Chasing waves and rice terraces…

Posted on May 17, 2013 by Satori

There are people you cross paths with in your travels who float right past you, leaving you as you were, unaffected. Then there are those who seem to come at the perfect time, in the perfect place, as if the universe had been conspiring all along to make your world and theirs crash together. No matter how much we wonder why, whether it is clear or not, we know deep down it bears a purpose. But in fleeting times like these, and places that shine and hide, all we could do was to follow wherever the next sunrise and sunset took us.

So we did. We did just that.

On a gloomy afternoon we took a bus to this place called San Felipe in Zambales. We stayed at The Circle Hostel for the night, it reminded us of the hostel where we first met in Pai, where it all began. It was dark when we arrived. I followed him as he pulled my hands through the darkness. We sat on the sand, looked up at the stars and sat in silence. The kind of silence that breaks when the ocean crashes and the winds blow whispers in our ears.

The next day we moved to a different guesthouse. Our laughter echoed as we try to balance on the slack line. Then we rented a surfboard and I attempted to surf the waves. After some struggles and a racing heart I decided I should rest and try again next time. I knew I would stand up on the board eventually. But for that day I was fine with trying.

On our way back to our room we saw children playing lutu-lutuan, which means cooking. We exchanged conversations, laughters, giggles, and smiles. They played with fire and cooked leaves in cans, and climbed trees with thin branches. I feel happy seeing them doing this but I couldn’t help but think of the children who will never know this kind of childhood because it is filled with pixelated screens and fabricated music. Children are born to explore and create, it’s a shame that it’s hindered through technology. But I digress, I bring myself back and smile at the happy children in front of me and wish in my heart that their days will always be filled with this kind of happiness.

Then we followed the sunset. The gray clouds brought out pink and purple colors once it was graced by the rays of the sun. It reflected on the waves and created an ethereal periwinkle color. I’ll never get tired of the sunset, even if I tried, it would be almost impossible. May we always feel the grace and beauty of each sunset, wherever we are.

The next day we decided to change our plans. Although we already took a short bus ride to get to our next destination, we spontaneously decided to head up to the north to the Ifugao province to see the Banaue rice terraces instead. So we took a bus to Olongapo and bought our bus tickets to the mountains. We waited and went inside the music store. And I got lost in the sound of his hands + the guitar strings.

Then we went to a park. Where I made him eat balut, fertilized duck egg, a speciality in my culture. I cringed and laughed as I watched.

Mr. Balut Man

Then we slept on a cold night bus to Baguio, and woke up before the sun rose. We ate an early breakfast and hopped on a van to the Ifugao province. I hazily opened my eyes up after a deep sleep, yet was astounded when I saw this.

The next day we took a jeepney to Batad. It was filled inside and on top inch by inch by locals, tourists, luggages, and boxes.

And hiked all the way down to the village to get to Ramon’s Homestay…

The next day we did a morning trek with a Chilean couple on the rice terraces all the way to the waterfalls on the other side. There’s not much to say about this place, it rendered me speechless. All I could do was look at the beauty of the earth in front of me. It did nothing but took my breathe away.

Then we slept in a century old hut. It stored antiques and was decorated with skulls and bones on the doorway to ward off evil spirits.

To be continued…

Posted on April 1, 2013 by Satori

Ten years later…

Posted on March 21, 2013 by Satori

As the plane began its descent I looked out the window at the tiny vessels that pulsated through the heart of the city where mine beated for the first time. Before I could decipher which emotion I am feeling tears filled my eyes. It’s been almost ten years since I have seen the sunset in my homeland. I haven’t seen most of my relatives for almost a decade. And here I am at 24. In the middle of my journey, about to come back to where I came from. I’m a different person flying in since I flew out. There is gap in between when I left and came back that is buried, waiting to be reconnected. And this is what I have set out to do. I’m not sure exactly what it is. But I am going to find it.

