If you know me, you know how much I love to travel. I enjoy adventure and the excitement of not necessarily knowing what is going to happen next. As a kid we moved around a lot so I guess I got used to seeing new things and meeting new people. I am grateful when I am able to travel internationally because it opens up my eyes to the world around me. One of my favorite things to do is immerse myself into another culture to find out more about how others live, love and experience the world around them. How are we the same? How are we different? As a photographer, it allows me new ways of seeing. This trip was a bit more vacation-like and a bit less about immersing due to it being one of our first major “kid-less” trips. It didn’t matter, the Thai people were so beautiful and accepting. The opportunities to experience were omnipresent.
Considering myself someone who is fairly good at picking up languages, Thai was definitely more than I could handle in the short 2 weeks we were there. Fortunately, English frequently was a common language(especially in non remote tourist areas) so I still had the opportunity to communicate- not to mention my good ‘ol Thai- English/English-Thai app. Traveling tests your communication skills which are not always fostered in spoken language. Music is a language we all share. Charades can be fun too!
Jeff and I decided to leave our kids behind, this time, even though I know the importance of the experience for them. That said, it was a good decision 🙂 Since I was required to wait until ski season was over to travel, we ended up in Thailand post ski season and pre-wedding season and also during Thailand’s agricultural burn season-AND the hottest time of year. I am pretty good at hot but it was ALOT of heat. My husband, who isn’t that great at heat, was a trooper despite the fact that the Sierras got their first major snow the first three days of our trip. I kept Jeff away from the weather reports for a couple days and we continued to experience the trip we had been planning for months.
Thailand Part 1. We started in Phuket, spent the night at this cool vintage hotel(US$20) and headed the next few days to the island of Koh Phi Phi. Not one our favorites place on the trip due to its popularity (Leonardo DeCaprio, The Beach) and overrunning of tourists…but the beauty around the island was awesome and oh, those cliffs. Our favorite time was cruising around the island on a long tail boat at sunset. Being on the water feels free, it always does.
love this one of Jeff
monkey beach
In it! travel love 🙂
The rock cliffs surrounding, “The Beach”
Jeff and I on The Beach- left bright and early to try to get there before the millions of people arrived.
Monkey business.
How many monkeys do you spot in this image?
Ton Sai Bay, Koh Phi Phi
