walking to Kho San Road (its the touristy part) and found a guy in the mean time that was telling us all about how it was the one day a year that we could get a really really cheap tuk-tuk ride around the city and visit certain places for free (its some kind of government day/incentive). so he put us on a tuk-tuk and we went to 3 different statues/temples and several other places for 20 baht. 33 baht is 1 dollar, so we rode around the city and got to see some cool things for the whole afternoon on less than a dollar!!! What an adventurous way to start our trip! Today we are scouting out places to live.....wish us luck!

Arrived in Bangkok!

I cant believe Im finally here!! Its 3pm here in Bangkok on Thursday and 2am in Denver. I took some anti-anxiety medication on the plane ride over and pretty much slept the whole way....and then some. Jen and I calculated that I slept for something like 18 hours yesterday. oopsies!! I think 1 pill was a little too much for me!! We just arrived at the hostel that we are going to be staying at for the next 3 days. today our plan is to go explore and hopefully in the next couple days find a place to live. carrying our suitcases this whole way was quite a bitch!! (surprise, right?!?!) This city is absolutely massive and I am going to love it!! I am also going to love sweating at all hours of the day....

Feelin the good times!

I am in a good place, which is incredibly refreshing! I got alot done today for my trip such as making phone calls to all my "responsibilities" and weeding things out of my condo. I had a lovely break last night with Terry and some ladies up at the ballet in Vail. It was a great retreat for a day, but I actually slept(which I haven't in weeks now)! This week is my last week at work and is gonna be absolutely nuts but Im choosing to stay present and enjoy each moment. I love my life and Im SO grateful for it!

Less than 4 weeks!

If you want to see a panic attack waiting to happen, just watch me over the next couple weeks. I don't know why I stress out over such little things, but I feel a bit overwhelmed by all the little details that I want to make sure are in place before I leave. In the meantime, over the next 3 weeks, I will be working my little bum off to try and get all my beloved clients in my chair before I leave. Its gonna be crazy and Im praying to stay sane and have fun.

I know that once I get on the jet plane that I have to let it all go....and Im looking forward to that moment. August 25th is coming too soon yet not soon enough...

This is what Im about to go experience!!

 It is now 9 weeks from departure date!  Its so quickly approaching and I'm getting so incredibly excited!  I've figured out alot more of the choices I am going to make preceding my departure (aka whether to sell my car, which visa to apply for, etc).  It is coming together beautifully and I feel great about all of it!

Relax, Take it Easy

And the blog must begin!!  I never thought I would be a "blogger", but here I am.  So now I shall bloggity blog blog, and have a darn good time doing it!!