On My Own

“Courage! What makes a king out of a slave? Courage! What makes the flag on the mast to wave? Courage! What makes the elephant charge his tusk in the misty mist, or the dusky dusk? What makes the muskrat guard his musk? Courage!” (The Wizard of Oz)

As my Mother has happened to be a therapist my whole life I became very good at identifying my feelings, analyzing myself, and self-reflection from a very early age. Therefore, I can comfortably say that one of my biggest faults is being way too hard on myself and to not give myself enough credit. I don’t do it to fish for compliments, rather in an attempt to be modest which ends up sounding as though I am sometimes belittling myself. I am now going to take a moment and be out of character. I think I am amazing! I spent 4 months volunteering and doing work that I believed in and loved, living with people who did not speak English as a first language (although their English was all very good!), and completely emerging myself in another culture. I worked hard and am sincerely proud of the work I did. Despite feelings of confusion and homesickness I continued to press on and follow my heart to do what I have always dreamed: to travel the world. When I wanted to go to Thailand (top priority on my list) and my friends wanted to stay in India I went on my own. That plane ride was just as scary as the one I took from Israel to Nepal (in a very different way) and just like then I succeeded. I have made new friends and seen the places I wanted to see because I was brave enough to leave the comforts of my friends behind.

This was all extremely difficult. Travel in itself is hard but although I have ended up not spending a lot of time on my own, every time I go off I am mentally prepared for not finding anyone and just being on my own. For me, I am always really terrified that I won’t meet anyone and something will go wrong and that spirals into the “what if” scenarios that are silly and unavoidable. But after a month of being on my own I can really and truly say that I am proud of myself and. I think doing this has given me more confidence and faith in myself not only as a traveler but as a person. During TBT and while in India with my friends I began to loose my usual ability to be outgoing and extroverted, however, this forced me to bring that skill back in full swing and I could not be more happy about it! I have met some truly amazing people who I will hopefully be keeping touch with for a long time.

For anyone contemplating traveling but the fear of doing it alone is holding you back, I get it. But I would also highly recommend giving yourself a push and going for it! Going to Thailand is a great way to start because there are so many tourists which makes it especially easy to meet people and make fast friends. Bangkok in particular is easy to get around and safe to walk around alone at night (for girls). A great place to start being brave!

In about a week I will be on my own again and off to Bali. I know I will be nervous but I also know I can do it…and anything else I put my mind to.

Signed,

Modestly Proud  

Southern Islands

“Once you have traveled, the voyage never ends, but is played out over and over again in the quietest chambers. The mind can never break off from the journey.”  (Pat Conroy)

Sunday morning I got up and ready and went to the airport. My flight was delayed 45 minutes but we only got in a half an hour late to Koh Samui. It was late afternoon and I would not be able to get a ferry to Koh Tao until the next day. So I got a room near Buddha Pier (where the ferries leave) and showered, had dinner, and slept in a very big and comfortable bed. The next day I got on the ferry to Koh Tao at 1:30. We stopped at Koh Pangan first (about 30 minutes away) and then from there Koh Tao is about an hour and a half but I slept most of the way. It was pretty easy to find R and P, they were staying at a place called Blue Wind on Sarie beach. I got a room situated and then took a swim before dinner. We ate right on the beach and sat and watched people put floating lanterns in the sky and guys dancing with fire. Sarie beach has a lot going on but the Blue Wind shuts down early, which was great because I was tired and would have some quiet.

On Monday P and I did some shopping I town and then R and I spent way too long in the water…I was dehydrated and exhausted. I stayed in bed with a lot of water and Gatorade for the rest of the afternoon and early evening as a result. But I found out some great news, a girl who I knew in my last year in college (an exchange student from France) is here in Koh Tao! We made plans to see each other, which was very exciting! Tuesday was out last day in Koh Tao and we spent it on a private beach. We took bikes to get there (which was fun because R and P drive motor cross back in Switzerland) and the ride was really beautiful (and a bit scary)! We spent the day there and it was nice and quiet and had lots of beautiful fish to see! It was a really good way to spend our last day and I really enjoyed myself! That night we met up with my friend from school and one of her friends. They had done a semester in China and were now traveling around Thailand for a bit before heading back to France. It was really nice to see her and we spent the evening talking and just having a good time.