I walked through the airport doors as the heat of the city stuck to my skin. I looked around for my father in the crowd. The last time I saw him was almost four years ago when he visited us in California. Before that it had been 6 years since we last saw him. Then I heard him calling, and there he was. Amidst the crowds of people is my father towering above them all. The same man with the same feet that I would step onto as he led the dance when I was just a little girl. I found myself in his arms again as I hugged him and let his presence fill my consciousness. There is a piece of a girl’s heart that is waiting to be tamed again until it is graced with her father’s presence. It felt surreal yet blissful to be back. I am here. In the land where I took my first breathe. And here I am again, breathing the same air.

My journey in the Philippines started with a place that I have gravitated towards to ever since I saw it for the first time in pictures as a child. I flew to the south with an old friend of mine. Where I found limestone cliffs hovering over islands with sands that felt like chalk powder. And unbelievably clear turquoise and sea foam green island shores. With emerald green lagoons hidden inside that made your eyes so wide it opened up the depths of your soul. I found paradise of all paradises… Palawan.

On our first full day we kayaked to the other island. From the distance we could see a tiny strip of beach.. it became our destination. We paddled through the currents until we floated through the turquoise waters and sunk our bodies into the sea.

As I set my body afloat, I gazed at the blue sky painting itself above me. The heat of the sun kissing my face. And felt the gentle waves take me away. Then I hear the heartbeat of the ocean. And with all my senses, I see, hear, taste, smell and feel all that surrounds me. The oneness in everything. The oneness that connects us all and leads our inner dance.

Our days were spent hopping from island to island and lagoon to lagoon. I have never seen islands that are more beautiful in my life. The unseen energy that radiates from the paradise we found filled our souls with bliss and our days with breathing dreams.

Heaven is a state of mind more than anything. But here in this place, I found heaven. An emerald green lagoon heaven. Sometimes I felt the need to pinch myself to see if I was dreaming. Or if I had fallen into a blissful death.

We swam under a hole that led to the small lagoon. Then swam across it to enter a cave. Inside, I sat on a rock. I was right under the ray of light shining through the hole high up above. I kept that moment as if it was a secret I could hold forever. It was so raw and pure. And I felt like a mermaid, another being, something. Something that wasn’t me. It was magic. That’s all I can say for now. Because you know what they say about magic. The more you try to hold on to it and describe it, you lose it. So I’ll leave it at that. And I wish for you to find that magic, perhaps in a different place and a different time. And when you find it you will understand. You will see.

Each morning we would wake up with the sun and walk towards the other side of the beach. We would sit on the bamboo hammocks and dangle in between the trees as we looked at the perfect placement of the sky and the ocean. As if we were at the very edge of the world and beyond it was infinity.

We would think through ink and paper… spilling our thoughts with writings. And we’d let the present intoxicate us and drink it for what it’s worth and let our spirits live through each of our breaths, each blink, each heartbeat. These were our moments.

And I know deep down that there really is no other place on Earth quite like my homeland. No other place at all. I’m here now. And I can feel the restlessness of my feet. Yet somehow I feel grounded with each step.

My journey back had just begun.

Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air– Thai Islands.

Posted on February 20, 2013 by Satori

Northern Thailand had me under its spell. I found it so hard to leave. But I’ve been longing for the islands. So I parted ways with my Pai family and took three buses heading down south. I knew I had to rest before I hop on that ferry ride to Koh Tao. My head ached for a bed. I got off the bus in Chumphon, a kind Thai lady from the bus told me to hop on the back of a motorbike to the hotel. I found a hotel/bar, tossed all my things on the floor, had salty french fries with loads of ketchup for an unhealthy dinner. The first time I slept on a real bed with my own room. No bunks. No backpackers. I’m pretty sure that aside from a young French couple with their adorable curly-haired daughter I was the only one there. I showered, talked to friends online, wrote my memories on paper, then fell asleep.

I woke up before the sun rose. Packed all my things, and hopped onto the taxi (that’s actually one of those huge open-air trucks that kind of looks like it came straight out of a war film). I look around at the faces of backpackers around me and they were all in a sleepy haze. The wind was wild and it set my hair free. I put my head against the metal rail and closed my eyes. I felt the cool morning air on my skin, and my goosebumps raising. I slowly opened my eyes up to a pink orange sky with the sun peaking over the ocean. A grand sunrise that everyone instantly woke up to. Everyone kept quiet and watched. Everyone stayed still.

