Are you a traveler or a tourist?

"Tourists don't know where they've been. Traveler's don't know where they're going." - Paul Michener

Thailand has shed some light on the backpacking whirlwind I was caught up in for the two months before I arrived there. I almost forgot what "normal" tourism was like. I almost forgot what Americans were like. Backpacking creates an entirely different environment than short-term tourism, and expat lifestyles.

G.K. Chesterton said it best, "The traveler sees what she sees. The tourist sees what she came to see."

Travelers and tourists lead essentially different travel experiences. The traveler or backpacker is a tourist and expat in one. We have a budget and we have an extended period of time - like an expat. We do this while we are foreigners trying to experience a new land and get the biggest bang for our buck - like a tourist. However, for some obvious reasons, and not so obvious ones, tourists and backpackers live very different travel lives.
So here are what I find to be the major differences between tourists and backpackers;

1. Time constraints - a backpacker is usually not in a hurry, usually doesn't have a place to be, and usually only makes his or her own time constraints when there is a sudden desire to go or do something different - or that sad day is approaching when they return home to work their ass off for the next adventure (or their visa expires). Backpackers travel on island time (we can meander and wander), not city speed (trying to fit everything in to the day at lightening pace). A tourist basically has a small window of time within which to fit all of his or her hopes and dreams of the place visited. A tourist is banging out the main spots, seeing and doing as much as they can while they can. We all are, really.

2. Money constraints - backpackers have this, big time. We want to see the world and we want to do it slowly, taking as much time as we want, and have a little bit of money left to survive when we're ready to settle down. The backpackers are looking for that local price. What you might spend on a weekend out with your buddies in the States, Australia, New Zealand, or Europe, seems pretty reasonable for those nights when you're off from work and want to spoil yourself. Well, that is every day for a backpacker, and "spoiling" yourself while traveling sometimes just means you are paying the tourist price for something that locals get the same of for cheaper. We are not about to "spoil ourselves" every damn day and still manage to travel the world for months or years.

3. Accommodation - Due to money, and sometimes personal need, tourists don't typically stay in backpacker hostels, or homestays. Anyone traveling less than a month is more than likely going to lay on the beach at a resort with Mai Thais being served to them by some guy who makes 2 cents an hour. I'm not knocking it, you're on vacation, you deserve to de-stress and have someone wait on you once in a while. No way in hell are you sleeping on a top bunk bed during your precious vacation time from your stressful life. As a backpacker, however, I am feeling pretty damn spoiled if there is air conditioning, an in-suite bathroom, a proper locker, and bread with jam for breakfast. Damn, sometimes you just want that American style buffet brunch, even though you know you wont eat half of the food offered, its there and that is luxurious in and of itself. I'm surprised I haven't peered through the window of the Marriott to watch brunch like its food porn. Window seat is free.

4. Transportation - again, money is a factor, but then again so is time. Buses take time, and are cheap - sometimes uncomfortable, sometimes overnight, sometimes the air-con leaks on your face, or the person next to you smells like they lived in India for 5 months without showering. I have been on overnight buses that were too short for my legs, so I stretch out over the top of my recliner kicking my neighbor in the head occasionally (that's how Vietnam introduced me to valium). Then there were overnight buses that were beds for two, and someone else with a ticket got to be my bed buddy (like in Laos, or Myanmar). One memorable trip was the overnight bed-bus in Laos, sweating without air-con and trying not to touch the sweaty body laying next to me for fear of sticking together and producing more heat. Then there are bus companies in some countries that are under the delusion that they are bigger and better depending on how loud they show a full-length feature film in the middle of the night (Myanmar with their Burmese soap operas, and Thailand with their blockbusters). I want to thank whatever Thai bus company it was that decided to show the second Hobbit film at the highest volume from 11pm to 2am. Sometimes earplugs are completely useless. My favorite buses are the ones during the day that play local music throughout the entire ride (Cambodia, Vietnam, Nepal) or slow down so that other locals can jump on the moving vehicle and we don't waste too much time by stopping (Nepal, Myanmar). I could discuss at length the sort of transportation I've used just to save a dollar. Motorbike for three with 5 bags of luggage. Overnight boat that was one giant bed for 100 people with insects falling in my face, and rain sweeping in from the window. Lots of times, when I'm on your average 5 hour mini van trip, the van would stop and all of the locals would get out, and I would have no idea what's going on. The best was when bathroom rest-stops in Nepal meant stopping at the jungle while the ladies go in one direction, and the men go in the other. There was always someone sharing tissues or hand sanitizer. I had a good laugh that time that I hopped on the wrong overnight bus at a rest stop and had to bang on the driver window, waking everyone up at 2am, so that he opened the door and I could jump off as it was moving to go and find my assigned bus. Thank God that was not a day that I indulged in a sleeping pill. Theres the time that the tuktuk driver didn't realize that I climbed on the roof of the car during a drive through the forest, so that I could take in the beautiful view of the mountains. Or that time 30 of us sat on the floor of a long-boat on our way to a no-name abandoned island for the day. -- Its interesting to hear about right? The reason I had these experiences was because I didn't want to pay for anything that would run my budget dry, and I had the time for it.  Unfortunately for tourists, these experiences are few and far between, simply due to the fact that land journeys take a lot longer than air, and a short term vacation usually means being able, and needing, to afford a domestic flight.