We took the ferry from Koh Tao to Koh Pangan and arrived around noon. We got rooms at the Great Bay Resort and then napped the whole afternoon in preparation. That night we went to Haad Rin beach for the full moon party! It was crazy fun! Hundreds of people on the beach drinking, dancing, swimming, playing with fire, and all sorts of general fun and nonsense! We stayed all night and arrived just in time to watch the sun rise on the beach before completely passing out. The next day was pretty lazy as we were all a bit sore and sleepy from the full moon party. We ate and read and just chilled out until dinner. We went to the street market and got absolutely delicious pad Thai! The moon was full and beautiful and R and I ended up on top of a mountain looking at the crazy awesome view.

Saturday was really fun! We took a beautiful bike ride Haad Salad Beach and spent the afternoon there. Then we got a snack at the food market and had an earlier than usual dinner because we went to a Maui Thai fight! It wasn’t very good (the pairings were completely unfair which did not make for good fights) but it was still something I have never seen before and I had fun. It was really interesting how spiritual a lot of the guys are and the differences between Maui Thai and boxing. On Sunday we went to an amazing place for brunch called Nira’s (I highly recommend it!) and then went to Haad Rin beach again (where the full moon party was). It was a nice beach and the water was nice and cool but it stung! It felt like tiny invisible jellyfish were stinging me over and over again! We sat and relaxed on the beach for a while but we didn’t stay as long as we would have because we didn’t feel like getting back in the water. The rest of the day was good though, we got massages and then got dinner and watched a movie (Despicable Me)!

Monday was our last day in Koh Pangan and we went to Nira’s again for breakfast! Then we were riding around on the bike and came across a Secret Beach (actual name) and decided to head there. It was nice and quiet with a small restaurant with delicious fruit shakes! We spent the afternoon there relaxing and enjoying the last day. When we came back to get showered we found out that the owner of the hotel was having their 50^th birthday and there would be a big buffet. We stopped by but most of the food was already gone and too much of it was meat (I’m a pescatarian) so we went for one more round at the street market and got spring rolls and fruit shakes!

Tomorrow I go alone back to Bangkok and try to figure out my plan. I will probably go to Laos and then hopefully meet some people who would like to come with me to Cambodia and from there I will go back to Bangkok because I leave from there to Bali on May 12^th! I am really excited but sad to say goodbye to R and P and a little nervous about being on my own again. I know it will be ok but this is something I will never just not worry about. As for now, I am really happy with the time I have spent in the Southern islands and looking forward to what is to come!

Signed,

Forward March 

Bangkok and Phuket

“Our battered suitcases were piled on the sidewalk again; we had longer ways to go. But no matter, the road is life.” (Jack Kerouac)

Airports in India are a bit silly. I had to go to the domestic airport to fly from Mumbai to Delhi but then had to switch to the international airport in Delhi to fly to Bangkok. Easy, but a pain in the ass. Fortunately everything went smoothly and everything was on time and ready to go! I didn’t even have to wait until Thailand to meet someone! I met a girl on the plane from Delhi to Bangkok named A who I invited to share my room with me because she was alone as well and it was close to the airport. We were so excited and stayed up late eating ice cream and watching “Roman Holiday”! The next day we got into the city where I had a room at the Erawan House and wow…this is where I am meant to be! Bangkok is amazing! Shops everywhere, amazing street food, different people from all over the world. It was a dream come true. That night A went to meet up with a guy she had met in India and I ended up going out with an Irish couple I met. We went to a bar where things started to get crazy around 11, it was a party in the street with everyone drinking and dancing and just happy. We ended up going to a club (actually called The Club) and met some guys from England. I didn’t get back until around 5! I would call that a very successful first evening!

The next day (Thursday) A and I were pretty tired from the night before (she had been out late as well). We hung out and looked at some shops before she left with her friend from India to go to Chang Mai. After they left I met two English guys named M and An. They were nice and we planned on meeting up later that night. It actually ended up being a big group. I went with the Irish couple (E and T) and met M and An as well as the guys from the night before. M also had friends he was with so it was really fun. I didn’t drink at all (still sore) but I had a blast. This is exactly why I wanted to travel; to meet new people!

Friday was the beginning of Songkran, the Thai New Year. In other words I got completely soaked the minute I stepped outside! During Songkran there is a huge water fight! Everyone has water guns (I got one and named her Laura Croft) and just throws water at everyone! It’s a little kids dream come true! I went out with M and An and it had looked like we had jumped into a swimming pool! We spent the afternoon/night getting into furious water fights with strangers and each other! By the end of the night I was freezing but very happy!