We all got off the ferry, dug out our backpacks from the massive mountain of luggages and headed off to our own different paths. I always like people watching. Sometimes instead of introducing myself to these people, I would just rather keep quiet and wonder about they’re lives. What makes their heart skip beats, how they love, how they cry, how they laugh, what makes them raw, what makes them feel the most alive. After all of that, I just give them a smile, and they smile back. I’ll never see them again. Or maybe they’ll just be an arm I brush up against in a crowded city. In a different country. Who knows. But in that moment, a smile was enough.

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The scent of the ocean, along with the rays of sunshine kissing my skin, and the gorgeous view of the sea foam green and turquoise waters instantly put me at ease. It felt good to be by the ocean again. The tides always seem to pull me with it, no matter where I am.

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From Koh Tao I took the night ferry to Krabi with Nic, a girl I met in Chiang Mai. It was an old wooden ferry with thin “floor beds” right next to each other. We slept on the floor beneath with low ceiling. We giggled to ourselves and at our little sketchy boat adventure. The air was thick and musty so we opened the windows. The cold wind of the ocean filled the boat. I laid my head down and let the lullabies of the sea drift me away into a dreamless sleep.

We got off the ferry and connected to a bus ride that took us through the lush green terrain and karst landscapes of Krabi. Then we took a boat to Railay Beach, beach cave lovers and rock climber’s paradise. And I found perfection.

We stayed at Railay Cabanas and slept in a bungalow in bottom of a bowl of limestone mountains.

Our morning views were breathtaking.

We were close to a Rock Climbing Gym/Cafe/Bar where they used a thick piece of wood as menus, dreamcatchers hung from the ceiling, and the instructors all had dreads.

I’ve been itching to rock climb in Railay Beach ever since I saw a picture of it in the Lonely Planet. It was my second time climbing, and first time climbing real rocks. I’m afraid of heights but I always face it anyway. I love the thrill and the adrenaline rushing through my veins. My instructor who was a small Thai version of Bob Marley kept yelling broken English at me that I don’t understand, followed by laughter echoing through the canyon. He’s clearly laughing at my lack of experience. He climbs like a spider monkey. So I grin at myself and pause to rest. I look behind me and below me. I’m so high. I’m hanging from this karst rock just in time to witness the sun setting. The view was astounding. I reveled in the beauty of that fleeting moment.

We walked to Phra Nang Beach, I heard this hypnotic music echoing through the caves and saw a man tapping his fingers on a steel shell. It instantly put me under its musical spell, and I instantly fell into a blissful trance.

According to legend, Phra Nang was an Indian princess who was killed in a shipwreck. In another tale, Phra Nang was the wife of a fisherman who was lost at sea. She lived out the rest of her days in the cave, awaiting her husband’s return.

Today, local fisherman and boatmen leave offerings in Phra Nang cave for they believe it will secure safe travel on the sea. These offerings are in the form of male genitalia, phallic-shaped statues representing the Hindu god Shiva.

We woke up to swim in the beach early morning. From the distance we saw these group of guys jumping off a cliff. Michael, a German guy we ended up traveling with, immediately swim towards the deep end. I followed him after, and swam into the cave. We climbed on a cliff hovering over the sea. I looked down and my fears arose like giant serpents, making me feel paper thin. I stood there for a while. Looking down as I felt the knots in my stomach form. Finally, I stopped thinking. And just jumped. I felt the needles of the impact all over my body as I plunged deep into the sea. I reached the surface and took a deep breathe and smiled.

I was on a high. So I jumped again.

You achieve a certain kind of liberation unlike anything else once you let yourself become bigger than your fear.

As if you were reborn and pure again.

Three nights were all I had left in Thailand. So we continued on to Koh Phi Phi. The island of the obnoxiously drunk 24/7 partygoers but more importantly one of the best viewpoints I have ever set my eyes on, and The Beach.

