November 12-26, 2022. Thailand, the land of smiles, beaches, temples, and good food. I’d visited the northern part of the country back in 2019. It was my first taste of Asia and I loved it. This time, I would head south to discover the islands and beaches.

I said goodbye to Nepal and my travel buddies. Flying to Bangkok was an easy 3hr flight from Kathmandu. I love getting to the airport early and spoiling myself in the lounge. My Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card provides priority pass lounge access which means I can access a lounge no matter which class I’m flying. I flew with AirAsia which is a budget airline. It was a nice and easy flight. My only recommendation is sit on the A,B,C side to view the Himalayas. I was on the other side and could barely glimpse them as we departed.

I remember arriving in Bangkok back in 2019. I was scared and the city felt chaotic and overwhelming. Haha! I have come so far as a traveler. My impressions this time were how clean and orderly it was. How the cars actually drove in their lanes, the sky was blue, the streets clean and spacious. It’s amazing how you adjust to different customs. I’d been in India and Nepal for less than one month yet Thailand still felt like a different world.

My time in Bangkok was mostly self indulgent. I went to mass in English on Sunday, wandered down the waterfront admiring churches and temples, ate pad Thai and Thai iced tea at a river front cafe, and then got a wonderful Thai massage and pedicure.

I stayed in a hostel (like a real backpacker) and hung out with the girls in my dorm. We ate street food in China Town, explored various markets and went to temples. My favorite temple was Wat Pho which houses the Giant Reclining Buddha. Interestingly, the complex also houses a massage school and medicine/ nursing program. There was an exhibit on the science behind Thai massage which I found interesting. The exhibit was combined with posters about the Pope and the great respect between Catholics and Buddhists. It surprised me that two of my interests, health/nursing and Catholicism/ religious tolerance, were on display at this temple.

I left Bangkok feeling really good. I was in the travel groove: hostels, night markets, motorbike taxis. The rhythms of Southeast Asia were coming back to me and I loved it. I flew south to Krabi to start my island adventures. Again, everything just went so smoothly. I got a free massage at the lounge, easily caught a shared minibus to my hotel in Ao Nang, paid $14/night for a nice hotel room, went to the “basic and boring” beach of Ao Nang and found it beautiful, then finished the night with delicious pad Thai and mango sticky rice for $3.

Things got really good in Koh Lanta. I lucked out with my accommodation. I just found it on booking.com but it was incredible. It was outside of the busy tourist area on a private beach cove. The kindest family ran it. They cooked delicious food, helped organize tours or transportation, had beachfront massages, loaned beach toys and snorkel equipment, provided bamboo huts to relax under, and even did my laundry. I splurged and booked a bungalow with air conditioning and a private bathroom. Amazingly, this only cost me $15/ night!! Even with eating all of my meals at their restaurant my daily expenses were $25-30/day.

I was only going to spend 3 nights there but it was so nice I extended another night. I didn’t do much and that was exactly what I wanted. I walked along the beach, swam, ate a ton, enjoyed happy hour, read, and napped in my beach front bamboo hut. One day I went on an all day island hopping excursion. I met a great group of travelers my age and we had fun. However, after lunch I started feeling tired and achy.

My gratefulness for the family that ran the beach resort really started that evening. I knew I wasn’t just tired from snorkeling all day. My body was working on a fever. I told the family and they brought me food, water and medicine to the room.

I don’t know if this is a nurse thing or if I’m just crazy but whenever I get sick I start treating myself like a patient. I take vitals every 2 hours, monitor my intake and output, watch for symptom changes, and try to figure out what I have. Is it Dengue Fever? Or maybe just Travelers Diarrhea? Malaria? Which medication should I take? Will the ibuprofen cause a hemorrhage if I have dengue? Is it too soon to take antibiotics? Will it cause antibiotic resistance? How high should I let the fever get before contacting a doctor? Which clinics look up to western standards and take my insurance?

My temperature peaked at 103f after 2 days. I’m still not sure what it was. I did not get my blood tested for dengue or malaria. Thankfully, I’d kept myself hydrated so I was only a bit weak. I stayed at Coral Beach Resort for 7 days in total to give myself time to recover.

Thank you so much to the lovely family who hosted me. I won’t forget the kindness and compassion you all showed me.

It was time to move on. I had planned to go caving and hiking in Khao Sok National Park but decided something more relaxing would probably be better. Koh Phi Phi here I come! Phi Phi is located between Koh Lanta and Phuket making it the perfect destination. My expectations were pretty low since I heard it was overrun with drunk backpackers. This proved false and as soon as I stopped off the ferry I was amazed.

I had arrived in paradise. The sand was white and almost floury in texture. So soft. The ocean was bathwater warm and a beautiful turquoise color. Palm trees lined the way. Yes, there were shops and other tourists but it didn’t take away from the experience. People were renting lounge chairs for $2.5. I laid on one and just absorbed the moment. There was a breeze so in the shade it was very pleasant.

How was this my life? How did I get so lucky that I was able to experience these places? It was Wednesday, November 23rd and I was sitting on the beach drinking a fresh coconut. I’d recovered from my illness and life just looked so bright. I could be back home working. I always work Thanksgiving so I can be off for Christmas. Instead, I was three months into a round the world trip. Thailand is a travelers dream. The infrastructure is in place and everyone will act as a travel agent. This makes is incredibly easy to travel or go on day trips. Delicious food and fresh fruit is available on every corner. Massages are cheap and plentiful.

I spent Thanksgiving cruising around the islands off Koh Phi Phi. Snorkeling with sharks, walking along beautiful beaches, and even watching monkeys swim. I don’t know how this is my life but I’m so thankful for it. Thank you to everyone who has supported and encouraged me. Thank you to everyone I’ve met along the way who has helped make this adventure so amazing. I am so grateful that I get to experience so much of what our world has to offer.

I finished my time in Thailand with a night in Phuket. I stayed near the airport which happens to be situated next to the beach. It is possible to stand directly beneath the planes as they land. Amazing, exhilarating and terrifying.

Bye Thailand! I know I’ll be back again soon 🙂