thailand

Just a CoUPle More Things…

/ Sloan / 3 Comments

Fact: Things taste better when eaten out of a mug or pint glass. Example: coffee, beer, soup, cereal, ice cream, water…etc.

 

Two things that are kinda weird to travel with: a mug and a pint glass. As I embark on my trip to Thailand I’m trying to think about what makes me feel at home. Drinking coffee, tea, eating soup or ice cream out of a mug is definitely superior to any other vessel in the kitchen cupboard.

Traveling abroad, traveling away from anything familiar can leave one more or less discombobulated, homesick and scared. Am I saying that bringing these objects to THAILAND will make me feel at home in SE Asia? Nope, but a tall glass of water, or a beer or coffee out of either of these will remind me of a time where I shared a moment and conversation with a good friend in a far away place. It will bring a bit of home when I coffee/beer skype with my friend in Colorado or Oregon or Switzerland.

I’ve decided to bring my favorite mug from one favorite coffee shops—a coffee shop that I spent many a hours at during college; writing papers, doing homework and facebooking (yeah, all the important stuff) all while sipping an Americano crafted by the talented baristas at Lemonjellos in Holland, Michigan.

I’m also bringing a pint glass. A glass that I earned by running a 50k this past summer, a race that wound through the trails of Southern Oregon on the PCT. A glass I earned by training my ass off and working hard to get my ass to the start line at 6am that day and running for a long ass time. This is my favorite glass to drink ice water out of after a long, sweaty, salty run. I can’t wait to run long and sweaty in Thailand.

Mug and Pint

 

I’m not saying I’ll be at home in Thailand but I am going to bring a little of what makes me feel it with me.

“You must live in the present, launch yourself on every wave, find your eternity in each moment. Fools stand on their island opportunities and look toward another land. There is no other land, there is no other life but this.” Henry David Thoreau

/ Sloan / Leave a comment

I should be writing as much as possible. I should be telling the world about all the amazing thoughts and travel ideas I have for this upcoming adventure to Thailand. But in reality, right now I am trying so hard to live ‘right now’. I am doing what I want. I’m going out for drinks mid-week to be with my friends as much as I can. I’m eating out (I never eat out,) I’m cuddling up on the couch with my roommates to watch a movie because who knows the next time I’ll be able to do that is?

I’m running. I ran for 2 hours through the woods with my friend on Sunday. We ran and talked about our lives. We didn’t talk about two weeks from now, not about 4 months from now when she leaves for South America, we talked about life and where we are. NOW. Now is enough right now. I ran again for 2 hours on Monday, why? Because I could, because I had time, and I had strength in my legs, because the woods were there calling my name.

Monday’s run was alone. I needed to see if I could do it on my own without the encouragement and the footprints of my friend to follow.  I did it, alone. I was there, at that moment loving on the mountains, wondering what the mountains of Thailand were going to be like—and then I dragged myself back to Ashland and reminded myself to just BE HERE. I am here for two more weeks, and I’m going to BE HERE for two more weeks; mind, body, and soul.

 

And then, only then am I off.

Fear-less?

/ Sloan / 3 Comments

A friend of mine said to me yesterday “There are two ways to live your life: live like your not afraid of anything and live like you are afraid of everything.” I don’t often disagree with this highly educated college professor, but after thinking about this statement for a while I do disagree. I’m living my life. I’m afraid and nervous and basically freaking out at each decision that I seem to be making—but I’m damn excited.

 

I’m living my life pretending I’m not afraid.

 

Keep moving forward