Unfortunately M and An left the next day for Chang Mai (however I was planning on meeting up with them in a few days) so I was on my own again. I hibernated for most of the day because being that wet all day and night did not sound appealing. In the evening I went and got food and then met two guys from Germany named L and B and spent the night hanging out with them. We had an absolute blast! There was some sort of concert going on and of course we were completely wet and exhausted by the end. We got stuck in a big crowd at one point and when we got out my camera was gone. On the one hand I was really upset (especially since I had pictures from the night before) but on then other hand I was relieved that my phone, cash, and debit card were still there.  So although I was sad, I refused to let it ruin my night. Once again, I had bad luck with timing. L and B were leaving the next day! I got breakfast with them and then L and I went out and were so tired when we got back from the crowds and the water. I immediately went and took a nap. Somehow I managed to get up and go out again that night. Again I met some English guys and again I was tired and wet by the end of the night.

When I woke up Monday morning I was very happy that it was the last day of the water fights. It is really fun but it’s tiring and I hated not being able to leave my room without getting drenched. When I did go out that night it wasn’t good. I was sick of people throwing freezing water and I got mad at people putting chalk powder on my face (something they do during Songkran). I realized that I was finished and headed back before I got cranky. I sat at the restaurant across from my guesthouse and got tea to warm me up and ended up sitting with some Swiss guys. They were actually really nice and offered to go with me to the mall the next day (I needed a new camera).

So the next day I got breakfast and walked around with my new Swiss friends; R, P, and B. They are silly and sweet and I like them! We went to the big mall (MBK) in the afternoon so I could get a new camera. WOW! The mall was enormous! I have never seen so much crap in one place. The bling from all the iphone covers was blinding and I don’t think I have ever seen so many unnecessary accessories in my life! But it was still fun, I liked seeing different stores and what people were buying and all the food and just the general atmosphere. I did get a new camera and then we had to leave or be suffocated by the amount of stuff everywhere. We took a walk down Koh San road and then I went to take a shower and have some me time before dinner. We hung out with a crazy awesome girl from Spain and another guy from England and stayed up late talking and laughing. I have officially survived Sognkran 2013 and had a great time for my first trip to Bangkok!

On Wednesday I took a short flight to Phuket to meet M and An. We met at the airport and got a cab to Patong Beach. We took showers and got dinner and took a walk on the beach. The next day M and I went to see the Big Buddha! Wow not only was it massive and beautiful, the view was unbelievable!  You could see miles and miles of blue ocean and green land. I really don’t know what I found more amazing, the Buddha or the vast beauty of Phuket. After that we were dying of heat and went to Kata Beach, which was close by. The water was perfect and we got there around 4ish so it was blazing hot anymore. We swam and relaxed until we were ready for showers. After dinner we ended up booking a day trip to Phi Phi Island for the next day. So after a movie we all went to sleep early.

Since our taxi was picking us up at 7:15 I woke up at 6:30 (ughhh). We got to the pier and our ferry left at 8:30 so we got there around 10:30. I was tired and sore from sitting funny on the boat but Phi Phi Island looked like paradise. We got breakfast and then spent the day on the beach. The water is completely clear and really shallow so you can literally sit down in the water and not move. It was really hot and I actually wished the water had been a bit cooler. I looked around and saw beauty everywhere. It looked like a post card you see at a book store or a random picture on google when you search “perfect vacation spots.” I couldn’t help but think how incredibly lucky I am and how proud of myself I am for living my dreams. We took the boat back and then a mini bus back to Patong. We went out to dinner for the last time because M and An were leaving the next day. I am really glad I met them they are really awesome!

Saturday was lazy because I didn’t feel great. A bit too much sun from Phi Phi Island I think. I booked a flight to Koh Samui and from there I will be taking a ferry to Koh Tao to meet the Swiss guys. After that I think I am going to meet A so we can do Laos and/or Cambodia! I treated myself to sushi for dinner and read and wrote postcards. I packed most of my stuff and am pretty set for my flight tomorrow (it’s only an hour) and ready to go somewhere new. It’s so strange that I can book a flight for the next day and it’s no problem when back home I do it weeks, if not months, in advance. This is definitely a new type of life and I am enjoying every minute of it!

Signed,

Packed and Ready

Things I love about Thailand

Street food (spring rolls and pad Thai)

Fresh fruit/juice stands everywhere

Thai people (incredibly kind and friendly)

Travelers (so easy to meet people)

Shopping (cute and cheap everything – bags, clothing, accessories, etc.)

Activities (beaches, hikes, temples, etc.)

