What felt like a long journey of massage study was suddenly well into week three and four of five, and already flying toward the end of my time in Thailand. Week three brought medicine balls, massaging with fresh herbal compresses and a massages on the elderly. I had two lovely elderly woman four an hour each, as we did a mash up of our routine for them, that best suited their bodies. I can say that Thai elderly in general, are spry, tough and well younger than their bodies put them. They want more pressure than you expect, and tend to be a bunch of characters to boot. My comrades, who have only become closer as our time continues, play the roles of so many friends combined into a few. Big Trunk and Little Trunk, my comedic Australian brotherly duo, regularly are there to keep everything light. ( More Power Always) is giggly and sincere. (Snail) feels like a sister to me, thinks a lot like me, and farmer nick remains my hippy brethren and tour guide to the city of Chiang Mai, providing tips and driving me to the hospital when my foot got infected and ballooned twice its size.
Oh I forgot to tell you my foot got infected on a magical trip to the mountain town of Pai, a beautiful hippy oasis full of music, huts by a river, alcohol, drugs and as much street food as you can dream of with a dozen waterfalls within a mopeds ride away, classic. I ventured to this hill town with an oddball collection of friends, a hilarious English school teachers, a few funny american digital nomads, a lovely nomadic German and we then befriended an Australian and another American immediately, who while on shrooms let us stay in there bungalows with them as the place was booked. We became a tight crew, and hung with some other Chiang Mai friends from the healing house, just happened to be up there the same weekend and a huts throw away from us. We drank, sang songs, told stories, people beat boxed and all under a full sky of stars reflecting on the meandering country river rolling by.
Life in Thailand works so smoothly, in a beautiful haphazard sense. Everything feels close, good food, good people and beauty all just within reach, so everything is so disorganized, and never runs on time. I could imagine easily settling into Chiang Mai and staying for years, dangerously comfy. I also spent a weekend with my dear Australian friend, her Canadian boyfriend, her brother, a cute astrophysicist and some of their friends at an eco lodge in the mountains, a collection of huts located in the hill tribes between Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai. We road there in the back of a pickup truck the few hour trek from Chiang Mai, beautifully hung over, the wind in our hair, and the proceeded to hike a few miles up a steep path that they regularly ride motorcycles up and down, and that we can barely walk due to steepness. We are rewarded with beers and incredible view of the hills, a delicious vegetarian meal and a fire as the sun sets, life is goddamn beautiful. There is also a feeling of absolute importance, for every ounce of what feels so solid, I am painfully aware of time slipping through my grasp, experiences i'd love to last years flying by in the days that I had planned. Travel time is like this, it feels infinite and finite, year's worth of experience packed into fleeting days. I mediate but am regularly sad with the impermanence of it all, but must always bring myself back to the present moment, a cup of tea with my classmates, another delicious vegetarian Pad Thai, the laughter of friends, good live Jazz, moped rides with a cute girl, I have few complaints.
Oh I forgot to tell you my foot got infected on a magical trip to the mountain town of Pai, a beautiful hippy oasis full of music, huts by a river, alcohol, drugs and as much street food as you can dream of with a dozen waterfalls within a mopeds ride away, classic. I ventured to this hill town with an oddball collection of friends, a hilarious English school teachers, a few funny american digital nomads, a lovely nomadic German and we then befriended an Australian and another American immediately, who while on shrooms let us stay in there bungalows with them as the place was booked. We became a tight crew, and hung with some other Chiang Mai friends from the healing house, just happened to be up there the same weekend and a huts throw away from us. We drank, sang songs, told stories, people beat boxed and all under a full sky of stars reflecting on the meandering country river rolling by.
Life in Thailand works so smoothly, in a beautiful haphazard sense. Everything feels close, good food, good people and beauty all just within reach, so everything is so disorganized, and never runs on time. I could imagine easily settling into Chiang Mai and staying for years, dangerously comfy. I also spent a weekend with my dear Australian friend, her Canadian boyfriend, her brother, a cute astrophysicist and some of their friends at an eco lodge in the mountains, a collection of huts located in the hill tribes between Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai. We road there in the back of a pickup truck the few hour trek from Chiang Mai, beautifully hung over, the wind in our hair, and the proceeded to hike a few miles up a steep path that they regularly ride motorcycles up and down, and that we can barely walk due to steepness. We are rewarded with beers and incredible view of the hills, a delicious vegetarian meal and a fire as the sun sets, life is goddamn beautiful. There is also a feeling of absolute importance, for every ounce of what feels so solid, I am painfully aware of time slipping through my grasp, experiences i'd love to last years flying by in the days that I had planned. Travel time is like this, it feels infinite and finite, year's worth of experience packed into fleeting days. I mediate but am regularly sad with the impermanence of it all, but must always bring myself back to the present moment, a cup of tea with my classmates, another delicious vegetarian Pad Thai, the laughter of friends, good live Jazz, moped rides with a cute girl, I have few complaints.
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