Monday, May 11, 2009

Thailand Starting Strong

I absolutely love it here. Thus far, everyday has been a new and completely different adventure. I have pushed my personal boundaries more in the past 11 days than I believe I have in my entire life combined up to this point. It's a fantastic thing. Korea was definitely a huge leap for me and initially much more terrifying than this experience is, but I am more willing to open up and let experiences happen now then when I was there. 

In Thailand, they seem to have no real concept of time in the way we perceive it. That in itself is quite an adjustment, and I seem to be adapting very well. It will be a challenge to be back in the states and have things expected of me. Here, the moment is most important. What happens later happens later, and as a result, schedules are very relaxed in order to accommodate the present. I dig it.

This experience has taught me several things, one of the most interesting is that you can't relay an experience without living it. No matter how I explain all the wonderful and crazy things that have happened to me so far, I do not believe you can grasp what it's truly like unless you have been in a similar situation. It is just so inherently different that we are incapable of acknowledging this as a reality. I wouldn't have believed me either. It is completely surreal and that makes it wonderful. 

In less than two weeks I have seen/touched/played with several elephants (one even entered the restaurant where i was eating -- not a pleasant sight), komodo dragons (I think!), a lemur, several monkeys, and thousands of geckos amongst other natural wildlife here. I have met some of the most amazing people and eaten some wonderful and insanely spicy food. Korea has nothing on Thailand when it comes to spice!! I witnessed palaces and temples more beautiful than I could have ever imagined, and had the opportunity to visit Cambodia and see Angkor Wat along with a bit of the countryside. I am so blessed to have this opportunity, and hopefully you can take something from it as well.

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