3…2…1…BANGKOK! This is precisely the amount of time it took Kyle and I to make a very spontaneous decision to call Bangkok our home for the next…well actually we had no clue how long we were about to stay. Kyle and I didn’t know a thing about the place and on a complete whim, in a tiny hostel in Vietnam, we booked a flight.
I would be lying if I said adjusting to a life in Asia was a complete breeze. Only a month prior to beginning this grand adventure, I had graduated from Chapman University with the thought that I would be working full time at an entertainment company in Los Angeles. It’s funny how things can change in the blink of an eye. Before I knew it Kyle and I were hugging our friends goodbye at an airport in India with no plan and no date in mind of when we would see them next. After having traveled with them for a full month, the goodbyes were definitely hard.
Kyle and I flew to Bangkok on June 22nd, 2017, almost nine months ago now. I remember the overwhelming and contrasting feelings I felt as I sat on that flight. I was beyond excited and knew it was the exact thing I was supposed to be doing, but there was also this part of me that was afraid and anxious about the uncertainty of this journey. I was in desperate need of sleep, that is one thing I knew for sure.
We found a nice and removed Airbnb for a couple nights where we could regroup, workout, and most of all, have time to make a plan of action. To this day, I am not sure we ever fully made a plan of action because man have we been living on the edge of our seats. Plans are constantly changing, nothing has ever really felt set in stone, but I have grown to truly love this lifestyle. Life is about taking risks and pushing yourself outside your comfort zone. This is how you are really going to find growth in yourself. I may sound like I am preaching to the choir, but it’s true and I have experienced it first hand. One of my favorite quotes (sorry I’m a quote person) is by the famous artist, Vincent Van Gough. He says, “Normality is a paved road; It’s comfortable to walk, but no flowers grow”. There is nothing wrong with doing something normal and doing what is expected of you, but if you allow yourself to take risks in the meantime, you might really be able to experience something special.
Never in a million years would I call this experience an easy one. There have been times of expreme appreciation of life and on the opposite spectrum, times where stress completey took over. It may look like from the photos you see of travelers like everything is just peachy, but what is hiding beneath is all the challenges that surface along the way. I have learned so much throughout this journey. I know Kyle and I are very eager to share with you how we managed to travel for almost nine months and counting after having just graduated from college.
– Morgan
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