5. Tours - theres the kind of tours that are advertised at the Marriott, and theres the kind of tours advertised at the central backpackers hostel. This is when tourists can really lose out, paying double or triple what a backpacker would pay for the same thing and actually getting the same thing. Then there's times when you really truly get what you pay for, and the backpacker is lumped into a van or boat full of people hoping for the promised adventure and soon learning that they were all mislead about what they were paying for. Mainly its the difference between private tours and group tours - flower pedals on your clean bed every day, versus a leaky sink and stained towel. Sometimes its a roll of the dice, but always, as a backpacker, you have spirited people with you on the adventure!

6. Food - Well, really this also depends on the degree of openness that the traveler has. Sometimes it takes time for tourists to open up to the idea of eating on plastic patio furniture in the street with only a metal cart of food in baskets with flies all around, and a wok frying pan as the kitchen. It can take time for a foreigner to learn that this is what locals call a restaurant. I remember as a tourist in Morocco it was particularly difficult to choose a "local" place to eat based on cleanliness, since food poisoning was so common. Backpackers, expats, and sometimes locals, call the local run-in-the-mill restaurants "street food", and backpackers live off of it. I can pay $.50 in Myanmar, $2 in Cambodia, $1 in Laos, $1 in Vietnam, $2 in Thailand, $1 in Malaysia - and for that price I can have a delicious, home-cooked, all natural, local meal. Tourists are usually going where they are sent or recommended, and not looking around in order to stay in their budget. A tourist wants "local food" they go to a proper westernized restaurant and they get it, the same enormous plate I got for $1 in the street, they will get for $5 in a restaurant and it will be smaller and not like mama makes it. Of course, like I said, there are tourists who know better, have traveled much before, or are open to all of these new foods that you come across in travel. However there is no necessity to find cheap local eats, only desire. Backpackers have both the desire and the necessity.

7. Language - being a backpacker does not mean lower standards, it means no expectations. Hostels may not be concerned about how much English their staff speaks, and guesthouses and homestays definitely involve language barriers. As a long-term traveler, a backpacker can pick-up some crucial local words, or even learn the English words that a local could understand easier. For example, instead of saying "can you wait for me?" And repeating this over and over with sign language, I simply say "you wait me." It's almost always understood, and communication is more efficient. I have found that the poorer my English is, the better I am understood. Suddenly I am saying to friends back home things like "no have" and "wait me." This is not to say necessarily that tourists lack this skill, or even that all backpackers take the time to learn how to communicate, however, being in the same place for a long time and traveling at a slow pace creates an openmindedness that simply may not feel necessary for the traveler who is passing through. Sometimes learning is hard work, and people don't want to do it while on vacation.

