Thailand (so far) has been my favorite place that I've ever traveled to. I spent most of my time in Phucket and the Phi Phi Islands. It's so uniquely different from how people live in the western hemisphere. A beautiful tropical place with a lot of hustle and bustle. I met up with my friend Jackie to do some exploring on the main land. We purchased a day tour that took us to the water market, and then afterwards to the famous beach where the scene from a James Bond movie 'The man with the Golden Gun' was shot. I had fun emerging from the water pretending like I was a Bond girl.
We also traveled to several famous monasteries; including the Watchalong Temple and the Big Buddha. If there was ever a religious practice I could align myself with it would be buddhism. The environment was so peaceful and siren. I even waited my turn in line to be blessed by a monk. Afterwards, we spent an evening in the party city of Patong Beach; where the merging of bars, American fast-food chains, and sex-workers was absolutely fascinating. I went to my first Lady-boi show, and to say that show was a blast would be an understatement. It made most of the Broadway productions in New York City look like a high school production.
Jackie and I eventually parted ways, she moved on to Bali while I traversed the rest of the islands solo. I was nervous at first to be so far away from home in a place that was beyond unfamiliar to me, but I eventually fully embraced the adventure. This was the point in time, my soul had changed forever. On whim I rented a motorcycle to get around, something I have always wanted to do. As I was driving on the coast, in this beautiful tropical island, for the first time I was truly exploring who I was and where I fit in this world. I had such a transcendental experience that evening; I had never felt more alive in my life. My heart was simultaneously breaking as it was being mended. I'm doing a horrible job of describing this moment with my words, but I don't think words can truly cover it. Anyway, on my last day there I went to an elephant sanctuary, and bathed in the mud pits with the truly magnificent creatures. As a community we cared for them, fed them, and then afterwards we cooked a meal for ourselves with the local ingredients from the town
To say that I came back from this place as a new person would only be grazing the surface. I felt like a was an awe-inspired child when I came back, with a new found appreciation for the incredible planet that we live on. I have been trying to replicate the experience I had here with my other travels, but so far nothing has come close. I'm willing to keep trying though. This place was a 10/10 and I would highly reccommend Thailand to all of my adventure seekers. Check it out!
