Sawasdee Thailand

Sawat dee kha from "The Land of Smiles!" Arriving in Bangkok only six days ago feels as distant as toying with the idea to visit Thailand altogether. The public transit by sky, train, and taxi from the airport to our half outdoor guesthouse threw us right into the metropolis of traffic chaos giving us the full Thai experience. Once the majority of our group cooled off in the pool and rested up a bit from the flight over, we started our journey together in the place we'd call our "home" for the next month.

Our first few days were spent exploring alley villages, getting local grub, and visiting many monumental temples. While in the historic city of Sukhothai, the old Capital of Siam, we spent our time biking through Sukhothai Historic Park, put our inner models to the test, and began learning about Thai culture and Buddhism.

In Chiang Mai we made a new friend, KK, a Buddhist monk who opened our eyes to a new way of life, happiness and inner peace. The focus of Buddhism is all about finding the path to enlightenment. As KK explained, Buddhism isn't a religion, but a way of life. As a person you never stop growing. The things you do, the way you act, or the way you treat others, determines who you are as a person. Your past may have shaped who you are, but living in the present is the only way to reach enlightenment. Do not dwell on what has already happened or what is yet to come, and you will find true happiness.

To wrap up our first week here together, we spent the morning doing yoga and meditation and jumped straight into the Amazing Race: Chiang Mai edition. We spent the day on a city wide scavenger hunt mingling with locals, trying local food, and riding on the infamous tuk-tuks to get to our final destination.

When traveling, you never fully know what to expect. Going into this trip all we knew was we'd be meeting up with strangers of different backgrounds and be spending every waking moment with them for the next month. Sounds pretty crazy right? What we didn't know is that these people would later become family. We've only been here a week, stuck in a roller coaster of emotions; laughter, tears, or lady boy fears. Whatever the case, we are in this together.

"Maybe home isn't a place. Maybe it's a feeling you have inside of you, being around the people who matter to you." - Justin Somper

Until next time, Charlie and Zie.