Noodle soup kind of Day

Eating noodle soup on the sidewalk brings me back to days in Thailand.

It’s just one of those days.

Trying to Forget

Before I left Thailand, I remember people constantly asking me a question that I felt was completely preposterous. I was constantly asked,
“Are you going to keep your blog going even once you get back home?”
I remember like it was just yesterday, and saying right away “Why wouldn’t I?!”
It’s funny sometimes how things tend to change.

Now that I am back in California, I have realized that I did not live up to my promise.
It seems that as my trip began to slowly come to an end, so did my blog.
I slowly posted less and less. I found myself unable to write. Unable to pull out the camera and photograph things that would have previously intrigued me.

I guess for me, this blog in so many ways, is just a reminder

A reminder of all the places I no longer visit.
Of all the people I no longer see.
Of all the sounds I no longer hear.
Of all the things that made my last semester so amazing.

Of the life I am no longer living.

Its easy to forget all that had happened

Somedays I feel like all of the memories have faded away.

Like they are slowly being drawn from my head, while I am least expecting it.

Then I hear something, smell, something, taste something. And I am taken back to my journey. Taken back to the place I call home.

I think of  me and my fellow travelers. The exchange group and how much fun we all had together, and I just smile.

It’s unfortunate that it’s over, but I’m so glad that it happened

I was reminded today how much I miss all my fellow travelers, and more importantly friends from my trip abroad.

Sometimes trying to forget can make you remember.

Being Back

It’s hard being back.
It’s strange.
Its normal and its different.
Its everything I can remember, yet nothing I know.

My mind flutters from one side to another.
Creating distractions. Making it more and more difficult for me to blog.

Neither good nor bad.

Simply different.

 

It’s strange to feel just like a tourist in the city you were born.

 

Last Sunday

I’m sitting in the little hidden garden amongst the concrete jungle just thinking.

I don’t know any other way to really explain my mood for the last couple weeks, other than…thinking.

Not particularly sad nor happy, just wondering, contemplating, and curious to see what is in store for the future.

Life has been quite busy as I have been somewhat of a tour guide since the 26th of December, but it has been exceptionally nice to have my family around.

Around during the holidays, and for the start of the year 2012.
It’s hard to believe that this will actually my first post of 2012. Eight days in. Eight days late to some, but for me it’s just right.
So rather than have a post recapping my “2011 Experiences” or “The Things I Have Learned from 2011”. I will be posting a slight recap on my exciting start to 2012.

As the first day of January came around, my little sister and I walked into my apartment early that morning, only to find my mom awake waiting for us.
We looked at the clock only to realize it was a bit past 8 AM.
It was a shock, yet in Bangkok, you never know where the night will take you.

So we decided to get a good *nights* (day’s) rest before we were headed to the north of Thailand.

Before we knew it, we were on the bus headed to the city of Chang Mai.
As I put in my iPod, and closed my eyes, I found myself awoken in the new city we were to be spending our new year at.

Why not start off your year with a bang? So we decided to do a little something that was out of the norm.
First stop.

Tiger Kingdom.

This took my mom’s nickname of “Kimmy Kat” to a whole new level.

And just incase you were wondering if these were real or not, here’s a little proof that these are the real deal.

After a day with Tigers, we needed some food.

As we returned to our “hotel” I heard the sounds of a guitar riffs and sticks sticking a snare.
As I listened closer it was a familiar tune.
“Conformably Numb- Pink Floyd”
One of my all time favorites. So I decided to bid my family adieu and enjoy some music.

After a day of traveling, and a couple of weeks of playing tour guide, I decided to spend my night alone. Just a Chang, and two musicians to keep me company.

We had a day full of activities lined up. So before I knew it, I found myself waking up and off into another tour bus.

As we got off the bus, we transferred onto a different sort of transportation.

Unfortunately I was the only one with a camera, so this was the closest I could get to a picture of myself, riding an elephant.
For that I am sorry, but I hope this will do.

After the ride we gathered around my beast of an elephant and stroke a couple poses with him.

There defiantly was no question what sex the elephant was.

Being the caveman I am, I had to see how tough the elephant really was.

We ventured into a village where I was attacked by little girls selling bracelets.
Couldn’t help but snap a shot of this little girl who looked just like one of my little Japanese cousins.

We saw waterfall after waterfall.
Beautiful to say the least.

We visited another village, and had to try on some of the “native” clothing.

This woman caught my eye.

Burmese-Thai. A woman of the mountains.
You can see the wisdom in her eyes.
These are the type of people I can only wish I could speak to.

After these many hikes, we all were happy to hear lunch was being served.

We went to the highest peak in Thailand.
Although much colder than I am used to, it felt like a breath of fresh air.

Up in the high country I feel alive. surrounded by trees. The crisp air in your face. The  fresh air all around me.
It reminded me of days in my past. When I would spend afternoons up in the mountains. Just thinking.

It’s a feeling that cannot be beaten, expressed, nor reproduced.

She was kicking and screaming, but I just couldn’t help it.

As we came back home, we decided to explore into a little cafe that we had all be itching to check out.
Passing this cute little place every morning, peering in, yet too afraid to experience it.

It surpassed our expectations to say the least.

On our final day we planned to relax, and we did just that.
Yet we had to cross a something off Kimmy’s “To-Do” list as well.

Cooking class here we come!

I enjoyed a 5 course lunch all made by myself.

Surprisingly my mother struggled, while the two children excelled. Quite a change, as my mom is quite the cook at home.
A nice change to say the least.
After a ling day of learning, cooking, and eating, I had to venture back to the cafe I loved so dearly.

Throughout my whole trip in Thailand, my one wish has been to spend a day relaxing in a hammock under the sweet Thai sun.
Well it was just my day to do it.

After relaxing on the hammock, I stumbled back to the “hotel” and crashed for the night.
We woke and were on the road again.
This time to the good ol’ BKK.

Similar to all other travel experiences in Thailand, we found ourselves in the middle of nowhere, jumping into a strange persons car.

Never fear though. As I have not been stranded once.

We returned safe and sound, just a bit tired.

After a long day of shopping at the weekend market, I decided to take my family to one of my favorite places to eat good old Thai Street food.
Steamed fish and Curry is a must.

And today.
Thought we tried to get an early start to our day of sightseeing, we have found ourselves just enjoying each others’ company with a cup of coffee in hand.

 

I guess there’s a lot to see, and a lot to show them, but for me, I’d rather just sit here.
Sitting in my little get-away. Enjoying the sounds, conversations, and little things that make traveling so wonderful.