There are countries enough in the world to quench the thirst of every fathomable human desire. Just hearing the names of certain outlined patches of earth can bring to mind such varied and vivid pictures, it's no wonder travel is addicting in that never-ending-my-list-only-gets-longer-the-more-places-I-go kind of way. Throughout the years, my ever-changing yearnings have brought me into the extremely diverse arms of Ireland, India, Greece, New Zealand, and more. Every country satiates something inside of me. Each unexpected surprise down every new road discovered, is another part of my being unearthed. This past January, as I struggled through a very cold Korean winter, and labored through teaching a six week intensive English program (think 80+ hour work weeks), the travel desires that bubbled up in me coalesced into the perfect encapsulation of those desires, all in one incredibly tantalizing word..........................
Like sweet nothings whispered into my ear, that one word sent ripples of pleasure down my spine, allowing me to plow forward through the monotonously wintry work days. As I woke to another dark, snow-covered morning.....(Thailand); as I walked into the office for the fifth Saturday in a row... (Thailand); as I lay under several blankets grading endless papers in a freezing house... (Thailand), as I battled through thigh-numbing wind... (Thailand); as the bittersweet goodbyes to students, friends, colleagues and korean life piled up, Thailand called me forward. With her promised servings of perfect paradise, wrapped in idyllic beaches, covered in unending sun, drenched with pristine waters, sprinkled with simple bamboo huts, garnished with hammocks, served with a side of jungle wilds, and complimented by unbelievably fresh, flavorful foods... I wanted to gorge myself on everything Thailand could offer me, figuratively and literally.
Fortunately for my insatiable hunger, my wonderful partner that I would be reuniting with at the Bangkok airport after 3 months apart, had randomly found himself killing time in a rinky-dink border town the week before, doing the only there was to do there: playing the slots at the fancy and seemingly misplaced casino. Of course, he won the jackpot. This was highly fortunate for me, because his generous spirit meant that he became dead set on spending said jackpot during our first week together in Thailand. Woohooooo!!
Cut to: a week spent within the glorious clutches of a beautiful, peaceful, secluded island resort, off the Andaman coast of Thailand, on a large yet extremely undeveloped island called Koh Yao Yai. Now, don't be fooled by the term 'resort', for this was not your typical manicured-beyond-belief sprawl. Everything about the place was designed to perfectly blend in with it's surroundings, giving off a beautiful barely-there feel. All the rooms were individual huts, dotting the forested paths, and inside ours was sublime luxury complete with the most amazing outdoor shower EVER. Definitely not typical backpacker digs! Ridiculous perfection, for my indulgent holiday style cravings. For the next week, I tried my damnedest to help blow through the wad of cash burning a hole in Dave's pocket-- we rented motorbikes for a day, tooling around the islands few stretches of pavement with the wind in my hair and an unbelievably huge grin plastered to my face; we took a boat trip around the surrounding islands, beaches, and bays; we ate very well, as well as ordering a bottle of wine every night; and I signed myself up for what turned out to be the best massage I've ever received. We really really tried to live like high-rollers. Yet, still we left with cash to burn. Amateurs I guess.
After seven nights luxuriating in a pool of relaxation soup, I peeled myself away from those lazy days, and quite eagerly jumped into the adventure of actually traveling in Thailand. First stop: Koh Phi Phi, home to a hugely thriving Thailand beach 'scene' thick with travelers and all the comforts and excesses they love. Not quite one who craves such party scenes anymore, I mostly looked forward to what lay around Koh Phi Phi-- namely the turquoise waters that stretched over the incredible dive sites below. I was to start my open water diving course on the very first day we arrived, and for that I was school-girl excited.
...............Thailand.
Like sweet nothings whispered into my ear, that one word sent ripples of pleasure down my spine, allowing me to plow forward through the monotonously wintry work days. As I woke to another dark, snow-covered morning.....(Thailand); as I walked into the office for the fifth Saturday in a row... (Thailand); as I lay under several blankets grading endless papers in a freezing house... (Thailand), as I battled through thigh-numbing wind... (Thailand); as the bittersweet goodbyes to students, friends, colleagues and korean life piled up, Thailand called me forward. With her promised servings of perfect paradise, wrapped in idyllic beaches, covered in unending sun, drenched with pristine waters, sprinkled with simple bamboo huts, garnished with hammocks, served with a side of jungle wilds, and complimented by unbelievably fresh, flavorful foods... I wanted to gorge myself on everything Thailand could offer me, figuratively and literally.
Fortunately for my insatiable hunger, my wonderful partner that I would be reuniting with at the Bangkok airport after 3 months apart, had randomly found himself killing time in a rinky-dink border town the week before, doing the only there was to do there: playing the slots at the fancy and seemingly misplaced casino. Of course, he won the jackpot. This was highly fortunate for me, because his generous spirit meant that he became dead set on spending said jackpot during our first week together in Thailand. Woohooooo!!
Cut to: a week spent within the glorious clutches of a beautiful, peaceful, secluded island resort, off the Andaman coast of Thailand, on a large yet extremely undeveloped island called Koh Yao Yai. Now, don't be fooled by the term 'resort', for this was not your typical manicured-beyond-belief sprawl. Everything about the place was designed to perfectly blend in with it's surroundings, giving off a beautiful barely-there feel. All the rooms were individual huts, dotting the forested paths, and inside ours was sublime luxury complete with the most amazing outdoor shower EVER. Definitely not typical backpacker digs! Ridiculous perfection, for my indulgent holiday style cravings. For the next week, I tried my damnedest to help blow through the wad of cash burning a hole in Dave's pocket-- we rented motorbikes for a day, tooling around the islands few stretches of pavement with the wind in my hair and an unbelievably huge grin plastered to my face; we took a boat trip around the surrounding islands, beaches, and bays; we ate very well, as well as ordering a bottle of wine every night; and I signed myself up for what turned out to be the best massage I've ever received. We really really tried to live like high-rollers. Yet, still we left with cash to burn. Amateurs I guess. 
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