My Elephant Bruise is Gone :(

Last summer in Thailand I was lucky enough to have a baby elephant step on my foot! It was the cutest thing, well kind of. This was the smallest elephant I had ever seen, and after being around older elephants for weeks this was the smallest one yet! We were so excited! This one was only 20 days old. They are so playful at that age and like to run around at full speed! This one was tied up, and I approached it toward the end of the rope, but as I bent down it playfully ran at me and halfway knocked me over and stepped on my foot! Ouch! 

Actually it wasn't that bad, nothing was broken. But I remember thinking "WOW that was a lot heavier than I expected!" I looked down and my foot was red. I laughed and somewhat limped away in surprise. This photo was literally taken one second before all that happened. 

So the point of this article is the bruise that was left on my left big toe toenail.  I think it has finally faded away. :(  When I first noticed the bruise I thought "OH MY GOD it makes my toes look ugly!" It took me a while to get used to, but eventually it was a pleasant reminder that always put a smile on my face. It reminded me of Thailand, it reminded me of peace, it reminded me of freedom, it reminded me of nature, it reminded me of the simple things. I would look down at my toes months later, and smile.  

It's funny the first few months I kept my toenails painted to cover it up. When it started to fade I was more open to it, and now that it's gone I'm sad. Isn't it crazy how that works. 

Almost exactly one year later. Throwback Thursday for real. Bye Bye toe bruise. It's been real. #tbt

Flashback Friday

Today I've been reflecting on a lot of things, and I stumbled upon a lot of old pictures from my travels over the past few years. It's nice to reflect every now and then to understand where you've been and where you're going.  I'm extremely grateful for these experiences.

I wanted to share some of my favorite travel photos. Feel free to follow the links to find additional details on my travels in these special places.

This photo was taken walking around Lisbon, Portugal.

This photo was taken from the office of my previous employer in New York City. 

This was one of my first days in Bora Bora, French Polynesia.  I was extremely excited to get in this magical water. I brought that inner tube from home and the resort had flippers and masks for us to use. I was ready to go!  

This picture was taken in Thailand at the Tiger Temple. I was actually walking a tiger! You are looking at me trying my hardest to be invisible in this moment. The tiger had stopped to pee and was barely looking back watching me. The range of emotions I was feeling in this exact moment are indescribable.

Here I am walking up the stairs inside the Duomo in Florence, Italy.  Florence was one of my favorite places I visited in Europe.

I'd taken a trolley up the mountain to this high viewpoint in Interlaken, Switzerland. 

This picture was taken on a boat tour of the islands off Thailand. These magical waters are my second favorite in the world after Bora Bora.

The Day Before Your Life Changes Feels Like Every Other Day

A couple months ago when I was in Chiang Mai, Thailand I met an American girl at our posh hostel. The day I arrived I went to check out the pool and I saw a "white girl" across on the deck. As soon as I heard her talking I knew she was from America! We said hello and shared where we were from. Turns out we both had connections back in my hometown! She was actually about to move there! We hung out a little the week I was there, hanging by the pool and at this awesome jazz bar down the street (like a 20 minute walk down the street). She was glowing from her recent yoga certification in Bali, and could not stop raving about it.

It was a fun week. We were actually staying in the same room, and with us both being named "Elizabeth" it made for some funny moments. She actually went by EB, thankfully, or "the first Elizabeth" because she was in the room before me. LOL. Soon enough we parted ways and kept in touch via FB, targeting to meet up in the coming months back home, too.

About a month ago EB was in a bad diving accident and she is paralyzed from the chest down. Even with insurance the cost of continuing care, rehab, and home modifications are expensive. I just wanted to share in case anyone wanted to help.  Click here to read about and donate to her cause.

https://m.helphopelive.org/campaign/5473?3.8.753


It's crazy that life can change in the blink of an eye. Love. Listen. Laugh. Clap. Travel. Love more. Love harder. Never let your passions die, let them take over your soul and body. LIVE OUT LOUD!

And SMILE, it's contagious.

Choosing to Stop Traveling (For Now)

This year I made a BIG decision. I decided to give up my successful 10 year career in banking to go travel the world. I was lucky, I found two other girls willing to do the same, willing to give up everything to go on this journey together. This type opportunity was once in a lifetime, and was one I could NOT refuse.

