Finally Heading Home!

I'm finally on the final flight from Oahu back to Maui! After five days of traveling it's hard to believe I'm actually coming home. Flying business class made everything so much easier. I got to hang out in the Asiana business lounge in Seoul, Korea with all-you-can-eat food/drinks, shower and the best high tech massage chair that I wanted to marry. 

I was able to sleep on the long flights with reclining chairs and high quality food and service. Once I got to Oahu I wasn't even tired! It was so nice to hear people speaking English again. Thai people are super nice, but people in Hawaii are super nice too. Happy to get my life back! Maui No Ka Oi!

Stuck in Bangkok

Well... I thought I was heading home and arriving August 30th, but apparently Thailand loves me and doesn't want me to leave. I am now stuck in Bangkok for a couple nights at a hotel because my flight was 45 minutes delayed and I missed the rest of the connecting flights. So I was up all night on the phone with annoying customer service rescheduling flights, costing me endless fees. Do not fly with Hahn Air. They have a bad reputation. I won't be arriving in Maui until September 2nd.

Final Days in Chiang Mai

I had four final days in Chiang Mai before heading back home. The only thing left on my bucket list was to go to the zoo, so we went and we were highly disappointed. We saw one elephant and a kangaroo, but the rest of the animals were hiding from the hot sun. 

The rest of the time we ate good food, watched movies and got massages.

Overall I think these two months flew by really fast and I'm so grateful that my husband put all that work into organizing a wonderful experience for our 10-year wedding anniversary. I really wasn't expecting to like Thailand that much, so it really exceeded my expectations. With that being said, the grass is not always greener on the other side, just different. Heading back to my exotic paradise life on Maui is not too bad!

Ban Lamai, Koh Samui

We are now sitting on the airplane back to Chiang Mai, after taking the ferry and bus from Koh Samui to Surat Thani. 

Overall our stay at our friend's house in Ban Lamai, Koh Samui was relaxing and grounding, aside from both of us getting food poisoning. For me it only lasted a day, but for Zen it lingered longer. After that we were more cautious about where we chose to eat and made sure it was organic and sanitary. 

The city was pretty ugly and noisy, but there were quite a few health conscious restaurants, our favorites being Vikasa (more expensive), Pure Vegan Heaven (the best ever!!!), the Secret Brunch, Tamarind's Spa and Sweet Sisters Café.

We got around by scooter because using the Grab app is more expensive in Koh Samui.

The closest beach was by New Hut Bungalows (really cheap by the way, only $12/night if you are looking for a simple and affordable place to stay), but the water was too shallow. The nicest beach was Silver Beach, but we kept getting bit by some sort of tiny invisible bugs in the water. We have no idea what they were. We felt the bites but they did not leave a mark.

They had a few night markets right down the street, walking distance. One thing to keep in mind is that most places in Thailand do not accept credit cards, so it is important to carry some cash with you at all times.

Koh Samui is like one big European melting pot. Everywhere you go you hear a bunch of different languages. It also means you smell a lot of cigarette smoke when eating out or at the beach.

One example of Thai people being super hospitable is when we took a shuttle that was full and everyone made space, even if it meant sitting in someone's lap. That would never happen in Western culture. Another example is when I ordered some food at a restaurant and the waitress noticed I was picking the onions off, and she offered to take it back to the kitchen so they could pick them off for me. Now that's quality customer service!

Treehouse Silent Beach, Koh Samui

Finally back at the beach! For someone who is used to going to the beach almost every day in Maui, I've felt like a fish out of water in the city of Chiang Mai. The ocean here is very warm and not as clear as Maui waters. The wind picks up early around 7:30 am, so best to get out for a morning walk/run and swim before then.

We are spending five nights in a beach bungalow at Treehouse Silent Beach for about $35/night. If you want something even cheaper, you can get a room without A/C for about $17/night.

Getting to the island of Koh Samui is not as easy as one might expect. There are so many options: traveling via train, bus, flight and ferry. Long story short, it was challenging finding a direct flight last minute that suited our needs, so we ended up flying with Air Asia from Chiang Mai to Surat Thani, then taking a 1.5 hour bus ride to Raja Ferry. The ferry ride was 1.5 hours and once in Koh Samui, we took a one-hour shuttle to our final destination.

It's so convenient having everything you need right here, not having to drive anywhere. There is a fabulous restaurant with very friendly service that has pretty much everything you could imagine on the menu with prices under $5 per meal. Affordable massages are easily accessible right on the beach.

