My Fake Travel Blog

“Hey, people who travel with your bed pillow. You look insane.”

-        Jim Gaffigan

Travel blogs are very popular and with good reason. They’re a great way to share your stories with friends and families back home. Since being here I’ve stumbled upon many blogs to see what’s going on with people in Thailand, or in other parts of the world. And while all are interesting, most engaging, many come off as sounding really, really pretentious.

I don’t think it’s intentional. People travelling abroad generally seem to be having a very powerful experience. But some blogs get a little high and mighty about their newfound cultural revelations. I’ve tried to make this blog not like that but I’m sure I’ve done it time to time.

So this week, I’ve decided to write in the vein of some of the other travel blogs I’ve read. I’m embracing my inner hipster, English major, and travel jackass. You’re welcome.

Whispers in the Wind: A timeless wanderer’s eclectic journey through Southeast Asia

Dream. Explore. Lift. Fall. Search. Pollenate. Find. Stretch. Live. Kale.

Fellow wanderers,

It has me. I don't how it happened. But it happened quickly. And it has me.

I awoke yesterday with an odd feeling coursing through my veins. It’s one that I’ve felt every day for the last six months. The insatiable feel of wanderlust.

I exited my apartment complex and was hit by the bright Thai sun. Perspiration kissed my shirt as I made my way to the local vendor. We exchanged a few words in Thai and I sat down at my table. The gust of the fan cooled my body as waited my food. Within minutes a plate of Pad kapow Guy was in front of me. I mixed the tender chicken and basil with the damp white rice. The yoke of the egg cracked and splashed yellow across my culinary tapestry. In enjoyed pure bliss for seven minutes as I consumed the local Thai flavor.

Departing the shop, I hailed a cab and made my way into Bangkok. My agenda for the day was simple: see the river that cuts through the city. My cab dropped me off at the BTS station Bang Wa. For those of you who don’t know, the BTS is Bangkok’s train system. It’s actually very impressive. A train arrives nearly every 5 minutes and you get almost anywhere in 45 minutes maximum. The only quirk is that the air conditioning is very frigid- bah!

The train dropped me off near the pier and I meandered towards the boats. The boats are very funny. They simply go from one side of the river to the other. It probably only takes about 10 minutes to walk across the bridge. By the time you wait for the boat to to fill up, it’s probably been 20 minutes. Some of them don’t even take money. The system is very odd.

I spent the afternoon exploring the labyrinth of sois (streets) that ran adjacent to the pier. Little shops and children filled the street and I soaked in the community.

Later that night I stopped at my favorite backpacker bar in Bangkok, The Vagabond’s Respite. There are I met a lovely group of travelers from Berlin, Uzbekistan, Norway, and Sydney. They were all young, beautiful, fit, wise, and well-travelled.We spent the evening discussing James Joyce, craft beers, woofing, scarfs, Putin, organic food, and naturally, every place we had ever travelled. It was a beautiful night and after saying goodbye to my new friends, I went home.

I flicked off the lights. The warm air from the fan grazed my skin. The heat was debilitating. After a half hour of tossing and turning, I decided to go for a walk on the road outside my apartment to clear my head.

It was one of those days when it's a minute away from snowing and there's this electricity in the air, you can almost hear it. Right? And this bag was just dancing with me. Like a little kid begging me to play with it. For fifteen minutes. That's the day I realized that there was this entire life behind things, and this incredibly benevolent force that wanted me to know there was no reason to be afraid, ever. Video's a poor excuse, I know. But it helps me remember... I need to remember... Sometimes there's so much beauty in the world, I feel like I can't take it, and my heart is just going to cave in.

Stay lost, stay confused,

Mark

P.S. Part of this story is made up. I'll leave that up to your interpretation. 

P.P.S. I'm never writing like this again.