After a sleepless night full of drunk people throwing large leaves in our dorm room, cellphones ringing inside lockers, broken padlocks, and slurred profanity. Nic and I got up and decided to watch the sunrise at the viewpoint. We sat on the rocks and meditated on the tainted beauty that is Koh Phi Phi island. But we found in peace in this place. Then gray clouds hovered above us, and seconds later bullets of rain started shattering on our skins. We ran to the cafe, got some coffee, and as I emptied my packet of sugar I read “Trust your intuition, and the universe will guide you.”

Then, I smiled to myself.

Ferry rides to the islands were some of my most treasured memories of Thailand. I would hop to the side of the boat then sat with my feet dangling with the wind. I watched a flock of birds synchronize their movement with our boat, Into & Outro by M83 vibrating through my ears, sending me shivers down my spine, and bliss chills all over my body as I looked at the perfect space between the ocean and the sky laid out in front of me.

Just like my sugar packet said, “Trust your intuition and the universe will guide you”. And I did. I did just that.

For the first time, I backpacked throughout a new country by myself. I met incredible people, saw the most beautiful places I have ever laid eyes on, and had the most blissful experiences. I’ve slept in dorm huts built on rice fields, sketchy bar hotels, overnight trains, countless of buses, a bungalow in a bowl of karst mountains, creepy night boats, and kept awake in a crazy party hostel where most people were sober 1% of the time. Yet I continue to find beauty in all of it. Each day I woke up to a brand new adventure that took me to temples, mountains, canyons, caves, islands, lagoons, cities & towns that each took a piece of my heart, everything my wanderlust had been aching for.

A beautiful soul told me that meeting amazing people and then going separate ways is a part of traveling. And also that maybe part of the beauty of those relationships lie on their briefness. I held its truth.

Wandering does that to you, hell, life does that to you. You’ll feel things you never want to stop feeling. You’ll love people who will leave. You’ll want to stay in places you wish you could keep in your pocket forever.

But moments are fleeting. And everything is impermanent. But only one thing should stay constant… living in the moment.

Drink every bit of the present and let it seep through you that even when your soul parts from your body, it lingers in your bones.

I hope you live a life that you’re proud of.

Posted on February 8, 2013 by Satori

Life is so beautiful. This world is so beautiful. There’s so much to do. So much to see. And we’re so young. What a waste life would be if we didn’t follow our hearts and do whatever makes us happy? What a waste life would be if we didn’t even feel alive, or risk anything because of our fears, or didn’t see the world we live in?

Whoever is reading this, I hope you follow your bliss. I hope you follow your goosebumps. I hope you follow your wanderlust. I hope you follow your dreams. Even if that means not having a degree to frame onto your wall, or a steady fat paycheck, or a nice big house, or pretty expensive things. Because when you’re on your deathbed you’re not going to think about the degrees you acquired, and how much money made and spent. You’re going to think about the people you love, all the beautiful places you went to, and your dreams that came alive.

Gain the courage to follow whatever makes you feel the most alive and never stop chasing your dreams.

I hope you live a life that you’re proud of.

Life of Pai

Posted on January 31, 2013 by Satori

To that town I fell in love with, that sits nestled in the mountains, where I found a home within the huts sitting on a rice field…

Where I sat on the swing by the stream and meditated each day…

And the hot springs were straight out of an ethereal dream…

Where we made up our own motorbikes gang and rode through one the most beautiful sceneries I have ever witnessed with my bare eyes.

Where you can find infinity in the valleys and mountains…

And I found freedom in riding on the back of a motorbike. Where my hair created tunnels for the wind, as I felt the warm kisses of the sun on my back, and closed my eyes and reached out for the airwaves, as I smile at the world flying past me. And the peace I found in moments like this, wherein I felt the most human.

Where we walked through a forest that led to the caves that were lit by lanterns….

