Thursday, March 24, 2016

The Road to Pai was Paved with Good Intentions.

Thailand changed me. Just like any other outstanding experience I've ever had. But this change came suddenly and without warning.

It was after nearly two weeks in Thailand that I finally found myself in Pai. Beautiful Pai. The hostel was, quite literally, a circus. The scenery was right out of a fairytale. The tiny lights of this tiny place glittered after the sun set behind the mountains. There were waterfalls, and firesides, and snuggly puppies. My heart was aflutter and I nearly pranced through the streets thinking to myself, this could be home.



The people I met while I was in Pai changed everything. Free spirits who had each quit their jobs to travel the world. All of which had only planned to only stay a few days in Pai..and ended up staying for weeks. Months. Forever in Pai. The Venus Pai Trap.

I stayed up late with these beautiful people, exchanging bits and pieces of ourselves under the stars. Their stories inspired me. Their stories stirred something up inside of me that snapped me out of what now feels like a dream.

It took every ounce of responsibility I still had left not to take the yoga instructor position they had posted all over the place. Free room and board. And food. For as long as I cared to stay....
I'm still dreaming about those fucking posters.

I left Pai at the very last minute that I possibly could. I hung behind the rest of my group to soak up as much of it as possible in the short time that I had there. I left Pai just before sunset. And instead of that nauseating van, I got to say goodbye to Pai from the back of a motorbike. Twisting and turning down the 762 turns that the road to Pai was made of, I watched the sun set. And everything that I ever wanted changed instantly.