I expected it to be great. It isn’t like I had low expectations… but I had no idea Thailand would be this wonderful. There is something about the place. The functional chaos of it all. Life is at a different pace. Thailand is a world apart from anything I know yet I find a strange comfort here. There is a simplicity to life here. I fell in love with it within hours of my arrival.
It felt at peace. I had been a bit scared to go to Southeast Asia. It was a third world country and something immensely different than what I have ever experienced. For the first time while traveling, I had to be cautious what I ate, drank, or did. But after what only seemed like moments after my arrival my fears were dispelled. While yes, things are may be dirtier or even sketchier than the Western world I am used to, this way of life didn’t bother me.
Wild dogs roam the streets as the lazy shop owners lay around trying to avoid the heat. Food stands with exotic dishes line the streets. Taxis, motorbikes, and cars alike weave through the traffic of unmarked streets. The sky is gray and the smell of smoke is constant this time of year. Your skin remains moist from the humidity only to find relief from the wind produced by a unruly tuk-tuk ride. Locals just want to survive; they don’t need much and aren’t in a rat race to get more. They are content and their calm, happy demeanor is infectious.
I have loads of stories and thoughts about Thailand so I am going to probably release them in short posts rather than all together. And it probably is going to take some time so bear with me. Thailand really got to me and I find myself daydreaming about the next time I will be able to go there again. I feel like my posts will never do it justice but I will try!