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And not-so-hot-more-like-temperate springs where we pretended to be primitive and exfoliated ourselves with rocks as we filled the air with our voices and laughter…

Where we have comical motorbike sidecar misadventures…

And the waterfalls became our playground…

Where Spicy Pets and kind strangers walk you home when you are three sheets to the wind.

Where Thai Jack Sparrow is sighted…

And when recruiting each other for breakfast and countless of other food escapades are necessary.

And courage, devotion & sacrifice are virtues you drink…

Where intoxicating nights turned into twirly mornings, and new friends quickly turned into family….

Where I met the perfect people, at the perfect place, at the perfect time….

And was reminded again that there is always a reason to why we meet people in serendipitous circumstances. There is a reason behind everything. For deja vu. For that instant feeling of familiarity and comfort when we meet certain people. A chance encounter can affect someone’s life so much, we learn the right lesson at the right time just when it needed to happen.

The universe designed these paths for a purpose… leading us right where we should be. Everyone carries a piece of the puzzle. Nobody comes into your life by mere coincidence.

To the place that my inner gravity pulled me to.. the universe paved a path that led me to you. My sweet, sweeeeeet Pai.. you have a piece of my heart, as I have a piece of your spirit.

I carry it with me wherever I go.

Northern Thailand: Loi Krathong Festival in Chiang Mai & Elephant Nature Park

Posted on January 4, 2013 by Satori

There is a certain magic to Northern Thailand that I can’t quite put into words. When I saw the fog hovering over its mystical mountains and terrain for the first time, I was instantly awestruck. One must be caught in its spell at least once in their lifetime. As look out the train window the sun peeking over the horizon, painting it with light rays, I was so spiritually stirred that it brought tears to my eyes. It’s so easy to fall in love with it at first sight. I knew then, more than ever, that I was in the right place.

As a solo female traveler myself, I have met more solo women travelers than men. And on the overnight train I met an incredibly sweet and tiny Japanese girl traveling alone for months who couldn’t even speak one sentence in English. The courage in these women sparks the courage within even more.
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Sunday Market, Chiang Mai, Thailand

Nestled at the peak of Doi Suthep Mountain is the Wat Phratat temple. As I walk around this sacred cloister, I am enamored by its structure, the intricate details found in almost every inch of it, and the aura it radiates.

When you walk inside the temple the smell of incense and burning candles flood your senses. The monks chant incantations and offer me their blessings by tying a white thread around my wrist.

The magic I’ve found in Northern Thailand flourished when I experienced the Loi Krathong Festival. “The Festival of Lights” is the time of the year when bodies of water all over Thailand come alive with flickering lights floating in the river. These floats are called Krathongs and are made out of banana stalk and leaves, flowers, and are topped of with burning incense and candles. Thais use their Krathongs to pay respect to the water spirits, but more importantly they use it as a symbol of detaching from all negative thoughts and emotions. To let it go and let it float with the currents.

I followed the parade which led me to the Ping River where crowds of people were releasing lanterns. Chiang Mai’s night sky was flickering with lights fading away into the distance as new ones float gracefully right above me. At one point, I stopped and laid down on the grass. As I watched lanterns float away I think of everything I had been through these past couple of years. All the struggles, chaos, and dark days. I gather all the bad energy in my head, and one by one through each lantern I see, I set it free. I stared at the sky and the scene took my breathe away. All of my adversities has led me here, to this point in time. I am at peace with myself, I am the happiest I have ever been in my life, and I am on an adventure leading me toward my dreams. I am in the right place, at the right time & there is nowhere else in the universe I’d rather be.

One morning I woke up and decided to explore more of the city. I walked past to this beautiful temple and was instantly drawn to it so I went inside. As I was admired the intricate designs a Thai woman came out and called me into the temple. Sarisa is a clothing designer and she has a shop nearby the temple. I sat and meditated inside and we talked for hours after. I felt so connected with this woman because even with the age difference I see a lot of myself in her and she sees a lot of herself in me. She has devoted her life to her work, her designs. Sarisa mentioned that she doesn’t have a man or children, but as long as she is doing what she loves, she is genuinely happy. One day she hopes to have a home stay where she can welcome people from all over the world and also teach them how to sew and create clothing. She said money isn’t important to her. Yes it is needed for basic necessities. She dreams of a day when people would stop obsessing over money and look beyond paper and coins. A day when people offer gratitude through creating gifts, trading talents, and sharing love & kindness above everything.

