I love the things that you miss after you leave a place. The things you never knew you were taking note of or studying or loving. I miss the way the Thais cut fruit--with strong, rough hands and gentle, precise motions. I would watch in awe, like I was seeing a masterpiece created before me. … Continue reading I Love the Things that You Miss
Category: Asia
Awakening
Around the same time last year, I set out for this journey and stepped foot on my first international plane, expecting the best. After four months of being back in the U.S., only now do I feel like my Thai adventure is behind me. For a while, being home felt like I was waking up … Continue reading Awakening
Cambodia Revisited: The Horror and the Glory
I went back to Cambodia to feel the sadness of its people. I left with different eyes. The first time I visited for beauty and merriment and celebration. I returned with an education of Cambodian history, a new appreciation for Angkor Wat, a taste of the rawness of poverty, and conflicted emotions about the role … Continue reading Cambodia Revisited: The Horror and the Glory
Monkey Antics and Bat Evacuations
En route to Cambodia, we made a pit stop in Lop Buri so Ryan could come face-to-face with the primates he's learned about in books and I could satiate my desire to explore this place more intimately. After a day of monkey stalking, we returned to our rental motorbike to find that four of the … Continue reading Monkey Antics and Bat Evacuations
Sao Te Ching
“Simplicity, patience, compassion. These three are your greatest treasures. Simple in actions and thoughts, you return to the source of being. Patient with both friends and enemies, you accord with the way things are. Compassionate toward yourself, you reconcile all beings in the world.” ― Tao Te Ching One of the most rewarding experiences I've … Continue reading Sao Te Ching
The Thai New Year and Mountain Adventures
We spent the last half of April in and around Chiang Mai, Thailand's second largest city located in the northern part of the country. Our first three days were pure chaos due to the fact that the entire nation was waging a water war against us. A formidable battalion comprised of tourists, expats, and locals … Continue reading The Thai New Year and Mountain Adventures
Wat Rong Khun
Wat Rong Khun (The White Temple) in Chiang Rai, Thailand.
Laoungin’
My time in Laos was spent loafing about the city and wandering through the countryside--down dusty roads, through villages, to waterfalls, and up mountains by motorbikes and mountain bikes. We visited Laos' two biggest cities--Vientiane and Luang Prabang--which were not big at all. These big cities are really just a few big roads. The rest … Continue reading Laoungin’
Mai Pen Rai
After joining tens of thousands of farangs and contributing to the lunar tomfoolery at the infamous Full Moon Party on Koh Phangan, we decided to elope to the less traversed, more scenic east coast of the island. After a terrifying hour-long songthaew ride through steep slopes and bumpy roads in the jungle, we arrived at … Continue reading Mai Pen Rai
Ryan Joins the Journey
Ryan's first time in Bangkok. My first time seeing someone familiar in more than six months. So much excitement, so many emotions. We spent the first few days traipsing around the seedier parts of Bangkok to indulge in some much needed celebratory hedonism. And then, a little bit of the usual: fruit markets, temples, tuk … Continue reading Ryan Joins the Journey
Joc Cousteau 