"When you travel, remember that a foreign country is not meant to make you comfortable. It's meant to make its own people comfortable." - Clifton Fadiman

8. Attitude - One thing I have learned, for sure, the longer you stay in one place the more time you have to fall in love with it and the more tolerance you build. I have met negative backpackers, negative tourists, as well as tourists who are openminded and backpackers who put a sincere effort into loving and learning from every experience. Of course, after traveling for a while, the backpacker usually evolves into having a "backpacker ideal" of simplicity, fun, understanding, open-mindedness and ease. After traveling so many countries, and seeing how different people can be, the only way to truly live and love is with an open mind, and patience. Unfortunately this is when tourists often fail to take the time to grow from travel. There are so many people who go to a country for a short while, unfamiliar with customs and culture, expecting things to be accomplished in the same manner as it would at home. I have seen tourists yell at locals for making them wait because the bus was late. I have seen tourists insult locals, for the quality of the work that they do, to their face. Rather than comparing or observing customs, I have seen time and again the judging of them. The savvy tourist will have the open-mindedness and patience of a backpacker. Unfortunately not all tourists are savvy, and neither are all backpackers. However, backpackers will often flow with the culture and what is going on. I suppose this is also freeing for some people. Tourists, even the openminded and easy going ones, often don't have enough time to travel so that their stress is completely released and their need to control and plan dissipates. The ability to "flow" is much more difficult to obtain. It took me months before I was able to release all of my stress and float through some places, rather than force my plan and not create worry in a situation that is out of my control. It took me time before I was walking at a local pace. In some places dogs would bark at me like I was a threat to their life when I was moving quickly or breathing heavily - when I slowed my pace it was as if I became one with nature. The fact is that backpackers can simply show up, and have the freedom to figure things out as they go, and to do so at the pace of their choosing. Tourists don't have that luxury.

"If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion, and avoid the people - you might better stay at home." James A. Michener

9. Meeting locals and making friends - it has mainly been while traveling that I have experienced the natural connection between people. Often times back home, the person sitting next to you will observe and experience the same thing, and still no one will communicate about it. On hundreds, literally hundreds, of occasions while traveling it has been the norm to turn to the person next to me and start a conversation. Where are you from? We are more connected to where we are from and where we have been than the person sitting in front of us sometimes, as a result this questions is often asked before the person even introduces themselves. It is because of this that I make a conscious effort to ask people their names first. Then, there's the backpacker questions of: how long are you traveling for? Where have you been? What was your favorite place? Where did you start? I can now list off the countries I've traveled at lightning speed.
Backpackers get more in your business than tourists too. After all, we have been sharing rooms with strangers for months on end, and we understand the difficulty of budget travel. So backpackers don't hesitate to ask: where are you staying? How much does it cost? Even more so, how are you affording this? I have come up with my standard answers, and in doing so have realized that tourists don't really ask these questions, not unless they are desperately curious for the same thing and always with the prerequisite of "i hope you don't mind me asking." Tourists are more likely to keep to themselves, also more likely to be traveling or meeting up with other people. The tourist wants to talk enough to have share a moment, but not enough to make a travel companion. The backpacker is the same, we are all in constantly changing environments as travelers - when we meet those special people who are worth traveling with its really a gift. However, when a traveler is with a companion, or on a fixed plan, it is harder to leave their bubble and expand to new people and alternative plans.

10. The party - we all pretty much party the same. I think that tourists do this the right way, and backpackers could learn a bit. Again, it depends on the person, but when I am traveling in a conservative country I am mindful of that, and often times I look around and see backpackers and tourists in revealing clothes, publicly drunk, and yelling every which way to their friends. In this case, maybe we're all doing it wrong. But when it comes time to party, we can. We dance to the crappy electro music and Pitbull songs from 10 years ago, we get sweaty, drink buckets of alcohol (literally), and are completely open to meeting people.

I'd be interested to see if other people who have traveled can understand and agree with these points or not. Being a backpacker has made me feel as if I am a part of a secret society that understands something that others might not. We are well-rounded, but by accident, through travel osmosis. We have tasted it all, from the BBQ rat, to the luxurious air con hostel, to camping on a deserted tropical beach, to fried scorpion, to invitations from complete strangers to go on overnight excursions, and on and on with all of the awesome and weird travel opportunities we get, learning from each of them all along the way.

Cheers

The Best of Thai

One of the things I fell in love with in Thailand was the language.

First are the many English phrases that tourists here over and over again like, "kha," "no have," "have," "cannot," "can," "finish," and the overall Southeast Asian go-to of "same same but different." The reason the people speak like this in English, in most Southeast Asian countries, is because it is a literal translation of their language. Mai dai - cannot. Mai me - no have. Me mai - you have?