Sarisa invited me to a ceremony they’re going to have at the temple, so I came back that night. I was even allowed to take pictures of the monks during their rituals, I immediately jumped at the chance.

She brought sky lanterns for everyone to set free. So I we lit up ours, I thought of all the negative energy and ego-based thoughts that I had lingering through my mind and body. And as we set our lantern free, I let it go with it.

Late night conversations with great company.

Elephant Nature Park, Chiang Mai

The Asian elephants in Thailand are considered to be the most sacred of all animals. They have been a significant part of the history and mysticism that Thailand possesses. A century ago there were over 200,000 Asian elephants in this country, now there are only 2,000. Elephants were poached for their meat and ivory tusks. And the ones left standing were mainly used to to work for logging. In 1989 the government implemented a bill that banned commercial logging in Thailand. This law put many mahouts and elephants out of work. Because of this, they had to resort to other means of living which gave birth to the elephant tourism industry.

The influx of tourists in Thailand in the past couple of decades put mahouts and their elephants back to business. Tourists are amused as they are able to ride elephants all day, watch them do tricks, paint and create art. Fascinating right? See, little do they know of what goes on behind the scenes. The reality is each baby elephant that will be put to work goes through a week-long torture training with their mahout so they become submissive.. this is called Phajaan. It is a time of constant fear and pain for young elephants. It is the first time a baby infant has been separated from its mother. Baby elephants are captured, put into a cage that does not allow them to move at all, 7 days everyone in the village takes turns breaking the animal using sticks with nails at the end, ropes and hot irons. The elephant is chained down and spears are used to make them raise their feet on command, and villagers force the elephant to accept people on her back for the first time. And that’s where the money in the elephant tourism industry is going, to support elephant torture. Fortunately, there are a handful of people who have made a large impact in working to save these magnificent creatures. One of them is Lek Chailert.

She was the one who founded this place that I call elephant heaven in Thailand. A land where working elephants are saved by this inspirational woman and are nurtured and cared for in their natural habitat. I took a day trip to visit the park myself as I have been dreaming of going to this park for a while. About an hour away from Chiang Mai, Elephant Nature Park is nestled in between Northern Thailand’s mountains and jungles. As I got off the ENP van they led me to their feeding grounds… and right before my eyes was the terrain where these gentle giants are wandering around freely in their peaceful home.

Introducing Elephant Nature Park’s first baby elephant born in the sanctuary, cute little Navann..

Me bathing one of their gorgeous elephants…

After a wondrous experience in Chiang Mai I took a 4-hour mini bus ride to a place people have been telling me about. Resting further into the mountains of Northern Thailand is a small hippie town that stole my heart, called Pai….

Thailand: Bangkok & Ayutthaya.

Posted on December 29, 2012 by Satori

I can show you pictures, play you videos, and tell you stories that depict the one month I’ve spent in Thailand. But the truth is, nothing will compare to what I have experienced with my bare eyes in this mystical land. It was magnificent in all levels others can’t quite fathom with mere pictures and stories. However I’ve attempted to capture it through a photo documentary, in the hopes that it will inspire you to set foot in this land one day and embark on a grand adventure so you can experience it for yourself. But for now, here’s the beginning of the journey, through my eyes.

The ancient ruins of Thailand’s former capital, Ayutthaya.

I was completely awestruck by the sight of these majestic ancient structures and buddha statues everywhere. History has its way of sending shivers down my spine and inducing blissful goosebumps. I find beauty in the ruins. The ground I walked upon had endured centuries of chaos. And now it sits calm and at peace. Then I think of my life and the battles I’ve had within myself, the chaos I’ve endured within, the inner peace I have found within the past couple of years and the person I have become. I sit on one of the ancient brick walls and I feel connected to this place. I am not so different from it in a sense.

