Laos Day 1 - The Journey to Vientiane and First Impressions

I traveled to Laos today. In order to continue to stay in Thailand legally, I needed to travel to a Thai consulate to change from a tourist visa to an education visa, which I received because I am studying the Thai language. Vientiane, Laos has the closest consulate to my home. So after a 10-hour(!) overnight bus ride to Udon Thani, another 1-hour bus ride to the border at Nong Khai, and a shuttle across the Friendship Bridge, I was processed in by several unsmiling guards and find myself in Lao People's Democratic Republic, where I took yet another minibus to the capital city, Vientiane. My initial impression is that I'm blown away by this city. Due to its past colonization by several countries, most notably France, Vientiane has a cool European vibe to it that Chiang Mai does not. Don't get me wrong, I love Thailand, my new home. But it's quite proud of never having been colonized, and is pretty closed off to outside influences. (Well, maybe Bangkok is different, but I don't know too much about it.) Take music, for example. In Thailand's bars and clubs, you'll hear either (1) Thai music or (2) covers of 5-year-old Jason Mraz tunes. Over and over and over. (Nothing against Mr. A-Z, of course, bu there's such a thing as too much.) In Vientiane, I spent a pleasant couple of hours in a sultry wine bar, enjoying music I've never heard before and some very good wine (another thing Thailand doesn't have!). Also, Vientiane has affordable international cuisine and does not have the dreadful stray dog problem that Thailand has. I am sure part of it is due to the communist government - for all I know, they rounded up all the stray dogs and gassed them en-masse. But so far, I'm having a ball and wondering what's not to love?

Stay tuned for days 2 and 3 when I meet a fellow EFL teacher and we leave the capital city to see the "real" Lao!

T Minus 7 Days - Check!

Eep.

What I've done:

• Repriced and relisted my china cabinet, dresser, and computer desk
• Taken carloads of stuff to Goodwill
• Set up the car donation
• Gave bookshelves and lots of kitchenwares to cousin Matty
• Sold my bed
• Took my bike and snowboard and related gear to my dad's house for storage
  
• Packed up my backpacking gear and 2 plastic tubs with things I want to keep for my mom to take home with her
• Received mypassport with travel visa from the Thai embassy in DC!

What I still need to do:

• Sell those final three pieces of furniture
• Final goodwill trips
• Cancel car, home, health insurance
  
• Cancel gym membership
• Jailbreak iPhone & break AT&T contract
• Take Sadie's vet paperwork to Olympia for endorsement by the USDA (yes, really)
• Figure out if all these clothes and things I plan to take with me will fit in my backpack
  
• Probably something else that I'm totally forgetting

Looking at this list I actually can't believe I've gotten so much done, because I feel like I've doing really well at procrastinating and completely ignoring the problem. Actually, I do still have quite a bit to do, given that I only have 7 days, and only 5 business days, left. Eek! Fortunately my mom and sister are coming on Sunday and Monday to help me finish the job, and to provide moral support - yay! My next 7 days are meticulously planned out. I'm even working at the farmers markets on Thursday and Sunday. I'd rather not, but the $$ always helps. I wish I had time to go to the zoo one last time, but I don't think I'll have time :(

Needless to say, I've gotten rid of all the boys. Who has time for such things during a time like this? Not me. For the next couple months I'll be traveling, resting, traveling, looking for an apartment, going through a pretty intense certificate program for 5 weeks, then looking for a job. And them moving again and starting a new job, sometime in December or January, or whenever I get hired. All of this while trying to be the constant for my high-strung dog who is about to have her world and her routine turned upside down. Crikey! I quail with fear at the prospect, especially given that I haven't done shit in the last 9 months. What if I've lost my edge? What if I forgot how to go to work at a regular job? (Not that this will be a regular job, really.) And, oh god, the big one - WHAT IF I HATE TEACHING??? I never saw myself as a teacher. I do think I'll be good at teaching the English language, but will I enjoy it? Time will tell.

Wish me luck...

