A New Place

This is a story about faraway places and our relationship to the somewheres we dream of visiting. It’s also about the fact that I'll be staying in Thailand for at least couple months (but who knows really what I'm doing. Not me!)

Some places in our world seem to lend themselves to the imagination, to the images created in our minds, to putting eyes closed and attempting to place yourself somewhere you’ve never been. Gathering any little bit of details we've collected over time about a place and trying to make a mosaic of the pieces allows us to create magical places that very well might exist. Think about it, there are endless beautiful places on Earth that encourage exploration and make you want to forget any troubles (even just for a split second) and savor them.

So close your eyes and think of Thailand. What do you imagine? Anything you're thinking is probably not far from reality. Beaches. Blue seas. Smiling faces welcoming you to their culture. Good food (I mean really good food!)

When I arrive I open my eyes and no longer wonder what I'll see.

Not just beaches and crystal clear waters. Beneath blue skies in Southeast Asia lies a place of color and spirit. Of beaches and jungles. Here, tropical waters and rainforests alike nurture exotic wildlife. It is a land of thriving landscapes and flavorful dishes. This is Thailand.

It is generous and warm, refreshing and relaxed. The sun's persistence and the sea's beauty makes everyday a beach day...That is, only until you realize that the sun overpowers any sunscreen and you might be better off to retreat to the shades of the palms with a Chang beer in hand.

I guess this would be a good time to mention that this place, like every other, isn't perfect in EVERY way. There are some things to get used to. For example, the Thai sun is a relentless bully compared to the Californian sun. The bugs would seem to be the only things able to defend themselves against it, considering their size and strength in numbers. These things are all minimal side effects compared to the good stuff, which makes this place pretty easy to get along with.

The days of the week are just as unknown as how to spend the hours. Swimming in the sea? Perhaps going a little deeper for some diving? Stay topside and ride a motorbike to some unexplored beaches on the island? Or how about stick to what you know and eat at that little joint down the street with endless choices of curry dishes and seafood? Or simply sitting in the sand with a beer and a book? (And if you have the willpower, skip the beaches and head straight into the thick of the trees. Just watch out for the snakes)

Choices, choices, choices. The easy thing is knowing that however the days pass by, the sun will be shining throughout and there will never be a shortage of beautiful sunsets at the end if them. So take off your shoes and relax, you're in Thailand.

          "I saw that my life was a vast glowing empty page and I
    could do anything I wanted" ~Jack Kerouac, The Dharma Bums

I constantly find myself daydreaming of getting on a plane (or boat, bus, or train) and thinking of where it could take me. I didn't realize it until recently but I'm becoming an addict. I see it happening with every passing moment. In my semi-attempt to live a responsible and structured life...okay I'll stop right there. So maybe I didn't give the whole responsible thing much of an effort, but it was a good thing because I would have been wasting my time.
Instead I've asked the simple question: what will make me happy?
You hear about all those people who conformed to the "real world"and decided one day to leave behind their prosperous careers and white picket fences, pack their bags and get on a plane. Well, I'm skipping chasing the American dream part and jumping right to the good stuff, my own dream. And don't worry about me. Even though I have little direction in my plans, I still have goals and the motivation to reach them. 

I've always had some sort of schedule or time line that restricted many possible travel plans. These commitments, silly things like an education, limited  But now? Well now I picture a calendar of the upcoming future and all the pages are blank. For years. 

This means I can do anything (well, almost anything) and be anywhere. Ask me where I'll be in 5 years, no, in 5 months. Who knows. To me, that's great! That's freedom and it's exhilarating. 

I have also realized that I don't have the desire or willpower to treat this little travel obsession. Instead I'm fueling it. I'm beginning to consider a traveler's lifestyle as my approach to the world. It started with looking at maps and reading about other cultures, other ways of life. Then hearing real-life stories of the huge world we live in and all it has to offer, only to find out that it isn't so huge after all, that it can be seen. Next, action was taken and I got a taste of just how fulfilling it is to become familiar with once foreign places until they weren't so strange and they became part of the collections of my memories. 

And now this addiction, this urge, is boundless. 

I can look at a map and draw those little dotted lines of where I've been and know that I can draw the next lines to anywhere from there. Endless possibilities.

You know how every adult says to kids to enjoy their childhood while they can? Well that's true and all. I mean, as a kid you don't have to worry about making yourself dinner. I'm still struggling with that one. But as an adult, you can make all your own decisions. And I'm deciding what I want to do with my life.
Travel.

Here's a little video to consider if you haven't seen it before....