For those of you who are still traveling with me, I apologize for my laziness in blog writing!  The last two weeks have been a world-wind of planes, trains, and automobiles (or motorbikes I should say!).  My first Thai visa expired on June 15 and so I was forced to make my plans to move on.  This was probably a blessing in disguise however, because I had gotten so comfortable in Chiang Mai, especially after meeting friends, that I really didn't have any desire to move on.  But, this trip is about getting out of my comfort zone and being adventurous so I packed my things and got on the road.  

First stop was Hanoi, Vietnam.  After two flights, one from Chiang Mai to Bangkok and another to Hanoi, a taxi provided by my guesthouse was at the airport to bring me through this loud and hustling and bustling city.  I'm not kidding, the driver must have honked his horn 150 times on the way from the airport to the hotel!  Literally, every time he passed a driver he would honk, even if they were posing zero risk of entering his lane.  I come to find out this is pretty normal here and the honking is actually their way of being considerate to the other drivers.

Well, the noise got to me...and you'd think after living in NYC this wouldn't even phase me, right?  Maybe something has changed within me because I instantly noticed how this craziness made me feel on edge, my heart beating louder, my mind wandering faster.  

I took a short flight and spent three nights in Hoi An which were much more peaceful.  The guesthouse I chose was just outside the center of town and I rented a bicycle to ride into town most days to buy, buy, buy at the many tailors and spent the evenings with a refreshing dip in the pool.  A couple beautiful dresses later I hit the road for the beaches in the south of Thailand.

As I boarded my third flight en route to Koh Samui, the flight attendant welcomed me with a "Sawasdee Ka" (Hello) with hands at the heart in prayer (as they do, and as I now do) and I realized then how much I had fallen for Thailand in the first month.  I was so happy to be back!

Unfortunately, I've spent the week in Samui nursing a severely painful ear infection in my right ear.  Nothing like feeling ill to make you miss home, especially the care of your mom.  I was strong though and got through it...last night was the first pain free night of sleep....the codeine probably helped a little!  Here, you can just walk into the pharmacy and buy the medicine you need, antibiotics, pain meds, anything.  It's wild.  

I did finally meet someone from New York City on this trip...Scott arrived at my Samui hotel the night before last and we started chatting.  He was one of the first people I had seen in Samui that was by himself...this island attracts many vacationers, less travelers these days.   We went out that night to check out the Samui nightlife and had quite a good time.

I think what I loved most about being here was my independence...even though I spent most of the time alone, mostly due to my earache and not being able to get out and meet people, I rented a motorbike and struggled through the earache pain to take 2 yoga classes a day.  The classes were my first intro to hot yoga, which kicks your ass....I left the classes dripping with sweat every time...awesome!

The more and more I read about holistic health, I've come to truly believe that every illness is our body's way of communicating with us.  I'm trying to find the lesson in my earache.  I think there are a lot of changes happening in me.....lots of energy centers opening, especially since my Reiki training.  So here's to letting old unnecessary habits release through all chakras, and replacing the space with openness, unconditional love and compassion.

Today, I'm off to Koh Phangan....promise to update sooner than later.

LOVE!

Unconditional love

I just arrived back in Chiang Mai after a week excursion to Pai, a great little hippie town 3 hours north of here.  There are 767 curves on the road to Pai so needless to say arriving there in good form is half the battle.  The town is in the middle of a valley surrounded by beautiful mountains.  We chose a guesthouse just on the outskirts of town mainly to submerse ourselves in nature as a relief from the noise of the city.  My bungalow overlooked a running stream which served as great background music for yoga and meditation.  We rented a motorbike on day 2, which everyone does in Pai since its a small town and not so intimidating to drive on the roads, and I couldn't get enough of the wind on my face!  I want a motorbike!!

Katy, my lovely new friend from Germany, introduced Sakit and I to Judith who teaches a Reiki Shamballa course in Pai.  Judith is the kind of lady you meet and instantly feel comfortable and connected so I knew she'd be a great person to teach me the healing energy of Reiki.  We spent 3 days doing guided meditations, attunements, learning healing symbols, and finally sharing Reiki with eachother.  What an amazing experience.  I'm now a certified Reiki Shamballa practitioner and happy to send energy healing and love to each and every one of you.

Unfortunately my Thai visa expires today so I needed to catch the minivan back down the 767 curves to CM yesterday.  I spent the week contemplating my next move and while I'm still not sure, I just booked my flight to Hanoi, Vietnam for tomorrow.  While I've heard mixed reviews of this hustling bustling city, I figure at least its a stop on my way to Hoi An, a shoppers paradise!  

Besides the tangible certificates I've received from Thai massage and Reiki, I've learned far more about myself on these travels and I want to especially thank those I've met along this journey so far who have helped me reach a deeper understanding of unconditional love for myself and others.  

Love is all there is.

The true meaning

Its week 3 of the Thai massage course in Chiang Mai -- I hadn't planned on staying for level 3 but after meeting friends and enjoying the course so far I decided to extend my time here....let's face it, I don't have anywhere to be at any particular time!  

My biggest dilemma as of late is if I have time to get to Vietnam and Cambodia at this point, or do I skip them to have more time down at the beautiful beaches of Koh Phangan, Thailand and Bali, Indonesia before heading to Sydney.  Although I really want to see more of SE Asia, spending time sightseeing is not exactly on the top of my list.  I'd rather spend time where I can do more yoga and take more bodywork and energy related courses, all of which are very accessible down south on the sand.  We'll see what happens.

I can't say enough about the Thai people.  I think what I love most is that when you smile at a strange Thai person on the street, they actually smile back and don't look at you like you're some weirdo.  I like that a lot.  Spreading love all around...you feel it here.

"We are visitors on this planet, We are here for ninety or one hundred years at the very most.  During that period, we must try to do something good, something useful with our lives.  If you contribute to other people's happiness, you will find the true goal....the true meaning of life."  ~ His Holiness, the Dalai Lama