So off we go. Thailand for a month. Vietnam for three weeks. Cambodia for a few days. Bali for a month. My life is just SO awesome, right?! I just have it so good, right? I am just SOOOO lucky!!

Don't be so quick to judge. It's quite easy to assume other's situations are amazing, great, terrible, etc. But looking from the outside in, it's merely your illusion of how you assume their life is based on your reality. Just because someone is traveling the world doesn't mean they're the happiest person in the world and have it the best, and just because someone is poor and has dirty clothes doesn't mean they're unhappy or have it the worst, either.  I think studies have been done that have proven those with less are actually, happier.

Don't get me wrong, I am very blessed, and am very lucky to have traveled to all the places I have traveled to. But as of now, I think I'm over it. For the longest time I think I was searching. For what I didn't know exactly, but I just knew going to these exotic places would help round out, or fill in rather, all the gaps I was feeling inside, right?  That these places had the answer!  Little did I know these places helped ME find the answer.

The answer is not anywhere "out there."  I had to learn that I had the power, for everything.  For success, happiness, for love, strength, courage, all of this lies within me, within you, too.  Sometimes you have to get to a point of total confusion and delusion to realize that YOU are the only one who has the power to change your life.  

If you are unhappy about something, change it, or change your perspective on it. If something or someone stresses you out, stop doing it or stop hanging around them. If you hate your job, stop complaining about it and get anther one, or change your perspective on it.

Changing your perspective, challenging yourself, and stepping outside your box breaks down barriers allowing new energies to form and grow.  And that's what changes your life!  

We all have this capability within us, and the answer is not far, not in a far away land or in a new designer purse or new pair of boots.  The answer is not even a foot away, the answer is YOU.

Will I ever travel again?  Damn right!  But my intention will be different.  Sharing life with my family and friends is what I've learned brings value and happiness to me in my life.  And traveling with them will only be the icing on the cake!  :)

Volunteer Thailand!

I've added a tab above, "VOLUNTEER THAILAND" that details my two week volunteer trip through various parts of Thailand.  Please check it out to find out about my encounters with elephants, tigers, monkeys and even a baby leopard!  You'll also read about my first Buddhist Temple experience!  ENJOY!

Food Critic: Magnum Ice Cream Bars

So, I've officially tried almost all the flavors of Magnum ice cream bars over the past month in Thailand. It. Is. Just. SO. Hot! :) I wanted to share my thoughts of the flavors I've tried in case you want to try one of these rich delectable treats. Man, Magnum's marketing team sure knows what they are doing in Thailand!

Magnum Classic - aka vanilla ice cream dipped in chocolate. What Magnum Bars have going for them is their vanilla ice cream and chocolate coverings are very rich. So if rich plain vanilla ice cream dipped in chocolate is your thing, this should work for you.



Magnum Almond - this is just like the above but with bits of almond in the chocolate crust. Definitely adds some depth and additional flavor. Pretty Good.



Magnum Choco Cappuccino - I must say I was the least impressed with this one. It's just like the Classic bar but with toffee chip tasting things in the chocolate crust. Not that special if you ask me.

Magnum Chocolate & Strawberry - This one was pretty special. This had the same outside chocolate coating, but inside was a sweet rich strawberry swirl vanilla ice cream. This is my second favorite thus far!!!



Now for my favorite...

Magnum Gold: Where do I start! This one flipped the script. Inside is rich caramel and vanilla swirl ice cream, dipped in their Classic chocolate covering. However, this is also dipped in a salted caramel covering, too. MAN - this does it! The ice cream is so rich, so sweet, but the addition of the salted caramel covering just takes this to another level!!!!



Ok there you have it folks - I will update the above with each additional flavor I try. Per their website it looks like I have some more ice cream eating to do!

Headed to yoga in the morning!!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy Birthday to ME!

Year after year of birthday "dinners and drinks" gets so old, it becomes so routine, so vanilla. I was fortunate enough to be in a beautiful place this year for my 32nd birthday, Chiang Mai, Thailand! Although my close friends and family were absent they were still in my heart, and I was just fine being alone with my fellow travelers in this exotic place.

My birthday morning all I wanted to do was take this beautiful bike ride to grab an iced cold white mocha. Check out this view.

