The Countdown Is On For Thailand

I just got back from a four day whirlwind trip to the Toronto area. That means I have another 4,000 miles of flying under my belt this year, putting my grand total somewhere around 50,000 miles since January I believe. The trip back to Vancouver was pretty rickety with turbulence, but I was working on my laptop which helped distract me from the fact that I was hurtling through the atmosphere in a big pressurized pop can.

Thailand Beach, Photo by tartarin2009 on Flickr

Thailand is fast approaching, and I’m down to only 18 days to get ready. While I’m looking forward to seeing a new country and meeting up with some friends, I can’t say that I’m terribly excited about the three day journey to get to Koh Samui. I think I leave Vancouver on Wednesday, August 31st in the afternoon, and end up in Koh Samui on Friday morning. All in all I think it’s about 18 hours of flying, which would definitely be my new record for a single trip (which was 14 hours previously from Vancouver to Buenos Aires).

I’ll get to have a brief, jet-lagged sleep in a Bangkok hotel near the airport on Thursday night, but other than that I imagine it’s going to be an exhausting journey. But once there I’m looking forward to seeing some of the nicest beaches in the world, and having my first Singha beer in Thailand with friends.

I still have lots to get ready though, and here’s a rough list:

• Document sorting and tax related stuff (oh so fun!)
• Selling my bed
• Taking a few loads back to my storage locker
• Buying a few new pairs of jeans and getting them properly hemmed so I don’t look like I’m a hick
• Downconverting my phone to the basic plan again
• Parking my car and putting storage insurance on it
• Saying “see you later” to friends and family

This time around I’m also going to buy myself a nice notebook and a decent pen to take with me. Despite using technology all the time, I find myself wanting to jot notes and thoughts down in a notebook instead of on a computer. If you’re trying to relax at a coffeeshop, I also just find it a better experience when you go completely analog so that you can just let your mind wander and not be distracted by gadgets beeping or vibrating.

This week though I think I’m probably going to pack up my camping gear into my car and disappear for a four or five days. It’ll be my last real chance to really enjoy the BC weather until next year most likely, so I’d like get in a bit of hiking and camping if I can.

After that I’ll be getting myself prepared to leave Canada for most likely five months this time around. I’m starting to get excited, and am definitely looking forward to seeing all the beauty and culture that Thailand has to offer.