My Canadian buddy, Matt Gibson gave me an opportunity to share an experience I had in Yosemite with some pretty rad guys. Check out his site and let m know what you think!
Adventure
Wanted: Unicorns and Puppy Dogs
I, like so many twenty-somethings (heck, probably most people,) often wonder what am I doing? I’m currently asking myself this question from a little town in Central Thailand. I do many of the same things here as I did in my little valley town of Ashland only the back drop here is just slightly different. I sit in coffee shops and sip on americanos while writing in my journal, I Facebook, I read, I people watch, I wander the streets in hopes of finding someone I know or in hopes of meeting a new friend (however unlikely that is here).
I enjoy the small things here in SE Asia as well as in America, and I stress about them all the same—Thailand is no different, for some reason I thought I wouldn’t bring my normal stress here. I thought I’d be able to leave it behind, figure it out and breeze through this whole experience with Unicorns, rainbows and puppy dogs frolicking around me the entire time. Not the case.
—
I cried the other day. I stupidly cried. And I admitted to myself [and my director] that this is hard. Really hard. I found myself saying that this is a challenge. Which is fine [more than fine]. I heard myself tell her that because this is a challenge I can succeed. I will succeed. [I hadn’t realized that before the words popped out of my mouth.] This is what I signed up for. This challenge.
Looking back through my history I remember what successes I’ve had. Moments that were struggles, reasons that I cried, and steps I had to take to over come my fears. I’ve trained and run long races, I’ve had hard jobs, I’ve taken classes with tough professors. I can do this.
My mother has always said I’m stubborn (see number 3). Damn straight I’m stubborn.
Puppies are on the way
Ubon and the Motorbike Adventure!
Earlier this week our director had told us (us being my roommate, Heather, and I) that town (where we could shop, get food, hang out by the river) was only about 2km away. Not bad, totally walkable I thought—until I saw a sign that read town was 4km away, the edge of town. Not the center where all the food carts are, but the edge of town where the police station is located.
Heather and I were hungry and bored of being stuck in our little white house with the white picket fence—so we set off for town on foot! Walking against the traffic (to be safe) on a busy road the two farangs got lots of stares; I can only imagine what the locals were snickering to each other in Thai as they zoomed by on their motorbikes—most overloaded with children and goods from the market.
Our little house
Fast forward 20 or so minutes, rounding the bend just past one of the many parks that has historical ruins and big Buddhas, a woman on a motorbike says Stop! Stop! Teachas? Teachas?
Yes! Heather and I both say, confused…we are the only whities in this town but how did she know we were teachers?
I…am Ubon. Our director had told us of Ubon! She was our motorbike lady! Ubon’s English is limited and we begin conversing in a series of wild arm flails and wild gestures. This game of charades eventually led to me getting on the bike with Ubon, Heather taking a seat next to a big Buddha and Ubon and I zooming away in the sunset to go get copies of our house keys and a quick tour of Kamphaeng Phet.
River Ping
This is the moment KP got so much cooler. As we drove along the Ping River I notice many sets of outdoor fitness equipment, people walking and running on the sidewalk along the river, games of tennis, hacky sack and other sports starting up and then the big market where Heather and I were told to get dinner and sit by the river to eat. Ubon was basically my new best friend.
I assumed she and I would circle back and pick Heather up and we would all go get a meal together, flailing, gesturing and pantomiming our way through the evening. However, when we got to Heather Ubon got off the bike and gestured me to get in the driver’s seat. I gave my best really? Face and quickly hopped forward. I zoomed around the parking lot once or twice before Heather hopped on.
Ubon waved goodbye as we maneuvered the bike onto the Thai road and rode away to go get some dinner by the river.
Market
As I’ve traveled through my years I’ve learned to just go with the flow. In Chile I rarely had a clue what was going on but things worked out, people are here to help us and Ubon saw us and recognized us at the exact right time. By not being afraid, not being too nervous and just going with it I’m finding travel and life to be way more enjoyable!
Down by the riverside
The phrase in Thai Mai pen rai literally translates to not to worry or not a problem. But it’s more of a way of life here. Mai pen rai.
Safety first
**Stay tuned for more on the Riverside awesomeness…I have yet to completely explore all the options of amazing things to do!
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