We stood in the busy Bangkok airport as I unraveled the bundle of toilet paper I took from the plane and Eddie pointed out the Exit signs that lead to the endless amount of taxi drivers. After a 14 hour flight and discovering yet another grey hair on my head while on the plane we had finally arrived in Bangkok, Thailand.
I wore a black zip up hoodie, black leggings, running shoes and my hair in a ponytail and although that may sound all sporty chic and “Instagram worthy” I can assure you that it wasn’t. As I blew my nose in the middle of the busy airport and my body wondered what time zone we were in I spotted the revolving doors that would lead us to our first official taxi ride in Thailand. I gathered my luggage and one personal item filled with protein bars and the food I had packed for the airplane ride and walked toward the exit. A few pieces of paper fell from the pockets of my hoodie so I rushed back a few steps to pick them up and quickly caught up to Eddie hoping no one, not even Eddie, noticed that 1) I dropped used tissue paper on the floor 2) picked it up and stuffed it back in my pockets and 3) that I was sneezing every four seconds. Like I said, not sporty chic. At all.
After I made it outside and into our taxi I wondered why I was still uncontrollably sneezing and plus, why didn’t I know that people in Thailand drive on the left side of the road? A few moments after sitting in terrible Bangkok traffic I answered one of my questions and fully accepted that I had a legit and fierce cold.
I hadn’t been sick in almost two years and the timing of this cold/cough/headache/runny nose situation was all wrong but I didn’t care. I had been dreaming about visiting beautiful Thailand for over five years so I was just happy to BE THERE. I closed my eyes and leaned on Eddies shoulder and as he kissed the side of my head and held my hand I quietly smiled, sniffled and took a deep breath. This trip was actually happening and I was ready to take it all in, with or without a trail of tissue paper behind me.
I have tons of photos to share so I’m splitting them up into different posts so we’ll call this a summary of our Thailand trip…this trip was truly amazing and more than I dreamed it would be.
While in Chiang Mai we visited the ancient ruins of Wiang Kum Kam…
Roaming around Chiang Mai old city square…
The Sunday Walking Street Market in Chiang Mai… I loved this (especially because it’s where I tried mango with sticky rice for the first time) but it was craziness. SO many people and so many vendors! We were there the entire evening and still didn’t get to see everything, the market went on forever. 
Some of the many stray dogs we saw during our trip… Organizations like the The Dog and Cat Rescue Foundation work to spay and neuter stray dogs, treat dogs suffering from mange and educate the people of Koh Samui about the importance of spaying and neutering their pets (among other help they offer dogs and cats). Several hotels and resorts in Koh Samui contribute to the Dog & Cat Rescue Foundation and I was happy to find out that the resort we stayed in, Palm Beach Resort, is one of them. We say this little guy nearly everyday at the corner of 7-11 he owns the block!
This cat wasn’t a stray, she belonged to the owners of one of the cafes we visited.
This little guy reminded me of a dog I used to have as a child, Chiko. My heart melted while he followed us around the day we visited the ruins of Wiang Kum Kam.
Here’s a preview of the AMAZING Ang Thong National Marine Park (totally instagram worthy right!?)…. click here for more photos of the marine park.
While exploring Ko Samui…
We visited Tamarind Springs (resort and spa) for brunch one day and I was blown away with the beauty of this place! Definitely on my list if we ever visit Thailand again…
During our ferry ride to visit Ko Samui…
Coconuts EVERYWHERE! LOVED it!
Aaaaaaand another preview of my FAVORITE part of the trip…. oh.em.gee. *dead* You must see photos, click HERE for the full post!