I could get used to this lifestyle. Eating at a restaurant and/or living off of coconuts and dragonfruit everyday, saving time not having to cook or shop, wifi and cleaning included... This would a perfect place to save money on living expenses and focus on building an online business.

The rest of our time here in Koh Samui we will be spending at our friend's house who is house sitting for us in Maui at the moment. On August 26th we return to Chiang Mai and then I'll have three more days before I head back home to Maui. Zen will stay another month. I've really been enjoying my time away but there are also things I miss about Maui, especially my cats.

Pai

We just got back to Chiang Mai after spending a week in Pai, a small hippy town, about a 2.5 hour drive away. The intention was for it to be a romantic getaway, but instead we got sick. Zen booked a nice room for us at Montis Resort and we ended up having to move twice to different rooms due to plumbing issues. For the inconvenience, we negotiated a discount, a couple extra nights for free, complimentary room service and snack bar. The resort was not very busy at all and overpriced in our opinion.

I heard good things about Pai, but was not at all impressed with the town. Not much to see or do, but I like that it was cheap. It was nicest at nighttime. It was basically one big street market with lots of noisy traffic, more like how I envisioned Thailand being.

All in all, it was a very peaceful, relaxing and uneventful trip watching movies and taking baths, so can't complain.

Mantak Chia Workshop

We took a 6-day Mantak Chia workshop at Tao Gardens in Chiang Mai, Thailand!

It was such an amazing experience spending time in Master Chia's powerful presence, feeling his chi and building our own, learning so much about taoist practices, how to move energy and access our inner super powers, meeting conscious people from around the world, eating delicious healthy food (3 meals a day), practicing chi gong daily, swimming in the pool, working out in the gym, enjoying the beautiful peaceful environment and the serenity of being in nature. Priceless! 

 Mantak Chia owns Tao Gardens and lives on the property. The theme for the workshop was how to transform negative emotions (stored in the organs) into positive energy. I've always been able to feel energy, so it was good to learn more about how to use it. The energy was so powerful in the room, with everyone building chi at the same time. My experience was that it felt like the ocean, with waves pulling me in different directions.

The main thing I learned was that we have full control over everything: our thoughts, our emotions and what we choose to do with our energy. It's not really anything I didn't already know, I just understood it better and the science was broken down. We are connected to the universe with energy, everything spirals and moves in the same way. It all really ties into belly-dance, so I am inspired to find ways to incorporate this into my teachings.

We stayed at Phoo Na Resort, out in the country side about 20 minutes from Tao Gardens. The owner, Phoo was the sweetest hostess ever! 

Always smiling and made us what ever we wanted for breakfast.

Does Purpose Determine Our Happiness?

What gives you a feeling of purpose? Is it money, helping people, family, making someone smile etc and what are the motives for your purpose? If it is merely greed or survival that drives you, coming from a place of lack or struggle, it won't make you happy. If you have a pattern of not being satisfied, it might drive you to achieve more success, but not necessarily guarantee your happiness. That feeling of restlessness and dissatisfaction is sometimes what makes us create new possibilites and raise our standards.

I believe the key is finding meaning in the small things and simply appreciating life on a daily basis. Happiness is a choice. Practicing gratitude and having a good attitude. We can always find something to complain about and something to be grateful for. So yes, purpose is important, but I don't think it has to determine our happiness.

Newness

Something I've been thinking about lately is how humans are so wired to seek newness and how quickly things get boring, whether it's a new relationship, a travel destination or material possessions etc. It stems from our primal urge to hunt, seek and find and it triggers a dopamine rush when we get what we want. Personally, I think it is one of the most challenging things about being human and one of the roots of addiction. Addiction to highs, resulting in dissatisfaction with boredom. There is a purpose for it and without that unsatisfied feeling we wouldn't grow and seek change.

Being ok with mundane life is one of the hardest things to achieve, being ok in that neutral place inside that is neither high or low. But once you find it, it can be one of the most satisfying and peaceful feelings.

I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. Is it hard for you to feel content? Is there a purpose with feeling unsatisfied?

Things I've learned about Thailand

So far I've been having a good time riding around on a scooter with my husband, seeing the city and all its diversity. Chiang Mai has pretty much anything you're looking for, from cozy small European cafés and old towns to modern shopping centers. You can try a different restaurant every time you go out to eat and the living expenses are about 50% of what they are on Maui. If you go to a restaurant that caters to the tourists, the menu will most likely display the range of spiciness. If you go to a restaurant that has a lot of locals, you might want to ask for "less spicy".

Most Thai people don't speak a lot of English, so I've learned three words so far: thank you "Khob khun ka", hello "Sah wah dee khrap!", and they call Caucasians "farong". If you want to get food to go you say "takeaway" and if you need to use the restroom you say "toilet". When you are ready for your check at a restuarant, point your finger downward and stir in a circular motion.