One of my favorite things about this country are the Buddhist monks you see everywhere doing everyday things. Hanging out on their porches, riding scooters, talking on their phones, sometimes meditating in random places.. I can’t help but smile to myself every time I see them.

Such a beautiful and sweet Thai lady..

The stray dogs here are so calm. They rarely try to bark at people. All they do lie out and bathe in the sun all day.

These children were playing and studying outdoors, on a mat laid out on the ground nearby the temples. That’s something you never see in America.

Buddhist monks tie blessed scarves around trees. Bad luck will come to any who harm a tree that has been blessed by a scarf.

Coin sticks to the wall with the power of the mind, as they say.

Wat Mahathat, Ayutthaya

They said that when the Burmese defeated Ayutthaya, destroyed the temples & beheaded the Buddhas, many debris fell to the ground and were left there. For a long time the temple was completely deserted and the trees started growing over it, including one that grew around the Buddha head. It’s incredible how nature can easily find a way to somehow restore its beauty. Even through concrete structures. _DSC4839 copy

I am a huge lover of elephants as they are my favorite animals. However, I did not do any elephant riding throughout this whole trip because I didn’t want to contribute to the elephant tourism industry. It’s unfortunate how the mahouts treat their working elephants, and ironic because they are considered to be sacred in this country. It’s so sad to see that most people see Thai elephants as a moneymaking endeavor. These beautiful gentle giants are not meant to paint, entertain humans, do tricks, ride people around their backs all day to be stuck in a cage all night. They should be free to roam around in their jungles, they must let them be. (See Chiang Mai post for my experience with Elephant Nature Park and more detailed story of elephants in Thailand).

Gorgeous eyes.

I need these ellies in front of my house one day!

Found Mr. Turtle randomly crawling around the grass. Hello little creature!

Chinatown, Bangkok

Pad thai, my everyday meal.

The ferry ride in King River was one of my favorite moments in Bangkok. A couple new friends and I took it to Chinatown. We were caught in the rain at one point and were completely drenched. But I didn’t mind, getting caught in the warm rain if one of life’s greatest pleasures.

Thai iced tea was an everyday consumption for me in Thailand!

Although Bangkok was my least favorite place in Thailand, it still has its own charm. I appreciated the sights, the intricate designs of all the temples, the night life, the great people I’ve met, the incredible food (my diet consisted of 90% pad thai the whole time I was there) and cheap cheap cheap shopping. But after a few days of the city, it was time for me to move on. So I took an overnight train to a place I have been longing to experience for quite a while: Northern Thailand…

Fresh off the journal. Guangzhou, China- November 20, 2012.

Posted on November 27, 2012 by Satori

It’s been less than a year since I took the big leap. Life hasn’t been the same since in the best way possible. It was just an idea to do all of this. To quit college. Quit my job. And follow my bliss. To follow my dreams and do what I love. To travel on my own. To go back and reconnect with my homeland. Everything started out as a mere idea. In the past few months it was given breath. Now it has fully come alive right before my eyes. As I sit here waiting for my second flight, I observe some former fears that quickly hovered my mind as I fly into the unknown. Then I instantly snap out of it. Three years ago if you told me I’d be traveling alone in Thailand I would have laughed at your face. Because I didn’t have the guts back then. I was too weak. My mental and emotional state was untable. I just wasn’t brave enough. Nor strong enough. And now I feel the complete opposite. There is so much excitement running through my veins. And my courage to wander off on my adventure weighs more than any other worry or fear that has lingered through my mind. I know I need to do this. To travel for the sake of travel, for the sake of fulfilling the desires of my heart. I somehow know deep within my heart that there is no reason for me to be scared. I feel protected by the universe as it helped me pave the way.

There’s nothing else I should do other than to surrender to the currents of the universe. To live in the moment and be constantly present. To flow freely with every circumstance, with each soul I come across, each lesson to be learned. Because everything is always in its perfect place. Everything happens for a reason. All we need to do is to take that leap and let the wind lead.