Preliminary Entry

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I am leaving for Thailand on the seventeenth of February. What does that mean? I suppose it's a chance for me to grow, to grow from experience, experiences of humanity, earth, nature and myself through a different lens. It is a chance for me to experience interaction, compassion, the needs and wants of someone other then my fellow North American. This hopefully will help me gleam more of an understanding of myself, my family, my friends and humanity as a whole, by looking from a novel perspective. I want to see what characteristics people share no matter the circumstances, I want to see how people can be different. I want to experience a new type of nature; jungles, oceans, tropics, Himalayan Mountains, elephants and primates. To see if they provide the same peace and sense of awe our forests, mountains, plains and wild life do. To try old things in new places; to hike in new forests, to party with new friends, to meditate in novel spaces, to cook and eat new dishes, to swim in a far off sea, to discuss and philosophize with people raised in another culture. I believe that new perspectives help us keep proper perspective.

It means time off from the bustling world of the west. A time to enjoy a place I expect to be a little more quite (in many senses of the word), quite enough to hear myself and others better. A time to practice meditation in one of the most devout Buddhist nations in the world. A time to sleep in or get up early. A time when time, deadlines and departing is a little less important. I want to help myself be a more conscious that the most important stepping stone is the stone I am presently stepping on.

It means more and less then I know. I am aware that what I wrote above are just expectations. That some will be fulfilled and others will not. I am aware that things will happen that will please me and will frustrate me that I will not expect. Does that make me nervous? Hell yeah, it's a risk, a risk that I'm putting a lot of my savings and time into. But it's also what excites me the most, the idea that this could change me in ways I haven't even thought of. It's also a risk I'm taking alone, but I know I won't be alone. I know everyone who reads this blog will be with me, I know my friends and family will still think of me and I of them. Of coarse their will be emails and phone calls. I know the bouts of loneliness will inspire meet people who I wouldn't have with the comfort of company.

My plans include jungle trekking, river rafting, taking a cooking class and meditation retreat in Chiang Mai, parting at the worlds biggest beach party on the tropical island of Koh Pha-Ngan, laying back on beaches, swimming in the sea and what ever else catches my eye.

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