Check

What I've done:

• Sell couch, TV, DVD, microwave, ottoman
• Accepted an offer to buy my bed in mid-October, right before I leave
• Promised my bookshelves to my cousin (not the crazy one)
• Found homes-away-from-home for my bike, snowboard and gear, backpacking gear, and a few other odds & ends I don't want to part with
• Took Sadie to the vet for her Thailand-required checkup
• FedExed my visa application to the Thai embassy in DC
• Cancelled my Comcast internet & cable

Still need to do:

• Reprice and sell items that haven't sold yet, like the china cabinet & dresser, and a few other things
• Take lots of stuff to Goodwill
• Cancel gym membership & setup cancellation of electric account
• Jailbreak iPhone
• End AT&T contract
• Research car donation process
• Get water bowls for Sadie's travel crate
• Take bookshelves to Matty's house, and some kitchen stuff too
• Probably something else that I'm totally forgetting

Maybe it doesn't seem like a long list, but I look around my house and it sure doesn't look like I'm moving to another country in less than four weeks! Actually I think putting it in list form like this will help me tackle what's left. And the closer I get to T-day, October 21 (that's Thailand-day or Travel-day, I'm not sure which), the more stuff I can get rid of, cause I won't need them anymore, of course. No rest for the wicked!

Also, in bizarre, unrelated news, it's raining men. Seriously, WTF?! A family I know recently set me up with a good friend of theirs. He turned out to be really cool and we had a lot in common, and we went out a couple times and had an awesome time. He's just left for a six-week stint in Madison, Wisconsin though, so that effectively ends that budding situation, since I'll be gone by the time he returns. He's a doctor who travels around the country filling in for other doctors, but his home base is Seattle. Then on Wednesday, I met not one but two guys, both of whom asked me out. I met guy #2 at the farmers market during the day and guy #1 later that night at a show at the Sunset Tavern. This is kind of unusual for me, so I'm stoked but mystified. Anyway, I have a date with guy #1 tonight and a date with guy #2 tomorrow.

So, busy busy busy is the word(s) of the day, and every day till I leave. Time is flying!

Sea Change

Fall creeps slowly toward the Pacific Northwest. The shadows grow longer and show themselves earlier, and though most days are still pretty hot, the nights have been getting downright chilly. I'm still doing some part-time work on the side while successfully avoiding getting a day job. Texas and I aren't friends anymore, and that's probably a permanent situation, unfortunately. But life goes on.

As most of you know, for the last few months I have been preparing for one of the largest changes in my life: moving to Thailand. The plan right now is to fly to Chiang Mai on October 21, go to school to learn how to teach English as a foreign language (TEFL), then get a job in Thailand doing just that. I was looking forward to shedding my possessions and my life as I know it and plunging feetfirst into a new experience.

The last week or so, I've been starting to have some serious doubts about this plan. Maybe I don't want to get rid of everything I own just yet. Maybe I don't want to go around the world from everyone and everything I know. And I'm seriously fretting about the effect the 19-hour plane ride will have on my poor little dog, stuck in her crate alone the entire time.

The one thing I do know is that I don't want to remain in Seattle. I am adamant about that! I'm sick of the cold weather, the dark winters, the passive aggressive people. Not to mention it seems like I run into an ex-boyfriend or somebody I've dated at least once a week. Enough already!

I'm currently kicking around a new idea...I'm not prepared to reveal all yet, but it's someplace warmer than Seattle, with a lower unemployment rate and a lower cost-of-living. I'm scoping around there for job opportunities, and I've made plans to go there to visit a friend in the near future.

My mother asked me, Is this a sea change or just cold feet? At this point I don't know. I'm going to sit with this decision for a bit, and talk with my therapist next week to get her insight. Whatever happens, I will of course keep you posted!

On the Road Again, Goin Places that I've Never Been

(Okay, the second part's not true. And I meant to send this BEFORE I left, not after I got back. But video uploads will do what they may.)

Heading to the land of skinheads & potatoes for a couple of days, back on Tuesday. In the meantime, here's a fun video companion to Stacy's recap of the awesome night with Stacy, D. Baggins, and The Tall One. It's awesome - when the DJ starts flagging, Stacy gets him him going again. That's cause she's amazing like that!

