Some Day One Day

Super cute map of local places around the hostel

Stepping outside your comfort zone takes effort. That was my first thought as I stood facing my hostel door. I'd showered, texted family and friends, slathered up with sunscreen.. it was officially time to leave the safety of my room. I didn't know who I'd meet downstairs or what I even wanted to do today. The sudden shift from excited to anxious took me by surprise to be honest. It was the first bit of true anxiety I'd say that's come up so far. (Side note, I experienced 8 seconds of sheer panic the night before when I thought I lost my passport at the airport, but I found it too quickly for anxiety to actually set in.) After a good mental pep talk, and a reminder that free breakfast ended soon, I took that fundamental next step as a solo traveller. After putting my valuables in the lockers and taking the obligatory "I did it!" selfie in the rooftop garden...

View from the hostel hallway

... I enjoyed a delicious breakfast of eggs, toast, watermelon, juice and the yummiest coffee. Best of all, I made a friend! A slightly shy "Can I sit with you?" led to over an hour of chatting with Amy, who is a Cultural Researcher and basically my hero. I loved hearing her talk about sustainable tourism and her travels all around SE Asia. In talking with her I realized that there was no shame in taking a day to just settle in and not do much. I realized what was important was for me to feel grounded in this new place. That meant going out and getting my bearings in a way that worked for me. So I spent another hour around the hostel, FaceTiming with my parents and getting organized, then I ventured out to the find the Landmark Center here in Bangkok.

Skytrain Pass

I absolutely loved how I spent today. It was a slow, meandering day just getting comfortable with the city. In the 15 minute walk to the BTS Skytrain Station, I passed three 7-11s, at least 6 massage places and dozens of street vendors. I wish I had taken more photos of the street, but I was too busy taking it all in. I was so proud of myself, and a little shocked, with how at home I felt wandering the streets and figuring out the transit station. I was also so grateful that I'd made the Center my first stop.

The second I saw the familiar logo, I had a perma-grin that lasted the rest of the day. It was so neat to visit a place that was across the world, yet felt like home. The energy felt exactly like Vancouver's center. Busy, intentional, and you immediately felt like anything was possible. I was instantly welcomed and introduced to the Regional Manager (man I wish now I had written everyone's names down!). I sadly wasn't able to assist during the Forum this weekend as I had hoped, as their assisting team speaks all Thai and it wouldn't work. I'll definitely be going to at least one Sunday or Tuesday evening session while I'm here though. If not this round in Bangkok then my next. I felt much more grounded after leaving the center. It's hard for me to put it into words right now, but I am so beyond grateful to have Landmark's programs and the incredible people from the community in my life. I don't know if I would have ever had the courage to do this trip if not for all the work I've done with Landmark. Going there today felt like a perfect way to honour that.

Gyu Don for lunch... so delicous!

Wandering through a used book store

Kailey said to send her a picture of a book in the store... I managed to find the romance section right away even without any English signs! ;)

Coming back to the hostel, I felt like a brand new person. The self confidence boost from simply figuring out the transit system and managing to get around successfully was awesome. I finally feel ready to explore the city further. Tomorrow's challenge will be leaving my private room to try the dorms. Life of a traveller on a budget! :)

PS... by the time I was finished writing this, I was way too tired to leave the hostel so I had a dinner of champions!

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This morning I woke up, warm in my bedroom at my parents' house. At first, it felt like any other morning. I'd stayed up way too late last night and now I wanted to throw my alarm across the room. I reached for the snooze button for the third time when it hit me. Today wasn't any other day. Today is the day I crossed a big, giant, scary thing off my "One Day" list. Today I am getting on two planes that will take me to Bangkok, Thailand. After today, my life will never be the same.

I am struck now by how real that statement is. I can feel it in my bones. I'm not the same person who held back tears as she waved to her mom across the security line. I did it. I got on the plane and am flying across the world to have an adventure of a lifetime. I now know myself as someone who not only has big dreams, but as someone who fulfills on them. It's fitting that right now the song in my year is "I lived" by Glee.

I'd been building on my Some Day One Day list my whole life. I've always had big plans. I want to travel. To write. To love. To live a life so fulfilling that I could stand back at the end and nod. That I knew I had given everything I could, and left the world a better place than what I was born into.

There's lots of things on my list, and it feels damn good to start checking the big ones off. Today - international solo travel has a giant check mark next to it.

If you had told me on Jan 9, 2016 that a year later I'd be sitting on a plane heading to Bangkok, I wouldn't have believed you. I was overdrawn, maxed out, and had just quit my job in Vancouver and was moving back to Victoria. I didn't know what life was going to bring me, but I know I needed to move back to where my soul felt good. 2016 was a year where I said yes and no more intentionally than ever before. Yes to subletting from a friend and living on my own. No to going out for fancy dinners and drinking the night away. Yes to throwing my hat over the wall and becoming an entrepreneur. No to taking the 9-5 office job. Yes to moving halfway across Canada to work and live amongst polar bears and beluga whales. Yes to Churchill going from 3 months to 6 months. No to moving back to Victoria like I had planned.

Now the big, bold move. I bought my one-way ticket to Bangkok. And my life forever altered. For the next six months, only two things are for certain. I'm spending tonight at a beautiful hostel in Bangkok. And on July 12, I'm a bridesmaid for one of my dearest friends.

Everything in between in unknown. Everything in between is up to me. Stay tuned my friends. Adventure is knocking at my door.

Some more photos of my journey from Vancouver to Bangkok...