The politeness form used in every day language is "kha" if you are a woman, and "krab" if you are a man. Sometimes i would overhear phone conversations and every other word was kha or krab. It's yes, it's thank you, you're welcome, and simply serves as an overall respectful recognition of the other person.

My favorite thing about the language was the intonation. It sounded like something I would call a whine. Thank you was never just khabkhun kha, it was khabkhun khaaaaaa with a rising inflection on the last note of kha. It became less like a whine as time went on, and more like a song. After 6 weeks in the country I enjoyed using local phrases and intonations as a way of communicating. Tinglish. By the end I would just throw in "kha" at the end of every sentence. "Okay khaaaa!"

Although Thailand was not my favorite place in Southeast Asia, it was one of the places that felt like home. Everything there is communicable, convenient, and navigable. Most places are not far from a dusty city with a thai massage, motorbike rental, 7/11, and fried chicken nearby. What more could you need?

The north of Thailand, as well as Koh Tao, and Koh Lanta (islands in the south) were by far the best and most memorable parts of my experiences there. The people were friendly, the food was fantastic, the shopping was fun, the activities affordable, and the environment to meet people - both locals and travelers - was saturated. Bangkok was not my favorite place, not because it was a big city, or crowded with tourists, no, it was because the local people were obviously burnt out by tourists. On several ocasions I experienced unkind interactions among the tourist handlers, even locals deciding to ignore me when we were in the middle of a conversation. Truth be told, communication was exhausting and had to be extremely clear so as not to offend or insult, and even then, sometimes I would walk away as the one feeling insulted.

In 8 weeks, beginning from the North, I went to Chiang Rai, Pai, Chiang Mai, Sukhothai, Ayuttaya, Bangkok, Kanchanaburi, Bangkok (two week break for Myanmar followed by land border crossing to...), Mae Sot, Tak, Chiang Mai, Bangkok (for a 12 hr bus layover), Chumphon, Koh Tao, Surat Thani, Krabi, Koh Lanta, Koh PhiPhi, and Hat Yai before land crossing into Malaysia.

There was so much that I did and saw in Thailand, and it was the longest I have stayed in one country since I began traveling in 2014. Here's what stuck out the most;

Most Visited Place

7ELEVEN! Back to the land of convenience, where there are 7Elevens on every corner - making all of my first aid, beverage, and food needs easily met. The go-to for backpackers are the sandwich toasties, the cigarettes, and the Chiang beer. On top of this, 7Eleven has become such a cornerstone for travelers in Thailand, that a lot of the t-shirts sold on the street will simply have their logo on it to sell to tourists. The first time I saw a 7Eleven in Asia was in Thailand, and it was like finding the Holy Grail. Then I learned that the Holy Grail was on every corner. 

Best Shopping

It is a toss-up between the night market in Chiang Mai, and Khoasan Road in Bangkok. The clothing is so cheap, and usually the material was such good quality, that I couldn't go wrong. With the exception of the several pairs of shorts or pants that would continually rip on the same butt-seam - I had no shoppers guilt. I bought everything I needed, to the point that Thailand left me equipped with a new speaker system, new clothing, shoes, dresses, hats, sarongs, and everything in between. It was heaven on earth for someone who had been traveling wearing the same six items of clothing for eight months. My confidence was in need of a wardrobe change. Chiang Mai was cheaper than Bangkok, and in Bangkok the bargaining was not nearly as friendly as in the north. When push comes to shove, I still walked away with all that I needed.

Easiest Border Crossing

I entered Thailand from Laos, and also from Myanmar, and I left Thailand entering into Malaysia. BY FAR the simplest, easiest, and fastest border crossing was going from Laos to Thailand. It was also the saddest to be leaving behind such an incredible experience during my time there. 

Most Spontaneous Adventure

Almost all of my spontaneous adventures happened in Pai. One day, I went for a walk on my own and came back with my first tattoo. Another day, my friends and I were leaving a waterfall, and needed a taxi. I said it would be better to hitchhike instead of paying for a taxi - since pretty much everyone leaving the waterfall would be returning to the city. So, we hitchhiked, and the people who picked us up ended up being from the same group we met at a bar the night before. They gave us a ride back to Pai, and then to the canyon to watch the sunset together, and we continued a night of music and amusement from there.