Culture (interesting and unique)

Transportation (including trains and motor bikes as taxis)

Safety (I feel good and confident traveling by myself)

Happiness (locals, travelers, and myself all seem so happy and relaxed) 

नमस्ते भारत (Goodbye India)

“I wanted movement and not a calm course of existence. I wanted excitement and danger and the chance to sacrifice myself for love. I felt in myself a superabundance of energy which found not outlet in our quiet life.” (Leo Tolstoy)

Passover in Vata Kanal didn’t go exactly as I had planned. After another night on a sleeper bus my cold got worse and I felt pretty bad. I spent the next 3 days in bed. I couldn’t even go to the saders (but I was told they weren’t very good), which made me really sad. Fortunately Vata is very cool and it is better to feel like crap there than be sweating as well. It was also really amazing to see O, Sh, M, Ab, GG, and Z! We spent time hanging out and catching up and another unexpected turn has been thrown into my travel plans. Everyone is staying in India, meaning I am traveling solo. Not exactly what I had planned. I decided to go to Thailand as I had planned and plan on meeting people when I got there. I got my ticket for the 9^th of April and planned o spending my next week and a half with Sh, O, and Ab. On Thursday there were more goodbyes to say to Sm, M, and Al (GG and Z I will see this summer) which was really hard because I don’t know the next time I will see any of them (they won’t be in Israel this summer when I am there). I am happy I have made such wonderful friends though, even if it is hard to say goodbye.

The 4 of us then took a bus back to Bangalore (it was absolutely terrible! Apparently it’s ok to put on obnoxious Bollywood films around 10:00 on a SLEEPER bus!) and then Ab went directly to Hampi while O, Sh, and I spent the day in Bangalore with Sm’s friends from before. We had a nice day, sat by the pool, ate good food, and just laughed a lot. We got on our last sleeper bus (which was more comfortable but had a lot of nonsense and confusion getting to) and were in Hampi by 5:30 in the morning. I had bee to Hampi last week but the girls wanted to go and I wanted to be with them so I figured it would be fine. It turned out to be wonderful!

We arrived really early Friday morning and got a rickshaw to the lake where we had to wait about an hour for the boat to take us across. At first we were a little annoyed and sleepy, until we got to watch the beautiful sunrise! Since I never get up early when I can help it I don’t see many sunrises so I was very grateful to see this one. We sat on the edge of the lake and took lots of pictures and by the time the sun was up, the boat had come.  We checked into the same hotel I stayed at last time (White Elephant) and then took naps! Our big event of the day was going to the lake for a couple hours and then dinner. It was a long day and we were all exhausted by the end.

The next morning I woke up early with Sh and went to yoga from 8-9:30! It was awesome! Since it was early it wasn’t blistering hot outside and the class was small. It was a great way to start the day and I felt refreshed and happy afterwards. We spent the day reading and relaxing and playing cards. We went to watch the sunset on top of a big rock, which was nice before we had dinner. I was on my computer after and was getting ready to go back to my room when a man came up to me. He told me I was beautiful and interesting and wanted to know if he could look at my hands.  We were in public and he didn’t seem like a serial killer (just a bit strange) so I let him. He told me I would live to be 130 and was the most powerful person in the guesthouse. I can live with that!

On Monday we got up early again and went across the lake to watch an elephant take a bath! This made me really excited for Thailand because I plan on spending a day with elephants. After the bath we walked to the temples and spent the morning exploring. They were absolutely beautiful but I wish more was known about them (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hampi#Temples). We took lots of pictures and sat in the shade and finally when it got hot we went and got lunch. After we went to the lake and spent time relaxing in the cool water. At dinner we met some people who said they were going to a waterfall the next day and offered to show us where it was. They seemed nice enough and we decided to join them!

The waterfall wasn’t really a waterfall but many pools. It took us about 40 minutes to walk there. We were really hot and tired but it was worth it. The area was beautiful and we had privacy, which was rare. We had brought lots of fruit and snacks and spent most of the afternoon there swimming and reading and laying in the sun. We never would have found it on our own and I am so happy we got to go! When we finally left we ate at a Nepalese place we had found the day before. I never thought I would miss Nepal so much already but just being able to speak a little Nepali to the guys who worked there made us all smile. That night we all sat together and as I looked around I realized this was what I had always wanted. There were people from Canada, New Zealand, Sweden, and Austria. I want to be around all sorts of different people and learn from them. I was only sad I was so tired from the sun and had to go pass out!