Winding through the back roads of the green rice patties sitting up against the blue smoked mountains gave me such peace.  It's as if time had stopped and I was the only alive in that moment.  

Iced white mocha, check!

Mid morning we were off to Chiang Mai to change locations for a week.  It was finally time for some FREE time, some ME time.  First things first - pedicure!

After our pampering we walked around, checked out more markets and settled into our hostel - then you know what time it was, dinner time!  It was my birthday dinner so nothing was off the table.  We found an amazing restaurant at the Le Meridian hotel, Favola.

We were SO overdue for some nice Cabernet and familiar food.  First things first, Cabernet and a fresh caprese salad!  Delicious!

Main course, pumpkin ravioli bolognese.  Man it was so delicious!

You can't have a birthday dinner without dessert......

The favorite part about this day was it was all about me!  Just kidding, but really it was just perfect.  The morning coffee run was so refreshing, serene and peaceful.  We changed our housing situation to a place with AC and less bugs = awesome!  Then this dinner?!  I mean it was perfect.

It feels good to be 32.  It is true what they say, life only gets better with age, just like fine wine.  :)

First Camping Trip EVER!!

This week I went camping for the first time EVER in my life!!!!!!

Growing up in the South of the United States I've had plenty of opportunities to go camping. My home state is close to the mountains and the beach, and with four seasons there are plenty of opportunities to go camping. However, every offer I had to go camping I always decided against it. I've never been a big fan of bugs, especially spiders, I HATE SPIDERS! But for some reason I have this fear I am going to be a random act of violence. Although I would not consider being mauled by a bear a random act of violence, going camping was just too risky in my mind. Can I just make a tent in my house like I was when I was a kid? That sounds great to me! You know, take a blanket and tuck it under the couch cushions and over the coffee table and across to the recliner? We can rock out to pocket rockers and eat fruit snacks all night. That's the kind of camping I like....so I thought...

So, I've been in Thailand for almost two weeks now volunteering with elephants and being immersed in Thai culture. One of the nights this week our coordinator told us we were going camping! Honestly I thought it was a joke, but it wasn't! Here we are in the hills of western Thailand, near Myanmar, going camping. Hmmmm, I don't think there are any bears or mountain lions here, maybe just some malaria and elephants? I love elephants and am taking anti-malaria meds, so I had no fear! I also knew our coordinator/guide is a local and familiar with the area and doubt he would put 22 volunteers from across the globe in any kind of danger. Off we go!

We had the opportunity to hike some up the mountain, or for those who were not interested we could just ride up. I chose the ride. See my recent post on Erawan National Park Waterfalls and you will know why! I had enough of hiking, or trekking! So three of us decided to take the easy way up. Boy I am glad we did. Not only did we get first dibs on our tents, but we got to see this amazing view first!!!

There were a few of the coordinators helpers setting up the camp site. With 22 volunteers there were quite a few tents to set up. We started helping them set up the tents and draping and tying up tarps in case of rain. There was music in the background and I suddenly realized it was "Just A Dream" by Carrie Underwood. The lyrics on the hook go, "this can't be happening to me, this is just a dream...."  Suddenly it that moment I felt like I was dreaming. Here I am doing something I never thought I would do, something I never had an interest in, and I could not have been more happy or more excited. It really felt like a dream. In that moment I was actually standing there holding a corner of a tarp waiting to see what tree we would tie it to, and all I could do was look in the distance, the horizon and my surroundings and realize how happy I was. Not only with everything in my life at that moment, but with camping! Isn't it funny how you can be so firm and sure of certain things in your life, then you experience them and you are completely WRONG, just wrong! Turning over a fear or disinterest you've had in your life feels so beautiful, and now I cannot wait to go camping again!  

After the remaining volunteers got there we started cooking!  We started frying up chicken wings and making kabobs to put on the grill. We also had pancakes! It was such a team effort, everyone was hungry, excited, and a little anxious to get this camping thing started!  

I had not had chicken wings since I left the states, they were so amazing!  The kabobs were great too! There was chicken, pineapple, peppers, tomatoes. Now every time I get the chance to grill out I will always bring a pineapple! Grilled pineapples are so juicy and have great flavor! The pancakes, man, don't get me started! They use carnation milk in their pancakes here, and I have no idea exactly what that is but it tastes like they are soaked in butter!! SO GOOD!!!!!!!!!  