I Forgot to Mention

I am in Mexico. Due to several unforeseen events (aka the perfect shitstorm) I haven´t had the opportunity to post much. Part of the events include my laptop dying while I´m here, so no pictures for awhile. I am happy to report that the wedding went out without a hitch, and nobody died, and everybody got bailed out of jail that needed to. Yes, I´m serious - it was touch and go there for awhile!

Going to keep this short cause this Mexican keyboard is really odd. Time to go and finally start enjoying this vacation! TTYL

New Dress

Recently I was telling a new friend who lives in Chicago that men never approach me in Seattle. When I go other places, it happens. But in this town? Abso-fucking-lutely never. (Which translates to about once a year, and - surprise - they are guys who moved here from somewhere else. )

New Friend suggested I "go into a boutique and buy a cute new dress." After I finished laughing hysterically (like I said, he doesn't know me too well yet), I decided he might have a point. Plus I wanted a cute dress to wear to the wedding in Mexico next week. So I went to Goodwill and found this sassy little number for about $10 - it was on the 'designer' rack, which costs more than standard Goodwill pricing. However, it was black and white, which was a little tame for me. Therefore it was off to the fabric store to buy some RIT dye to jazz it up a bit. My efforts are displayed below.

So, Sane, this one's for you... don't say I never took your advice ;)

Pictures

I'm home, I'm exhausted, here are some pictures. Cut me some slack, I'm at the end of my second Saturday in a row! That's right, yesterday was Saturday for me. And so is today, of course. Chalk it up to a 15-hour time difference and a 10-hour layover in Seoul. It's like Groundhog Day. Very fun, but sooo exhausting. Now I am home with my own computer and peripherals so I can take the time to fix up my blog and photos.

Thailand - Phuket to Koh Phi Phi

Today I took the 1.5 hour boat ride to Koh Phi Phi, which is famous for being one of the most beautiful places on earth, and also for being the setting of the 2000 Leo diCaprio movie The Beach. I've wanted to come here ever since I saw that movie. Of course on Christmas Eve 2006, Koh Phi Phi gained worldwide fame as ground zero for the tsunami that killed tens of thousands of people. I can't believe I'm standing in the place that was flattened by such an amazing force of nature. And even now, more than 4 years after the fact, there are still piles of rubble here and there that have yet to be cleared.

The village itself is pretty disappointing - it's a total party scene. I'm surrounded by hordes of tanned 20-something Eurotrash, and the village walkways (there are no roads) are lined with Thais all trying to get our attention to sell things, or rent a room to us, or whatever. I finally had to put the iPod on to drown it all out. I was all set to pack up and head to Koh Lanta or Krabi tomorrow, but I've decided to give this place a fair shake. It's actually quite beautiful when you get away from the madness, after all. Tomorrow afternoon I'm doing a 1/2 day snorkelling trip to Koh Phi Phi Leh, which is the uninhabited "little sister" island to this one.

For now, tho, later taters. It's 10:30 p.m. and I was up till 2 a.m. last night in Phuket!

Thailand - Phuket to Koh Phi Phi

Thailand - Phuket and the Best Valentine's Day EVER

What a day. Started with me dashing all over Chiang Mai in the early morning, buying more fabric for Mom and silk for Kristine. Done. Phew! Then it was off to the airport to catch my plane to Phuket to start the final leg of my journey. That would be the hedonist beach bum leg.

I was feeling a bit blue because it was Valentine's Day, and I just saw my ex boyfriend with another girl a few weeks ago so my overactive imagination was torturing me as it often does. Then the airline told me they didn't have a seat for me on the plane! I bought a ticket dammit, I better have a seat. "You're lucky," said the checkin lady. Phew, I thought, I get a seat. "We're upgrading you to business class because we don't have a seat for you in economy." YESSS! This kind of stuff never happens to me, and I was pumped. I enjoyed a nice 2-hour ride in the lap of luxury, or at least in the lap of business class.

I'm going to wrap this up for now, but the magical night I had consisted of a great restaurant, sharing a table with a German guy, dancing, a drag show, dancing on tabletops with the drag queen, shimmying with cute Thai boys, getting a scooter ride home from 1 of them. It was such a great night :) "What happens in Phuket, stays in Phuket."