Wednesday morning and afternoon turned out to be a big to do (as many things usually turn out to be in this part of the world). O and I took a bus to the local city Hospet to try to mail some more things so our bags would be lighter. I was going to mail my stuff with her and pick it up in Israel in June. We went to the post office and they told us they couldn’t (or wouldn’t) weigh our things until after it was packed. They told us that it cost 750 rupees per kilo to mail to Israel and we had to go get a box and have it packed. We got someone at a nearby store to weigh our bags (about 5 kilos each) and then went to go get a box. Little did we know that this was only the first step. We packed all of our things into the box and then had to get it covered in cloth, which meant we had to go to a tailor. Then we had to have it sealed. I mean like Harry Potter sealed with candle wax and a stamp. Finally we wrote the address and everything on the box and went to the post office. According to my math (which I know is terrible but my multiplication with a calculator is perfectly acceptable) it should have cost about 7,500 rupees (750 rupees per kilo and we had 10 kilos), however it turned out to be only a little over 2,000. We were happy but confused, especially because we were in the post office for 10 minutes when the whole preparation had taken almost 2 hours. We got on the next bus out of Hospet and out of the extreme heat. We met some nice guys on the boat on the way back and I ended up going to the lake with them so I wouldn’t immediately take a nap. But after dinner I was pretty powerless to stay awake for long.

Thursday was lazy. We were all really hot and sleepy so we did laundry (which dried immediately) and read and ate. The big task came at the end of the afternoon. We got a rickshaw then climbed to the top of the monkey temple to watch the sun set. The climb up wasn’t nearly as bad as we had been prepared for and we actually made it up in about a half an hour. We explored and then walked all the way out onto the rocks and were very lucky to have such an amazing sun set. This was our last day in Hampi and with each other and it was the perfect way to end the day. We climbed down right after to avoid doing it in the dark and then enjoyed our last dinner.

On Friday morning we checked out of the White Elephant and went to Mowgli’s (another guesthouse close by) because Ab was staying in Hampi for Shabbat. We put our stuff in her room and had a last afternoon at the lake. Unfortunately we couldn’t stay too long because we had to all take showers and make sure all of our stuff dried in time. Then around 6:30 the three of us said goodbye to Ab and got on the bus for Goa.

I had to go back to Goa because there was a package for me waiting. There were some things I needed from home and my Dad sent them to a Marriott in Goa, which was, where were we were going to spend the next day! We were shown into the nicest room any of us had seen in months and then went to the complimentary continental breakfast. It was…. in a word: heaven! There was so much delicious food and everything looked so pretty that we were really upset when we all got full really fast! Afterwards O and I took a nice long nap and then I got up and went to the market place with Sh. I also booked my bus ticket for the next day to Mumbai. We came back to the hotel and went to the pool, which was heavenly! After we took awesome showers and made an effort to look nice for dinner, which was fantastic! The night ended with us all piled into one bed watching episodes of Glee!

Sunday was a long day.  After another breakfast we checked out of the Marriott. Our first stop was the market (I had to pick up a new battery for my phone) and then we had to take 2 buses to get to Arambol (I had suggested to Sh and O they would like it and I wanted to pick up a few things). We were told it would take a little under an hour to get there from Panaji (where we were) but it took much longer. By the time we got there and they had found a room I only had an hour and a half. I got a couple things but then it was time for me to go because my bus was leaving out of Panaji. Saying goodbye to Sh and O was weird. On the one hand, I will see them both again (I will see O in 2 months in Israel) but they have been my closest friends here and we have been through a lot together these past 6 months and saying goodbye was really sad. I took a cab back to Panaji and got on my final sleeper bus to Mumbai around 6:30. It was a long ride but I didn’t have to share a bed this time and it was nice and cool with the window open. I slept pretty decently.

Today, Monday, I arrived in Mumbai and got dropped off near the airport and got a room (very expensive). I haven’t done much today which is a little bit of a waste but I was tired from the bus and have a big day of travel tomorrow so I wanted a little time to just hibernate. I’ll be trying to meet people pretty quickly and will be pretty social for the next little while so I needed some me time. It’s weird, this is the first time I haven’t shared a room in 6 months. It doesn’t feel lonely though; it feels nice, for now. I know that traveling solo is a really good experience to have, but I didn’t want to see the world on my own. I am pretty nervous about leaving my friends but my desire to see more is stronger than all of my fears. I just hope that I am not alone for too long. I think it’s a bigger deal for me because I’m American. Not only do less Americans travel than a lot of other cultures but they don’t do it alone. Why do I always insist on being the one who is different? Because that is the only way I know how to live.

Signed,

Stubbornly Unique