Of course I ate way more than I should have, and we were off to our tent by 8:30 to head to bed. We were rising at 6:00am to see the sunrise.  :)

Unfortunately due to early morning rain the sunrise was not as amazing as expected. But how can the above NOT be amazing.  It was beautiful. We cleaned up and were on our way back to our cabin.  

I am so excited that I finally experienced camping for the first time. I know my best friend and her Dad will be proud!  :)  Now I am ready to go camping again, as long as you can promise me there are no crazy animals or insects around I cannot prepare for.  

Our main coordinator Tun.  :)

Thailand Waterfalls - Erawan National Park

This week I had the amazing opportunity to visit Erawan National Park in Thailand.  This park is located in western Thailand about 3 hours from Bangkok.  It's known for it's 7 tiers of waterfalls!

We were staying in Kanchanaburi (awesome party town close to the waterfalls) over the weekend so we took a day trip to check it out!  Buses run from Kanchanaburi to the falls about every hour.  

The above picture was one of the first waterfalls I encountered, and that one did not even count as #1!  The park was so vast and so serene, even with the plentiful amount of tourists the place was still breathtaking.

The park is also known for it's "pedicure" type fish.  You can sit on the edge with your feet in the water and the fish will come up and suck on your feet, toes and ankles!  Their suction is quite strong it feels like a pinch at first!

Look how clear the water is!  Amazing!

We asked a tour guide if we needed sneakers to get to the falls, and she said no that flip flops were fine.  HOWEVER - I will say now I do recommend tennis shoes.  These falls are not at the end of a driveway.  I would say it was about 2 miles from our car to peak #7 - each way.  And not a straight road either - I'm talking trekking!!!  

This was the half mile walk to the start of the trek.  

Do you see the lizard/iguana in the above picture?!  Those are the dense type woods that surround you, or jungle may I say.  

This is my friend Cassie on our hike up some stairs.

Falls #5 was my favorite.  The plentiful smooth covered rocks surrounded by dense green trees and dainty butterflies soothed my soul like no medicine could.

Being on a group tour really limited our time to enjoy more of the falls.  Our it could have been our determination to reach #7 while not realizing I could have been relaxing at my favorite fall #5 the whole time.  Oh well.  I sure hope I can come back and visit soon.  You should definitely add this to your list of places to see!  I really enjoyed it!

Things to Remember if Visiting Thailand

Now that I am on my second tour of Thailand I've come up with a list of tips or advice I'd like to share for those who plan to visit this beautiful country.

