Free And Easy Baby ;)

So where to begin! I just spent two weeks with kelly down south and oh my god! i couldn't of had a better time. we did pretty much anything and everything you could do down there! Kellys been writing a blog about the adventure from her point of view so im sure those of you who have been reading it might want to here it from the wild childs point of view! haha. well lets just start off by saying those two weeks may have been the best two weeks i have spent in thailand so far! im thinking that probably says alot considering that i have been here for 9 months already...yup hit the 9 month marker just the other day. wow. unbelieveable what i have accomplished and learned in this past year. i think im ready to go home though. ready for reality i guess you could say haha. life has been surreal thats for sure.
Soo lets talk thailand! we started off our adventures in Bangkok. Reuniting with kelly was like something from a movie thats for sure. i saw her and the tears started to fall. i had not realized how much i missed her. for the first day i was glued to her hip. she may not of enjoyed that to much but i mean shes the only person thats i have seen from home since i left 9 months ago! we sat an chit chatted for a while trying to get all caught up in each others lives along with Janelle (one of our good friends for years) who came with kelly on her adventure to the land of smiles. Kelly came with the Travel group free and easy. She accompanied the same tour group to the Philippines last year and had a blast so decided to try thailand to get a glimpse of what ive been up to! After talking for a little while i took them to khao son to check out the famous street! after a few hours we went back to the hotel to meet up with the rest of the group. 21 people in all including the tour guides who were just like the rest of us. no old strict people thats for sure haha. we then went on a temple tour of Wat Pho so the group could get some cultural history, along with a good laugh at our translator at the temple hes was one of a kind for sure! After the temple we were treated to a traditional thai massage. That was an experience for some haha i know my first one i was very surprised with what they were doing. after working out the days kinks at the massage we were off to the baiyoke tower to watch the sun set over this massive city. Its a good way to see the real size of the city! it was a good first day to introduce everyone to the city! So atfer that the group went out for dinner and out to check out the night life!
The next day i introduced kelly to my friends and then we were off to the night train to travel down south! We spent something like 15 hours on that train and i didnt think it was all that bad because im getting really used to traveling...i mean it takes 3 hours just to get across bangkok! no worries. so after the train we were all excited to get started on our adventure! We started down south in Kho Lipe! which lets say was a little deserted! thats for sure! Low season tho here in thailand so that was expected! lipe was beautiful! Brilliant white sand beach right outside of our hotel. we also found a perfect place to set up our hammocks! let me tell you i took a bunch of amazing naps in those things! haha loved it! we spent 5 days or so at this island! one day included my birthday! it had to have been one of the best birthdays i have every had! I mean what can top a birthday that has a huge bbq on the beach followed by fireworks and traditional thai lanterns! omg it was amazing to just be with people who were so relaxed and just wanted to have fun. I made some amazing friends on this trip! Some which i plan on even seeing lots of back home! Kelly Jay and I rented a kayak for an hour one day! well i was on it for a total of 10 mins before i gabbed fins and a snorkel to explore the underwater world! I have always been a fan of the ocean but unfortunately have never been able to experience it the way kelly has! shes a diving freak for sure! haha Im a fan of snorkeling...probably because it take no brain power but i enjoy it! not only can you check out cool fish but you can tan your back at the same time ;) hahah After Koh Lipe we headed to lanta! This island was i guess less pretty could be used but it was just as much fun! I spent the day exploring the island with some girls that live in med hat and lethbridge! One of the girls from Med hat is actually moving to lethbridge this summer for school! so im excited to see her again this very summer! we explored everything there was to do on the island and just had a blast taking a day trip of our own! that was one thing i really enjoyed about this travel group! there was no set schedule or anything they just told us what days we were traveling from place to place and thats all we needed to know we were allowed to do whatever our heart intended! ONe day we did plan a group boat trip which was awesome! Kelly and Jay opted out and took a cooking class instead! Lucky them i guess the food was amazing! the boat trip took us to see 4 different islands and a pirates cave! you swim in complete darkness (which is terrifying!) until you see the opening where there is no people or anything it looks like what would be the inside of an old volcano! it was covered in vegetation and then it was enclosed by the rock walls. all there was was a sign telling you about how in the old days pirates would use this place as a hide out and to keep there treasure safe how coooool! on the boat trip we also did some snorkeling....i loved it and was always the first person in and the last out! one of the guides on the boat showed me this cool cave you can swim under and wow beautiful coral and fish in there! you swim right under and through it...the temperature change was soo intense it surprised me for sure! at one point everyone was yelling at me to get out of the water because i was so obsessed with everything haha! i loved it tho! after the boat trip we had a pool party back at the hotel! just fantastic! We also got to meet alot of the locals that lived there and worked at the hotel. We watched fire spinning on the beach and listened to some thai reggae! i want to say this was one of my favorite islands but to tell you the truth i enjoyed them all just as much. they all had there own flavors i guess you could say! all having something different to draw you in. After spending a few days in Koh Lanta it was time to head out for my last destination! Krabi to the coast of Railay! This is where i did almost everything the island had to offer! Well i guess its not truly an island. its technically a a a.....dunno what to call it but its 4 beach's that are cut off from the main land by huge rock cliffs. Just beautiful! I guess if i had to pick this would have been my favorite place. I rock climbed, Swam, Bungee jumped, hiked, partied and just had a blast! After the first day with kelly it was like we were always together so i would just see her every once and a while haha we were always off doing our own things and exploring. i dont think either of us had a problem with that...sibling rivalry and all haha. Railay was beautiful. I went rock climbing two days and we rappelled out of the side of a cliff and wow the experiences i have had down there! To climb some of the most world renown cliffs is soo empowering! The day we went bungee jumping i think was one of my favorite days! the day was dedicated to just that just to 1,2,3......BUNGEEEEE!! haha ive never felt such adrenalin! I was one of two girls who did it all 3 times.....3rd time was free! haha once by myself, 2nd with another girl names randy and 3rd by myself ...BACKWARDS! haha ive never felt such a rush...lets say that i wasnt feeling soo hot in the boat after...haha people said i was looking a little white....motion sickness finally caught up to me! haha After spending i think 5 nights in Railay it was time for me to depart :( I was super sad to say goodbye not only to kelly but to these people i became so close with after only two weeks! The rest of the group traveled on to Koh Phi Phi and other islands some i have seen before some not. The time i spent with the group changed me alot i think. i thought i changed just being in thailand but i think its the people that really have an impact on the way you look at things and the way you feel. Being with other kids in Bangkok complaining all the time about how it sucks definitely does not help the fact that your away from the people you love and truly miss! Being with these people who wanted to be there and had not a care in the world made me just love life! just realize what amazing things ive done this past year that i never looked at from this perspective! To wake up with those people around to always have a smile on your face really just takes all your cares away! Jerrie and I have been throwing the idea around of going to the Philippians next summer with this group and now i know for sure that it is a must! only spending two weeks with these people i still became very close to them! i want to do this again for sure! I would upload picture but oo dear my lap top has died on me yet again! so when that gets fixed ill upload those pictures!
Home is on my mind constantly these days! i cant believe how fast things are moving! soon enough ill be writing my last thailand blog and getting ready to sleep in my own bed! WOW anyways i think ive written enough for today! Missing everyone!!! Love you mom and dad!
Xoxox