I am writing this blog as I prepare for "My Journey to Thailand". I will be visiting a friend of mine who is teaching English in a Thai school, for nine days. Our friend Will who is getting his master’s degree in Australia will meet us and we will go from Bangkok up north to Chaing Mai and then down south the beaches of Kho Samet. So, as I prepare for my journey, you might wonder, why Thailand?
I often get bored when I stand still for too long. When I am doing the same things over and over again, see the same scenery, take the same trains, eat the same food day after day, I begin to feel myself itching for an ADVENTURE. Since I was in high school I have always loved to travel, and made leaving the country at least once or twice a year a priority for me. I think that it is important factor of self development, to see and experience other cultures and other ways of doing things. Perhaps this is why I was a Sociology and Anthropology major. Nevertheless, it is a passion of mine to travel and immerse myself within other cultures, all over the world. Adventurer Fearless is in my nature.
I am excited at the prospect of going to Asia- where I have never been before- and trying the food, seeing the people and wandering new and undiscovered streets. I have always been enamored with Asian culture; the food, the temples, their religions and way of life- totally different from our Western ways of living, acting and being. However, I've never gotten the opportunity to go to Asia and experience this culture for myself- that is, until now! While it is easy to meet people when traveling on your own- many people stay in hostels and meet each other that way, or at local tourist destinations- I always prefer to travel with friends. With Tessa, my girlfriend, in Thailand for the year, I jumped at the opportunity. How fun to travel with someone who already knows the ins and outs of Thailand!
Tessa is a fellow Adventurer Fearless and a good friend of mine from childhood. She decided to spend the year teaching English in Thailand rather than getting a regular job. Taking the road less traveled, she set off, on her own to Asia. Many programs and organizations allow students and recent graduates to do what Tessa did, providing them with a brief orientation, a job, and contacts with other Americans doing the same thing. The program that Tessa went through is CIEE (http://www.ciee.org/teach/http://www.ciee.org/teach/) which places English teachers throughout schools in Thailand and sets them up with housing.
Packed and excited, I am ready to leave. Stay tuned for stories from my latest adventure and photos in future blogs :)
-- Adventurer Fearless
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