There are a lot of trip hazards, especially when entering bathrooms because the way they clean the floors is by hosing them and letting the water go down the drain. In a lot of places they do not provide napkins, paper towels, toilet seat covers or toilet paper, so it is good to carry some with you. Trash cans are also harder to find.

Businesses close really late, most locals work at least 10-hour days, so you can go to the dentist at 6 pm or get a massage at 8 pm.

A few downsides of living in a city in Thailand is that the air quality is very bad and they have a rice burning season, just like they used to on Maui. Usually the summers are incredibly muggy and hot, but we have lucked out with the weather and most of the time it has been pretty overcast. Luckily the cost of A/C is affordable here. It's been really nice living in a bigger apartment that costs about four times less than on Maui. I suspect it will be a challenging adjustment returning to our tiny cottage back home...

Venturing out into the World!

Well folks, I finally made it out the front door to explore the wonders of Chiang Mai! It really helps to have my husband here as an experienced tour guide. Riding around on a scooter, zooming through the traffic, is the fastest way to get through the city. Here, everyone drives on the left side of the road. I expected Thailand to be a crappy, ugly and polluted third world country, but it turns out there is a wide range of options from poor class to high class. The nice thing is you can live luxuriously for very cheap. If there's one thing I love, it's saving money! There are quite a few healthy cafés, customer service is on point and I love that there is so much green tropical vegetation. Rudeness and hostility does not exist in this culture. It is very muggy, but hasn't been too hot luckily. I got a Thai massage for the first time, it basically felt like I was getting beat up, but very relaxing. 

One thing I miss is the ocean. Back home in Maui I go to the beach almost every day. However, there is a really nice pool in our apartment building and a gym, so I won't let myself get fat during this two-month vacation. So far... what's not to like? 

Oh, and we've also been spending our time saving a bird that fell out of the nest onto our balcony. We named him Mr. Splits and we suspect his mama is still around feeding him because he is pooping a bunch! We provided shade for him, are giving him water and feeding him bread soaked in soup. He seems to be growing and getting stronger every day!

"How's Thailand?"

So people have been asking, "How are you liking Thailand"? Well, the answer is, it's been two days and I haven't left the apartment. I've always felt like a cat trapped in a human body, so when I first come to a new environment I simply stay on the bed the first few days. All I've been doing is sleeping, listening to music, reconnecting with my husband (after being apart for a month) and enjoying an abundance of dragonfruit in bed. It doesn't take much to make this girl happy. Maybe tomorrow I'll be ready to open the front door. 

The Long Trip

July 1st, 2019 at 10 AM, I started off by flying from Maui to Oahu, a short 40-minute flight. From there I hopped on to a 10-hour flight with Asiana Airlines from Oahu to Seoul, South Korea. For the first time in my life I flew business class! It made the whole experience so much more enjoyable and not torturous. I was served lots of good quality meals and drinks (appetizer, entree AND dessert), the Asians provide better customer service than any other culture I've experienced, I could lay down and sleep, I wasn't sitting next to anyone, there was plenty of space to move, easy restroom access... it actually felt more like being on a cruise ship! Being raised poor, it was hard for me at first to accept being pampered like that, but finally I gave in and just enjoyed the experience. 

Once I arrived in Seoul, I had the luxury of going to the Asiana Club business lounge during my two-hour layover, where they provide showers, massage chairs, food and refreshments. I got a feel for the Korean culture, very disciplined and together, almost a bit militant. Very similar to my Swedish culture.

The next flight was also business class, five hours from Seoul to Bangkok, Thailand. From there I took a shuttle to a nice hotel, BS Suvarnabhumi Residence (only $20 a night) and got to shower and get a good night's sleeeep after 19 hours of traveling.

Finally, July 3rd I flew to my final destination Chiang Mai, where my husband met me at the airport and we went to his big apartment that he has been leasing.

Going to Thailand!

Hi friends! It's been a while since I went on a big adventure, so this time I will be sharing with you all my trip to Thailand! My husband has been going back and fourth the past year and a half to get dental work. It has been really challenging for our marriage, being away from each other months at a time, and being the obsessive business woman that I am, I haven't wanted to put my life on hold in Maui. This time around I finally decided to go with him for two months. For the first time I am prioritizing relationships over getting ahead in life. I've had a huge resistance to going to Thailand because it's never been on my bucket list, I've never been attracted to third world countries and traveling long distance feels like torture to me. Stay tuned!