lanasgypsyjam-blog

[lanasgypsyjam-blog]

[lanasgypsyjam-blog]

Finally In the Land of Smiles

I still don't think it has fully hit me that this is where I live now. What a whirlwind of a few days it has been. Surviving my first international flight alone. Meeting so many interesting and cool people. Not only seeing, but eating food I have never been exposed to. Walking the streets of a foreign city and having water constantly poured on and squirted at us, or having clay smeared across our faces by locals. So many new and memorable experiences in only a few short days. I am extremely eager to explore as much of this country as I can!

Here's an embarrassing photo I took of myself to document the wet dress and face of clay for Songkran 

 My expectations and reality seem to be pretty far off. Not at all in a bad way, things have just gone a bit differently than I had imagined they would. For example:  

The Flight to Thailand (actual bulleted list I made while on the plane)

-definitely not as bad as I thought it would be, slept about first 10 hours 

-best plane I've ever been on (even facial sprays in the bathrooms! snagged an eye mask, too) 

-lots of food

      `missed the first meal due to sleep

      `ham and cheese on a hoagie

      `some snacks I have never seen before including a soy sauce smelling cookie that tasted like seaweed... actually not terrible

      `scrambled eggs, beans, and potatoes with fruit, a yogurt, and a roll 

      `some more funky snacks which i declined 

      `beef and potatoes, a roll, a yogurt, and more fruit 

For over 24 hours of travel, I have little to no complaints about the flight. I chose to fly EVA Air because my original plan was to fly with two other girls in my program, though I realized just a week before flying that I had booked an entire day before theirs. Being that one of them had already selected EVA as their airline, it made my decision a lot easier. Otherwise, I probably would have drove myself crazy comparing airlines. I have no regrets about the choice and would certainly book a flight through them again. 

Flying out of JFK on a full moon and arriving in BKK to the celebration of Songkran was more than enough good energy to start off this new adventure. 

The First Few Days (also a list of bulleted thoughts throughout the past couple of days)

-Amazed at how simple it was to actually get through the airport security, baggage, and find transport to the hostel. We did totally get ripped off (700 baht for a 3-400 baht ride) but hey... it is what it is. Some could say a rite of passage?) 

-Couldn't understand the cab driver but we all laughed a lot hahaha

-Made it to the hostel which turned out to be beautiful and super comfortable - aside from living on the 5th aka top floor and dying of heat stroke every time ya walk up 

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 -Walked the streets and explored a little bit of Sukhumvit  which was pretty interesting - we got our first lesson on Songkran, getting soaked by local kids and having white clay rubbed all over our faces -- something I welcomed as a good sign into the first day. The purpose being to bring luck and prosperity and I'm all about that

-Passed out by 6 pm woke at 12am back to bed at 4am and up by 8am, the first night of sleep was rough to say the least

-Have been waking up at 6:30 am just about every morning which is fine, get to make my calls home while most others are still sleeping  

-Going into the second day, we all met up and walked around for a while, had my first street food, I tried pork on a stick which was actually pretty tasty and then eventually found some lunch which was rice with fried crab and peppers. Very tasty! 

-Walking back in the heat was more than unbearable, but before heading back to the hostel for our mid-afternoon nap, we grabbed some waters from 711 and some fruit from a stand right outside

-We also were fortunate enough to meet Susie aka Fat aka some other name I can't remember. She's a real life Thai party girl who told us all about her gay boy friends and their endeavors (most of which I did not understand...)

-Later we headed out to Khao San Road where we were unfortunately met with disappointment because the street was shut down just as we arrived. We did make the most of it though and went to some bars to explore.. we all went home in wet clothes hahah

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 We all tried a different local beer, some great, some not so great. Later we tried some Singha (the equivalent, I suppose, to an American Bud Light)

This past day we all made sure to dress pretty casually in preparation for full Songkran festivities. We took the train down to the Siam Center and found some food, some type of noodle dish which was one of the best things I have had yet. Aside from the roasted duck and egg noodle soup I ate this morning. Anyways, we did some shopping and then found a couple of tuk tuks to take us into the water gun fights. This basically consisted of walking down a main closed-off street with the locals and having water guns shot at our face and body constantly. Not only was this one of the most fun things I've done here yet, I think it ranks pretty high on my list overall. The festival began on the day I arrived and ended the following Saturday. I am appreciative to have witnessed such a holiday not only for the obvious fun of it, but because I was able to watch a an entire city cohesively participate in the fun with such goodnature. No one was angry when cold water was spilled on them, they either had no reaction or laughed in the spirit of it. I can't imagine that happening for a day, let alone consecutive days back home. Although walking around with sopping wet clothes for three days wasn't the most comfortable feeling, the happiness and good-naturedness of the people surrounding us made it somewhat enjoyable. 

