I have been home for a month now and the post-Thai blues are for real. Time to share some blurbs from the highlights of my trip.
This past July, me Madie and Emily packed our things and headed to Thailand. However, no amount of packing and research would prepare us for what was ahead… As soon as we landed in Bangkok it became very apparent that we had no idea how to communicate with these people. I knew only one Thai word going into this trip, “Thank you.” This made getting around the cities a bit difficult, but Thai people are very kind and helpful so we did just fine. We explored temples, walked through ancient ruins, rode elephants up a mountain, and got massages on the beach.
In Chiang Mai, we had the chance to sit and speak with a Buddhist monk! He actually spoke pretty decent English which was a relief. We had studied a little bit of Buddhism in our high school Theology class, but it had been a while since I had even thought about the religion. The monk actually told us that Buddhism is not a religion at all! It is a way of life and a philosophy. We discussed the beliefs and practices of Buddhists, including how suffering plays into our lives. One of the things that has stuck with me since we left is when the monk told us that, “If we hold onto our anger, we are the only ones who suffer.” For instance, if we are mad at someone, our anger does not actually have any effect on them, while we are the ones suffering internally.
That was some serious food for thought. My mother tells every one that I am the holder of all grudges, and I am. But since I left Thailand I feel like that has become less true. Now when I get upset, I find myself thinking about the monk and what he said. I feel that this is another proof of mine that traveling changes people for the better.
I wanderlust has grown even stronger since I’ve gotten back to the states. I can’t wait to see where my next adventure will be and what I will learn! Thanks for reading, TCB, Sav
Moments by Sav 