Thailand - Phuket and the Best Valentine's Day EVER

Thailand - Chiang Mai Part 2

Sorry for the long radio silence... I've actually been doing fun things at night when I usually update blog and photos. And now I'm on Koh Phi Phi where the internet is expensive and really freakin' slow, so I'm just going to put placeholders in for now. (We know how that goes when I do that.) Anyway. In a nutshell:

Chiang Mai the 2nd time around was great fun. I rented a scooter, my new favorite form of transport, and headed around town then into the mountains to see some Wats. Then later that night met my new friend, Mimi, to go to the Night Bazaar to do my shopping. Mimi lives in CM and I met her the first time I was there a few days ago. Wats: done. Shopping: done. We went to a really cool restaurant called the Riverside, and that's where everyone hangs out apparently, cause it was jumpin.

Thailand - Chiang Mai Part 2

Thailand - Pai to Mae Hong Son to Chiang Mai

No blog entry till now because I didn't upload yesterday's pictures till now. Not much of a blog entry at the moment, because it's 9:15 a.m. and I'm heading out to see the sights in a few minutes. But I will write more when I get back.

I'm staying at a lovely guesthouse, Awana House. It's awesome so far, the people are very helpful (they gave me their business card to show to taxi drivers so they can get me home), and it's in a great location. I highly recommend it.

Here are yesterday's pictures. Enjoy.

Thailand - Pai to Mae Hong Son to Chiang Mai

Thailand - Pai

Alternate title: Dogs and Chickens and Water Buffalo, Oh My!

The day started as it always does, with a double mocha and Thai food. Delicious as usual. Then I set out on foot for Wat Phra That Mae Yen, which is 1km out of town. It was a beautiful walk, and after stopping for more coffee I ascended the many steps to the Wat. After the Wat I had planned to go to Mae Hong Son today, because honestly Pai wasn't really doing it for me. Seriously, I can go to Port Townsend to see this action! But before I caught the bus out of town I decided to rent a scooter and check out the countryside and see a waterfall. And riding around out there in the countryside, I decided to stay here another night. There's so much more to Pai than just the little town. It's the country out here! I saw many creatures, pictures of which you'll find on my photo page.

Up to now I've resisted taking pictures of dogs because, well, I know not everyone is as obsessed with them as I am (believe it or not). But the fact is, Thailand is full of dogs. Some with homes, many homeless. They're not like U.S. dogs either...they don't live inside the house, they wander around the neighborhood, and they are really skinny. The homeless dogs wander anywhere they want to. I just saw a dog sleeping under a bench that I saw last night near my guesthouse on the other side of town. Last night it wanted to be my best friend, tonight it was napping and wanted nothing to do with me. Hmph. Many Thais are Buddhist, and I guess that's why they leave the dogs alone. If a dog wanders out into the road, cars go around it. If it wanders into a restaurant, all of which are open-air, it's allowed. Dogs lounge around everywhere. I, of course, love it. There are several pictures of dogs in today's photo album so you can see what I'm talking about.

After the walk to the Wat, I took the scooter to Pai Canyon. This is a large canyon that has raised, naturally-formed narrow trails throughout. It's pretty amazing. After the canyon I came back to town to find a new place to stay and have some lunch. I ended up in a cute, tiny bungalow at Golden House guesthouse for 400 bhat, or about $12 US. Then it was back on the scooter to Pam Bok Waterfall. A short dusty trail led to the falls, which were actually not that overwhelming compared to falls in Washington State. But the water was warm and I waded a bit. It was fun. Then I rode to Tha Pai Hotsprings, which are in a national park. I paid 200 bhat to get in. This is the farang (foreigner) price. Ashley told me that Thailand residents get in for 20 bhat, one tenth of the price. She is pretty bothered by this, even though she gets the Thai price. I don't mind, because it's still only $6 US. After my soak (going in a hot, hot spring in Thailand? I must be crazy), I dressed and came back to my bungalow. By this time it was 4 p.m., so I rested for awhile and went through the pictures in my camera in preparation for tonight's blog entry.