Best Food

By far, green curry with chicken. There was one particular place in Mae Sot that changed my perception of green curry - forever. It was run by a middle aged couple and located in the center of town. There was nothing to do in Mae Sot, so after a day of walking about with a Spanish friend I made, we ran into the only restaurant open for an 8pm meal and it turned out to be the best Thai food of my life. An enormous vat of green curry, spicier than "Thai spicy" as requested, and filled with vegetables.

Cheapest Food

Pad Thai. Pad Thai all day, every day, anywhere, any time, for around $1.

Best Day Tour for My Money

The cooking class I took in Chiang Mai was deliciously memorable. My travel buddies and I went to the market to learn about the foods, and although I was strung out on only a couple of hours of sleep, I woke right up when the heat was turned on. It was interesting to learn about the spices, fruits, and vegetables that virtually don't exist in America. I got to learn how to cook my favorite Thai foods, spicy spicy. I don't mean to brag, but I basically make the best green curry ever. Thanks to our tiny upbeat chef making us laugh the entire class, it will definitely be unforgettable.

Not My Favorite Day Tour

While in Chiang Mai, some of my friends and I decided to head over to Tiger Kingdom to see the beautiful animals there. We all had read about the purity - or lack thereof - concerning these "sanctuaries" or "rehabilitation centers." At Tiger Kingdom were tigers, and even lions, locked in very small cages being photographed, and taunted by foreigners and workers alike. The Kingdom says that they "rescue" the tigers at a young age, rehabilitate them, and release them back into the wild at 2 years old. However, what grown ass Tiger is going to laze around while people playing with its tail and rubbing its backside? A drugged tiger. What baby is not going to try to playfully bite? A drugged baby. The feeling in the pit of my stomach at this place was not good. I paid the money to see the smallest tigers. I gave them as much love as I could ,and otherwise tried to observe the workings of the facility. I couldn't wait to leave. A month later, I learned that the sister-sanctuary run by monks outside of Bangkok would be closed because of abuse, and exploitation for tourisms sake.

Most Memorable Encounters

Me and My Sukhothai Lifesave, Mr Ng

In Sukhothai my friends and I borrowed bicycles to ride 14km to the famed ancient ruins in this small dusty town. After riding along the same route for some time, I sped up as much as I could, eventually looking back to see that my friends were no where in sight. I returned to where I saw them last, backtracking the same way, and still no where to be found. I had no internet or cellular reception to use. I had no idea what the name of my hostel, or the name of the ruins were. I had no idea where I was. Continuing on the path, I asked directions. No other city in Thailand gave me so much of a language barrier. I pointed, and used simple words. Most people directed me to the police station, which I went to. Eventually, I said to myself that I had no choice but to hitchhike. The heat was a desert, I had no water, and I just wanted to find my friends. This is the second of many times that I would hitchhike in Southeast Asia. I waved down a truck. The driver did not speak English. Luckily, there was a phone number on my bicycle for the hostel I was staying at. With some hand motions, the driver invited me into his car, put my bike in the trunk, and off we went for AN HOUR in search of my hostel. I will definitely remember Ng as my angel that day. When we finally arrived where I was staying, I offered him money that he refused. All he wanted was a selfie with me as a thank you. This is when communicating via laughter becomes a powerful tool in foreign travel.

Best Self-Employed Day Tour

While I was traveling on my own for a week in Kanchanaburi, I had met some Canadians and American who wanted to rent motorbikes. On our last day together we drove to Erawan National Park, where there are some killer waterfalls, and we made the drive up to Hellfire Pass for some World War II history and memorials. I suppose we didn't realize that the driving would take two times longer than google maps says, since we were on motorbikes. However, it was certainly a highlight to drive two hours to Hellfire Pass and walk the circuit of memorials in the valley there. We leisurely strolled through many Australian memorials and Western memorials. The powerful history of the abuse towards the Prisoners of War, from places like the United States, United Kingdom, Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar, Malaysia, Australia, and New Zealand, really brought a spiritual and meaningful presence to the experience of walking through the place where thousands were killed. Why have I never learned about the Japanese in WWII and POWs before? Nazi Germany, and People's American History of the United States must have occupied all of my history courses. When the war was over, railway was not able to be used past a certain distance, and it was later destroyed. People slaved and died for it under Japanese regime, and then it was taken apart once repossessed by England. It was certainly heavy, educational, and memorable to be there. Simply learning about the conditions the POWs were living in brought tears to my eyes. After Hellfire Pass we drove another two hours around the National Park to the entrance, where we trekked through the jungle and swam in the waterfall for a short while before riding another two hours back to town and visiting the night market for dinner. This tour is offered by local companies, and costs over 1,000 baht. We did it for about 500 each. There is nothing like the wind in your hair while speeding along an empty highway with nothing but your thoughts and a destination. 