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 We found a bar later which proved to be worth stopping at for multiple reasons. The drinks were fine but what really made it memorable was the pool located directly next to the drinking patio. The really entertaining part though, was when they had people were sparring above the water. It was quite an experience. There were also a couple of local kids who a few of us got into a little water-gun shoot out with. A little boy and a little girl. Very cute and very stealthy, indeed.

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 So many small things have happened in just these past couple days, I don't think I could manage to write them all down. That only leads to me believe I will be experiencing more beautiful little moments than I had even anticipated. I wasn't expecting to feel so safe in this place so soon. Not to say I feel like I could get around no problem, but in a lot of ways it just feels comfortable. The midday heat and humidity is definitely something I will have to acclimate to, however I am happy to deal with the perspiration. I can also admit that not all of the food I have tried has been particularly appetizing but nonetheless, I am excited to keep perusing the many street vendors and markets for foods that I fancy.

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                                                                               (favorite meal so far: roasted duck with egg noodles and soup)

I think part of me thought I would miss home immediately. I'm happy that part was wrong. I take comfort in knowing that making the leap here was not even close to as scary as I thought it was going to be. As I write this sentence, the cleaning lady at the hostel, who has seen me now everyday and for multiple times a day, looks over at me and flashes the biggest smile with the same kindness and warmth as if we were meeting for the first time. It is in these moments, the small quality exchanges, that make my heart happy to be where I am.            

The language barrier hasn't been much of a problem either. I have gotten by solely on the phrase "Khun ka" or "thank you." I feel somewhat like an idiot for not having attempted to learn more than that but honestly, khun ka seems to be the most important phrase I could have learned. For I am thankful and full of gratitude to sit on this side of the world.

[lanasgypsyjam-blog]

Let Me Tell You About My Baggage

There it is! All of it. Everything I'm bringing with me for my foreseeable future abroad. And as crazy as it seems for me to think, I am almost positive I'm overpacking. Ha. 

Coming from someone who unnecessarily brought four pairs of shoes on less than a week trip to Colorado, I'm pretty proud of myself for managing to select four pairs for the who-knows-how-many months I'll be in Asia. Packing has most certainly been one of my biggest stresses during the last few months. Not only do the little things add up monetarily, keeping track of all the things I could and should bring has been just a tad overwhelming. I have listened to various YouTube tutorials, asked experienced travelers and hikers, as well as read blog after blog for advice on what to bring and how to bring it. While they have all helped a ton, it's still been a struggle to really narrow down the important stuff.

Finally, this morning, I laid out (virtually) everything I am planning to pack with me. Honestly, it seems like so little but also so much! I don't know how to explain that feeling exactly. I am sure that this first experience in international travel packing will be filled with many errors, however, there is always room for improvement and I'm sure once I arrive I'll get the feel for what will actually be needed. There is only so much I can really plan for. There will be tons of time to figure it all out along the way. 

So this, in the best picture I could manage, is everything (almost) that I will be packing away in my two bags. One 65L backpack and one small carry-on bag (which I will be checking for my flight). 

 The List:

Neck pillow (essential for over 24 hours of travel) 

Nutella (...duh) 

Trail-mix and granola bars for the plane ride 

'Swell' Bottle 

Toiletries

1 mini backpack

1 waterproof satchel (mostly for carting groceries)

1 waterproof fanny-pack (nothing says style like one of these)

misc documents

Clothes

assortment of medicines 

60+ tampons 

1 can of bug spray 

3 tubes of sunscreen

cotton pads 

face wash

one nail polish/nail polish remover/nail clippers

body wash, shampoo, conditioner (travel size)

3 razors 

3 tubes of toothpaste 

flossers

2 toothbrushes

body wipes

2 cans of texture hair spray

hair ties/bobby pins/water/sweat-proof headband/hair brush

retainers

from immodium to malaria pills 

passport

visa

money

notebooks

other work docs 

2 black skirts (work)

1 black dress (work)

2 blouses (work)

3 dresses 

3 shirts

1 skirt

1 pair of elephant pants 

3 shorts

2 shawls 

3 bathing suits 

4 pairs of shoes (each for various purposes)

1 pair of active leggings  

7 pairs of underwear 

4 bras 

1 rain jacket

4 pairs of earrings (no other jewelry)

1 pair of sunglasses 

And that's all!! With only a few more days before I depart, I wanted to give myself some time so that in case I forgot some essential item I have some time to find it before my flight. I mainly wanted to document what I'm bring for the trial and error aspect. Seeing what I can improve on in the future will be helpful as well as comical no doubt.