After a brief rest, and a thorough reapplication of DEET, I headed out to the Sanctuary Restaurant for some dinner. It turned out to be only a snack though, because they were out of green papaya salad. Bummer. But that means I get to eat more tonight at yet another delicious restaurant or street cart! No complaints there.

I just got done with a facial, which I opted to do tonight instead of another brutal Thai massage. I thought the price was a little outrageous at 350 bhat (about $11.75 US), but the heat & humidity, mosquitos, and DEET applications created an emergency situation. I think tomorrow I will get a reflexology massage.

Tomorrow I take the bus to Mae Hong Son, then fly back to Chiang Mai in the afternoon. Yes, I am a major wuss - I booked a plane ticket because I refuse to sit through 2 hours of carsickness on the way back. And I'm taking a dramamine for the bus ride to Mae Hong Son, just in case. I will be in Chiang Mai for 2 days and I plan to do lots of shopping at the Night Bazaar.

Thailand - Pai

Thailand - Chiang Mai to Pai

Today I made the journey from Chiang Mai to Pai. I know I said I was going to Mae Hong Son first, but I'm going there tomorrow.

After a lovely coffee this morning and picking up my laundry, I headed off to Pai in a minivan along with 9 other intrepid souls. I'd been warned by Erin and by Lonely Planet that the long and winding road could make you feel carsick. But holy mother of GOD, I was not prepared for 2 hours of winding carsick HELL. You've been carsick I'm sure. Now imagine it for 2 freakin' hours. I managed to hang onto my cookies, barely. Ugh. I made a video so you can see what it was like. Enjoy, and hold onto your cookies.

From Thailand - Chiang Mai to Pai

Upon arriving in Pai and checking into the Breeze of Pai Guesthouse, I laid on the bed for a few minutes until my tummy calmed down. Then it was off to explore the streets of Pai. And there are hippies as far as the eye can see. Lots of white hippies, but also... Thai hippies. I've never seen such a think. We're talking dreadlocks, hemp clothing, and the whole hippie shebang. It's fascinating. How narrowminded of me to think that hippie-dom was strictly an American phenomenon. Speaking of Americans, I hadn't run into a single one in Thailand...until I got to Pai, where there are tons of them. I'm not sure why that is.

After walking around and exploring, and stopping for dinner, it was time for another Thai massage. This lady was completely different from the one I got yesterday. Today the massage hurt. Lots of pressure points were pressed. It was painful throughout, but I felt much better after. I could get used to this. I could get used to a lot about Thailand.

The mosquitos seem to be getting worse the further North I get. Despite constantly bathing myself in DEET, they are making a meal of me. I guess I will have to get a higher concentration of bug spray at the drugstore tomorrow. I spend my days covered in a mixture of sweat, sunscreen, and bug spray. No wonder my arms are developing a bumpy little rash. But it's a small price to pay for the awesomeness that is Thailand (did I mention that it's 9 p.m. and I'm wearing shorts and a t-shirt?).

Tomorrow morning I am walking 1 km out of town to see a Wat that is several names long. After that I may go to the Pai hot springs, then it's off to Mae Hong Son via a 3-hour bus ride in the afternoon/evening. More updates later!

Thailand - Chiang Mai to Pai

Thailand - Rayong, etc.

Don't feel too much like blogging, oddly enough. But in a nutshell,

• I had a nice uneventful flight(s) to Thailand on Wednesday.
• My friend Ashley got my arrival day mixed up, and fortunately I had her number so was able to roust her from her bed to come pick me up.
• It took 2 days to get over the jet lag. Those 2 days really sucked, because I would start to get tired at noon (9 p.m. PST), and get progressively worse until I fell into bed at 8 p.m., then wake up at 5:00 a.m. Yesterday I finally made it through the day without feeling tired. Yay!
• I arrived in Chiang Mai today after 3 days with Ashley and her adorable daughters, and I'm travelling to Mae Hong Son tomorrow. From there to Pai, from Pai back to Chiang Mai, where I will stay for a couple days till I fly to Phuket on the 14th.
• Valentine's Day can suck itself.
• Thai food is so amazing. I may never eat Thai food in the states again, because it doesn't compare to this. After a couple painful and embarrassing episodes, Ash taught me a useful phrase: "Mai phet!" which means "not hot!" I have used it many times since then with great success.
• I got a cell phone for $15. All cells in Thailand are prepaid, and I thought it was a good idea for emergencies. Of course it's also helpful for calling the folks back home, also very cheap.
• There are internet cafes and laundry places on every corner. Both are cheap. When I finish up at this internet cafe, I am going to sleep at my guest house and picking up my laundry in the morning.