The view looking out over hellfire pass

Favorite Animal

My favorite animal in Thailand is, by far, the elephant. During my first visit in Chiang Mai, my friends and I day-toured to the Save the Elephants Wildlife Reserve. It is one of two reputable elephant sanctuaries in Thailand. It is the ONLY wildlife reserve that allows for the animals to roam free on many acres of land, feeds them, bathes them, and does not allow any other kinds of touching or riding. Hopefully, the government will eventually have a wildlife sanctuary to help save the elephants - for now the Thai gov't seems to keep its head down over the topic. The elephants we met were beaten, broken, and wounded by the life they had before they were rescued. Some of them were forced loggers, or forced into reproduction - essentially being put into a cage and raped by the male elephant for the benefit of people. All "domesticated" elephants in Thailand are taken at a young age from their mother, the wild, or both, and put into a cage that does not allow them to move - at all. While in that cage for three days they are tortured, stabbed, and beaten until they stop crying. My friends and I tearfully watched videos, during the tour, of the abuse that all "domesticated" elephants in Thailand go through. It's the concept that breaking their spirit will give them a new one, and that new spirit will do whatever its told. They wont cry or fight for their mother anymore. They will just shake from trauma, withstand the weight that they're bodies are not meant to hold - or they will be beaten more without restraint. Elephants are such soft, elegant, sensitive creatures. There was no way I could spend a day at this sanctuary seeing the abused elephants - some with permanent physical damage or emotional trauma - and not fall completely in love with these giant beauties.

Standing in front of the White Temple in Chiang Rai during sunset.

Most Profound Spiritual Experience
The most beautiful Buddhist temple I have ever seen was in Chiang Rai at the White Temple. The design of how the sun hit the white building and all of its mosaic bling - along with the actually enforced ambiance of silence and respect - made this place one of the most peaceful temples I have ever been to. 

Best Island

Koh Lanta. Low season was the best gift I could have received, and Koh Lanta was the deliverer. This conservative Muslim island was essentially abandoned during low season, so my friends and I had complete run of it. We did whatever we wanted, skinny dipped, sped around on motorbikes, slept anywhere, danced for no reason, climbed trees for coconuts - it was paradise. We were completely free. Between traveling with a group of high spirited loving people, the empty beaches, partial nudity, fast motorbikes, good and cheap food, and abandoned resorts, there was absolutely no way that I would change a second of my time there.



Most Rebellious Experience
While staying on Koh Lanta, my friends ventured to a rocky beach where a resort was locked up for the "off season." There they decided to set up camp for the night using mosquito nets and hammocks. The night before the campout we had a full BBQ, in the dark during a rainstorm. Using all of the utilities of this abandoned resort, we had shelter, an oven, a bathroom, and everything. It was probably the best trespassing decision of my life.

Best Party

For an every day party, I would say Chiang Mai had it going on. It was possibly my favorite city in Thailand. Every night all of the travelers would cultivate their little backpack community at Zoe's in Yellow - a local indoor/outdoor club taking up an entire block of the city. The best party, however, was celebrating the Thai New Year (Song Kran/Water Festival) for five days in Chiang Mai. All of the streets became a party. There was music blasting constantly, trucks of people with ice-water buckets stuck in traffic and attacking any passerby. The party started around 10am and ended at sundown, when everyone changed their soaking wet clothes, got cleaned up, and prepared to head out for a crowded dance-party at Zoe's. This went on for days. People wore raincoats and ponchos to drive through the city on their motorbikes. Tuktuks locked their windows. Everyone with a brain kept their phones in a waterproof sealed bag. Travelers coming and going during the festival had  to run through the streets so as to not get their travel bags soaked. Everyone had a water gun or bucket of some kind. It didn't rain at all during the entire festival, yet there was flooding half of a foot on some streets, and the road constantly looked as if a storm had just passed. There was no leaving your home unless you were prepared to get wet. People who were not in the spirit stalked up on food like it was the apocalypse so that they could survive without leaving their home. There was no way you wouldn't make friends, or be attacked by local children. There was just no way you could not have fun. So Tee Pee Mai! (Happy New Year)