1. It is HOT.  Get use to it, get over it.  Be prepared to sweat.
2. Wear bug spray.  Trust me.  
3. Wear sunscreen.  Trust me.
4. If a hotel or the accommodation where you are stating states they have cold showers don't be turned off. Trust me that is the exact temperature of shower you are going to want!
5. Remember that a little spicy means VERY spicy.  If you are not a fan of "the spicy" tell them NOT spicy at all. If you are a fan of "the spicy" you may have just walked into heaven.
6. Thai people take Buddha and respect seriously.  Yes Thai people are fun and kind but respect is an undertone they expect. When visiting temples (for women) make sure your knees and shoulders are covered.  Yes capris and long shorts are OK.
7. If ever sitting down at a table do not prop your feet up on a chair across from you.  To them, your feet are the lowest part of your body and it is rude and disrespectful to ever point your feet at someone.
8. Do not ever touch anyones head, especially Buddha's.  Your head is the highest part of your body and most sacred and should not be touched by strangers.
9. If ever taking pictures with Buddha make sure to kneel down so you are lower than him.  You should never stand taller or over Buddha.
10. Come with an open mind, and open nose.  Some of the smells can be alarming at first.
11. Don't over-pack.  Thailand has some cheap, cute and amazing clothes.  You will want to buy the big flowy pants after you realize all the clothes you brought are too tight and stick to you.
12. Only drink purified or bottled water.  I have not put this to the test as I'd rather be careful, let me know if you find out otherwise. But most resorts or hotels are aware that most foreigners cannot stomach (literally) their drinking water and provide water bottles on the daily, or for purchase depending on your accommodation.  It is OK to shower with their water but I would not brush my teeth with their tap water - use bottled or purified water to be safe.  Same with ice.... I normally tell them no ice with any drink. The other night I did order a small bucket of Sex On The Beach and that came with ice and I was fine. Ingest at your own risk. 
13. Their safety standards are quite different from what I'm use to in the US.  You will see three to five people on a motorbike, without helmets, and there are plenty of trucks and buses with people chilling in the back with no seat belts.  This has been quite fun though. Such a cool and interesting way to explore Thailand.  They do drive on the opposite side of the road than the United States so I would recommend hiring transportation unless you are already comfortable and experienced with driving on the left side of the road.
14. Upon entering certain homes or restaurants you may notice shoes piled outside the door.  If you see that please take off your shoes as well before you enter.  
15. Of course with visiting any foreign country is will pay dividends if you are able to speak a few greetings or questions in their local language.  
16. In most "non 5 star" type establishments the "napkins" they use are almost the equivalent to kleenex.  Very thin, almost invisible small squares.  It takes some time getting use to using this type texture as a napkin.  Be prepared to go through a lot.
17. Speaking of tissue, in these same "type" establishments - when it comes to the toilet paper there are no differences.  Very thin toilet paper.  Sometimes you may even need to provide your own!
18. Speaking of the toilet - be prepared to wipe and place your toilet paper in a bin beside the toilet.  You will most likely see a sign requesting that you do so. There may also be a chance that you will need to "flush" the toilet yourself.  In that instance you will see a bucket of water next to the toilet with a smaller bucket in there.  Simple fill up the small bucket and pour it into the toilet. Yes, gross I know.  Same thing for squatting toilets....

Ok I know the top three things may make seem unappealing at first glance. BUT - everyone will be sticky, sweaty, greasy, etc.  If you don't accept this you will end up with extreme sunburn and a plethora of bug bites.  I saw a girl yesterday that looked like she had chicken pox, but they weren't small dots, I'm talking welts.  Women - it is actually nice to be all natural and not wear makeup, etc.  Embrace letting your skin GLOW!

Thailand is SUCH a magical place it's very hard to put experiences into words.  The southern part of Thailand including the islands has the best snorkeling I've ever experienced.  If you have not yet checked out this beautiful country I HIGHLY recommend putting this on your list!

My 1st Buddhist Temple Experience

Ever since first stepping foot in Thailand in 2011 I knew it was a special place.  It touched me to the core and ever since it's been a place I've never wanted to or have been able to forget.  Buddhism has a special place in my heart, soul and mind, and today I had my first real Buddhist Temple experience - in Thailand.  I was blown away.  

Before we entered the temple we walked on the outskirts of the grounds being able to view this giant Buddha from afar. As we got to the main entrance of the temple we took off our shoes and listened carefully to the directions on what we needed to do. In the front there was an alter where we needed to stop and make our blessings. There were candles, incense and flowers. The first thing we needed to do was light our candle and place it on the rack with the other burning candles. We then lit our incense and placed that with the other incense and the same with the flowers. We then kneeled down in front of the alter and privately said a blessing. We also blessed the Buddha, the teachings and the Monks by placing our hands near our third eye and bowing our head to the floor three times. Also included in our "entry packet" was a small stack of thin gold sheet stickers. Once our blessings were finished we put a gold "sticker" on each of the five Buddha statues in the background.

After this we were off walking around the temple. Little did I know I was about to get to see this big gold beauty up close and personal!

If you look closely you will see it is made up of many small golden tiles.

In no way did I expect to see a Buddha of this size, beauty or stature. I was captivated. I had a couple moments of my emotions almost starting to pour out, but I held it together. At this point anyway. We continued walking around the temple and slowly made our way out after in depth discussions on the history of Buddha. In all of my readings I did not realize that the Thai people and the Chinese viewed Buddha differently. I thought they all thought of Buddha as the same man. In short I think they do - it's more so the history that's different. Wow - doesn't that sound like all types of religion...

When I left that temple my soul felt SO full. A piece of my puzzle was finally found which now put me one step further in my journey of life.  

I hope each and every one of you are able to experience something as beautiful as I did today.  Namaste.  :)