I don't even want to attempt to add pictures to this post - who knows how long it'll take. So here you go: Pictures here. Sawatee kha.

In Between Trips

What have I been doing lately? Well, not traveling. Not snowboarding in the last week either, due to the current crappy snow conditions. And not working. (Not finding any work, either, which is starting to worry me.) The last week of December when I got home from my road trip and for awhile after my last official day of employment, December 31, I was a flurry of energetic activity.

I made an apron

Flirty Skirty (no I'm not trying to be anonymous, I'm just horrifically unphotogenic)

I painted the trim in the hallway (this project was started in September when I was on vacation)

Oh, and something happened that I've been dreading for months - last Friday my cousin and I were out at a music show and we saw my ex with another woman. Even though I knew it was inevitable, it still hurt like shit when it actually happened. I guess I can no longer pretend that he just wasn't ready for a relationship; I have to actually take some accountability now for some things. What a bummer.

Moving on...I fly away to Thailand on February 4th, 2 weeks from Wednesday! I'm both excited and scared. This is definitely the biggest adventure I've undertaken on my own (unless you count homeownership, which still scares the shit out of me, even though it's been almost 1.5 years since I bought my condo). Yay for tropical countries!

Road Trip: This is the End

Today I completed my road trip with a jaunt from Portland to Seattle a/k/a my home. I swear I will add text to these last few posts soon, but I'm just exhausted right now. I will have plenty of time for such things in the coming weeks.

Find all these pictures and more here.

Hungover? No, just sleepy


Portland was completely encased in ice. Literally.

One of five accidents I saw on the way home, though after Portland I thought the roads were pretty nice.

The snow in my unused parking spot at my condo in Seattle


Soon, my sweet...muah!

Road Trip: Florence to...Portland, not Seattle

Next up: Dunes and snow. Someday I'll actually complete these blog entries, but for now I do hope you find the pictures sufficient. I hope to get home tomorrow. Of course, I hoped to get home today and I'm in Portland. Utter armageddon on the streets. Thank goodness for Subaru!

The rest of the pictures are here.

Dunes in Southwest Oregon, just south of Florence


Sadie really, really likes the dunes




50 miles south of Portland on I-5, things started to get bad


I-5 heading north into Portland

Road Trip: Arcata to Florence, Oregon

Arcata to Florence was a beautiful jaunt north along the coast. Sometimes the weather was nice, but mostly it was high winds and rain (I happen to think that qualifies as 'beautiful'). I was kind of dragging by this point and pretty much just wanted to get home. There's something about not being able to get home (due to the weather in this case) that really makes you want to get there!

Once I arrived in Florence I checked into a hotel which unfortunately was really crappy. I'd had good luck with the hotel sitch through the entire road trip though, so I guess I won't complain too much. Next time I will do my homework before I get to a town. Although I didn't do that before I ended up in Sonoma and ended up in a great place! Actually, the entire Sonoma side-jaunt was unplanned, but I'm glad I ended up there.

Northern Coast of California


Elk! From the largest Roosevelt elk herd in the world


Beautiful redwoods. So that's what the big deal is about...


Bandon, Oregon


The Sadie-ear-windometer says that we are at gale force

More pictures here

Well, wonders never cease

I'm holed up in Small Town, USA (a/k/a Florence, Oregon), and we are experiencing a storm similar to Seattle's except with rain instead of snow. Internet connection is pretty crappy, and after about 20 minutes of finagling I've managed to coax a tenuous signal out of the air. Not sure how long it'll last. I have to go eat dinner now, but if this wifi cooperates later I will update last night's post and write tonight's. And pictures! Dunes, big trees, and elk, oh my.

Okay TTYL.