SongKran by Day

SongKran by night

Best Hostel

The best hostel I stayed at, was hands down, Potae's guesthouse in Chiang Mai. Potae was a young lady who opened her business less than a year earlier. I would say that Potae and I became friends during the week that I stayed with her. She had everything, pods for beds so there was plenty of privacy, air con, small breakfast, directions and tours for anything and everything, and during the Songkran Water Festival she provided us all with buckets of water to dive into the Thai New Year with. She even hosted a night out with all of the hostel guests during the last night of the festival.

Proudest Accomplishment
I successfully received my Open Water Diver license. It has opened me up to an underwater world of possibilities in my future travels and adventures. Also, on my last dive of the course, I got to swim next to an enormous barracuda that you can vaguely see in the photo.

Best Sunsets
Nothing compares to the island sunsets

Most Memorable Moment
I had many many many memorable moments in Thailand. Getting lost with my Swiss and English friends in the dry jungle of Pai on our adventurous hike to a waterfall. Nights of dancing in Chiang Mai, and making loads of friends there. Reuniting with the same friends when I returned to Chiang Mai a month later. Diving in Koh Tao, and cliff jumping in Koh PhiPhi. The adventures of Koh Lanta, and the White Temple in Chiang Rai. Jungle walks, beaches, ancient ruins, border crossings, Khoasan Road, hospital visits, Royal City Avenue, temples. After its all said and done, the people I went on these adventures with added life to my day, and a skip in my step. They made the taste sweeter, the day brighter, the music smoother, the high higher, the laughter louder. My Swiss, English, Canadian, Kiwi, Danish, and Austrian friends are who I will carry with me in my heart forever. When it comes to Thailand, my most memorable moments will always have one of them in it.

No Excuses, No Complaints, Just do it and Love it

“Judge not the speck in your brothers eye when you have a plank in your own.” For if you see a speck in your brother’s eye, than it is more likely that you have a plank in your own.

Sometimes I have plank eyes, and it keeps me from seeing the beauty in others. It keeps me from loving the beach, and the breeze, the smell of the rain, and the coffee seeds. It keeps me from seeing warmth in someone’s eyes, because all I smell is garbage and all I see are flies. The goal however, is to see everything as it is, everyone as they are, and love it all.

 Life is so much simpler while traveling. It's just as easy to look at something and see that it is ugly as it is to look at something and see that it is beautiful. 

I’ve learned a lot about what to expect in Southeast Asia – things I used to be uptight about, or need to control that I can understand now are not meant to be in my control. I am not meant to waste energy on caring about what functions as I think it should and what doesn't. In Southeast Asia, I expect everything to move more slowly. I expect to need to simplify my language and adapt to new languages – and never ever ever brush away someone just because we aren’t finding communicating easy. I expect to get what I need when I need it according to my plan, another plan, or some miraculous plan – all of my needs will be met. I expect the mini van to show up on the deserted road, for there to always be a ride whether I paid a $50, $2 or nothing at all. There is always food, a toilet and accommodation near. I expect detours and the unplanned plan – the plan that everyone who speaks the local language knows about and doesn't tell me. I expect beauty, and beauty finds me.

I’ve learned that this is an essential attitude in life, and travel. Love the goodness of the experiences, the adventure, the newness, the oldness, the faces, the colors, the smells, and savor the feeling of it all.

On several occasions I have been invited to travel with people I had just met, and in my mind I usually had apprehensions. Am I really going to agree to go with these people I don’t know, to a place I don’t know, and having intensely personal experiences without having any idea how they react to their environment or how we will travel together? Yep. Sometimes I didn’t join, because I knew I needed to take the time to do some things for myself. Other times, my heart screamed at me to “just say yes!” despite whatever apprehensions I was feeling.

