Welcome to Bangkok

I FINALLY arrived to Bangkok after 20 hours of flight time and even more unnecessary travel (thanks United). I landed at 11:30 PM and finally made it to the hotel around 1:30 AM. After traveling for so long and being in a country where the temperature and humidity are the same two-digit number, I really needed a cold shower.

The next day my new roommate, Renee and I woke before the sun (thanks jet lag) and made a plan for the day with two simple items: to see The Grand Palace and the aquarium. Little did we know the type of adventure this day was soon to be. Twelve walking miles later and here is the breakdown of our day.

At 8 AM we headed for breakfast and to catch a taxi to the pier. We began with a scenic boat tour of while en route to The Grand Palace. We guided ourselves around the grounds of the Grand Palace. I was amazed at the color and detail in throughout every inch of the place. After an hour or so we headed out in search of a ride home. We caught a Tuk Tuk and found our way back to the hotel.

We rested and charged our phones for 30 or so minutes before heading to a local coffee shop in the area to get iced lattes and lunch (my first Thai meal)!

After, we grabbed another taxi (yet to venture to the public transport, but you just wait), and headed to the aquarium inside of the mall. Now mall is an understatement for this place. You could live here and never have to leave! They have everything that you could possibly ever need and more. So we went, spent 15 minutes trying to find the actual aquarium in the basement, found out it was $20 USD and decided to try something else.

It's now 3:30 PM, so naturally need a snack. We venture into food court land and sit down for a smoothie and salad. While eating we decided on venturing to the outdoor market via the skytrain (**GASP** public transport). We rode for 15 minutes and got off at our stop and it was POURING rain. Raining sideways. In sheets. Flooding the streets. And it didn't stop or let up! We kept giving it “5 more minutes” and about 45 minutes later we ventured out trying to follow the crowds to the market. In short, it was great and very, very wet. We saw a lot, bought nothing, and were exhausted. We left around 7 and spilt a Tuk Tuk back to the hotel.

The next day Renee and I took the public bus (look at us go) to a floating market about an hour or so from the city center. We shopped/looked for a bit and then headed back to the hotel, hit the pool, and attended our first XploreAsia meeting. After, we got a big group of us together to go to the Sky Lounge in downtown Bangkok to get a drink, chat with new friends, and enjoy the incredible sunset and city views.

On Monday we arrived at our home for the next month here in Hua Hin. It is a beautiful coastal town with so much to offer!

Now that the group has been together for a few days, we are starting to get to know each other better. I am with an amazingly diverse group of about 30 or so people, all of us from different places, with different life stories, and different reasons for being here. In one of our afternoon session we went around the room and some people shared their reasons for being here. Whether its running from something at home or to something new, finding yourself again or pressing the reset button on your life, we are all here for the same core reasons: to be humbled by a new experience.

Until next time, peace & happiness! 

And as always, find me on WhatsApp and follow me on Instagram (kelsey_barlow) to stay in touch!