Just a few more days till my packing abilities get put to the test!

[lanasgypsyjam-blog]

Thailand Dreamin’

Welp, 38 days until this chica descends off into her first real adventure!! I've been waiting for the weight of this trip to really hit me and as the months have ticked by it all has definitely become more real.There have been a few panic attacks as well as a couple of moments of feeling slightly overwhelmed.  Despite this, my anxiety has lessened as the time till my departure grows shorter. Not once have I doubted this decision. Maybe this calm has begun to settle in because I know deep in my soul that this is what I am meant to be doing. Perhaps I am simply just ready. For such a long time now I have talked about traveling. I have always felt the urge to explore new places and cultures. I always am and always have been eager to hear about lives much different than my own yet, for many reasons, the opportunity to wander to faraway places was always on hold.

When it came to the whole college thing, I tried to get it done as quickly and as affordably as possible. I guess that could be part of the reason I came out with no real idea of what I wanted to do. I changed my major and dabbled in a variety of things which meant I never had a great long-term plan. I always worked for the short-term goals. i.e. graduating high school, community college, and acquiring a four-year degree. I never really thought enough about what I truly wanted to do and how to get there in the most efficient way possible. I learned as I went and picked up little pieces of knowledge and insight along the way. Even when I thought I had a decent idea of what I was doing, I was kind of just bobbing about hoping it would all eventually work itself out.

I have spent a lot of time worrying about not being at a particular place by a particular time, but time has a funny way of sneaking up on us, I suppose. Slowly, I am beginning to realize that this timeline we all feel is ever present, pushing us to accomplish things by certain ages and years - is really quite meaningless. It is truly about enjoying the ride. The destination will always be there, it is always waiting. When the moments in between go unappreciated, it makes living a lot less enjoyable. And truly, I feel it goes a lot quicker. It is during these in-between moments that we get to know ourselves. Recognizing we are always where we need to be has been a struggle, but it has proved to be worth working on. 

I am fortunate to have had so many people in my life who have guided me in the right direction, time after time. Maybe I'm a tad slower in figuring this whole career thing out, but I've done my best to not fall under the pressure of having to know exactly what I want to do right now. Talking with people, as well as��asking questions along the way has been one of the most valuable things in sorting this all out. I am grateful to the many people, whose names I will always remember, and even those who I do not, for some have offered the greatest support while others have tested my strength and made me doubt my own progress. Regardless of which, both have shaped my experiences in ways I am forever grateful for. I am happy to find myself where I am today - still working on the many parts of my soul that I want to be better, learning to accept what I have for so long tried to reject, and knowing that I am surrounded and supported by the right kinds of people. 

I call myself a gypsy, semi-seriously, because for a while now I've been bouncing around with no real sense of "home." There are many reasons for this, ones I won't get into here. I have moved from place to place, staying in a leased college home, at a friend’s, or on a couch from time to time. While it is true that I crave change and that I get bored doing the same thing too long, having a life where you're never able to be truly comfortable in one place can do that to a person. I could choose to live differently but I have reached a place in my life where there is no choice other than to remove as much negativity as possible from the everyday equation. For me, that means having to limit my worldly possessions and live out of a bag, for now.  I decided a while ago that dwelling on the negatives of this turbulent life I have lead, is to hold on to pain unnecessarily. Rather, I hope to extract the lessons from each past experience, good and bad, as a means to make the future as magical as I wish it to be.

I pride myself on my adaptability, but I have never done anything quite as foreign as this. I am nervous about some of the challenges ahead, but more than that, I am excited to meet people who are like-minded and spirited. This path that I have chosen is perhaps not one that others would have picked, however there is something in my gut that tells me this is the way. Making this decision, although there was some thought behind it, was a leap; a big jump into something new. A way to break the pattern of so many years of doing things "the right way.” Or, really what I thought was the right way. With age comes some insight. I know there is still much to learn but I think my big lesson at this particularly confusing time, is going my own way more than ever before. Even with being so independent, there has always been a comfortableness in knowing what to expect from the day to day. No change I have encountered thus far has been so significant as this one will surely be. This scares me but it also excites me beyond what I can explain. I am hoping that this endeavor will push me out of every comfort zone, especially the ones I am not yet conscious of.  

So here’s to the almost beginning of a new chapter! I am writing for myself, to keep track of the process and hopefully progress in my constantly developing self. I am writing for others, too. I am hoping that some of what I share will resonate with someone else, whether to begin their own adventure or to share a piece of their story to inspire someone else.

The karmic cycle is forever turning. Just trying my best to keep the good vibes flowing.