Following intuition, and ignoring the ego that creates fear, doubt, and limitations can open up someone’s heart to new people, new experiences, and all of the in-between that most people say “I can’t” to, “I’m uncomfortable” with, or the experiences that people complain about. I’ve learned to stop and think about why “I can’t," why something, someone makes me feel “uncomfortable,” or what is in my head telling me to complain. More often than not, it has entirely to do with my feelings about myself, feelings about my capabilities, willingness to try new things, my adaptation to authentic experiences and people – and sometimes it’s instinct.

People tend to like their comfort zone – it’s comfortable. It’s when wanting “comfort” becomes an excuse that keeps from a new experience, that it is no longer about comfort at all – it’s about fear. The comfort level becomes a “no trespassing” zone. Most people don’t realize that saying “no” or wanting to stay in their “comfort zone” may be because of fear, and/or self-doubt. I think about Americans I know, and I can see how many live inside of their space and make excuses using words like “comfort” or “can’t” to stay in their space, or complain all along the way no matter how brilliant their lives are. They choose to watch through their window rather than go outside and join in. I can see how this is good for some people, but it is imperative for everyone to take a step back to determine if their decisions are being made out of doubt, or fear, and - if it is so - to go on doing exactly the opposite of what the fear says.

Overcome, heal, and face your own fears, especially the ones that have put limitations on life in seemingly insignificant ways - the ones that say you can’t climb that ladder, get to that appointment, make that jump, find that key, replace that flat tire, cook that meal, enjoy that day, attract that guy etc. You will see that cutting down the red tape around the “comfort zone” will add to who you are. Parts of yourself that you didn’t know existed, let alone were missing, will shine brightly and attract others like a moth to a flame. You will feel joy and love.

Things I do that I always said “no” to before, or thought within limits about, have now become second nature to me, to the point where I find it difficult to understand people who don’t embrace this freedom. The intellectual freedom that comes with knowing anything is possible brings an embracing love to oneself and to life.

That’s what makes leaving the comfort zone so crucial. That's what makes traveling so awesome! Constant new experiences help people to reflect on themselves, and when they do they will see that something can change, and life is always beautiful. 

I think that going anywhere alone brings more attention to the workings in the body and mind in this way. Traveling alone has given this gift to me. I notice the world more, I observe interactions deeply, I can recognize my feelings and reflect before responding. Moreover, I can see why feelings arise and what within myself may need healing or growth. I have all the time in the world and it is all mine. That doesn’t mean that there is no struggle. Some days I am battling off my internal complaints, and fighting away negativity, trying to allow myself the freedom to feel sadness and anger without permitting it to take over completely. Sometimes its hard for friends back home to understand that traveling is my life now, they are not interrupting me by being a part of it by staying connected. Its not a vacation that i need a break from everyone for. Lack of connections from home or other travelers can make traveling solo feel even more alone on some days. Other days I am full of joy for everything and everyone I come across. I am focused, calm, and able to let go of any and all need for control so that I embrace whatever finds me. On those days good people and adventures always find me. 100% guarenteed.

Releasing the “no” and cutting down the caution tape around my comfort zone has been an enormous release. I can see a giant spider in my room, and instead of jumping on my bed and yelling for someone to come kill it, I take a closer look and tell it how beautiful it is – and ask it nicely to leave my room. It’s silly, and I laugh at myself, but then the spider always does leave my room.

I've grown so that all I expect is love, and goodness. I don’t expect people to think, live, or love the same as I do either. When I come across people who don’t behave lovingly, I can see that maybe they are not at the stage of thinking where loving others and themselves is something they can fully comprehend – so I can love them for where they are and be happy that they are on their own journey. Love is conceptual, so that everyone knows what it is and that it is good, however learning how to love takes time.

 Just as showing love to myself, can change the way others show love to me. I encourage you to look within yourself and beyond yourself. Get rid of the “no” and think about the reason for it, don’t allow fear, doubt, or imaginary limits, to rule you. Don’t judge, lest you become the judgment you have made, and that includes judging yourself and creating limitations. Explore! Go on adventures! Makes lists of things you’ve never done but always wanted, lists of ways you want to be treated, lists of things you are afraid of - and then what you do is you DO the things you wanted, HUG your fears, and SURROUND YOURSELF with what makes you feel good. And you do it all by loving. Then watch in awe while your world is rocked.

Even if you don't travel, you can still open yourself up in the same way. Anyone can have the heart of a traveler.