Walking in the ether!

First of all I should probably apologize for being away from my blog for so long; first I didn’t have my computer, and since I’ve had it, well to be honest I just couldn’t find my inspiration. That’s not to say there hasn’t been inspiration in my life, in fact it’s quite the opposite. Over the last 2 months I have seen things beyond my wildest dreams; I have eaten food that completely blows my mind (and often my sinuses as well); I have done things I never thought myself capable of; I have met strangers that within days have become family to me; I've even met a cat who lives in a fridge... by choice! But most of all I have learned. I have learned about the world around me, about people, places, foods, animals, sports, music, books, and most of all about myself. I certainly haven’t developed a life plan yet, and I still don’t know where I’ll be any given day, much less 6 months from now, but living in a foreign country has really helped me find some clues. Anyways, that’s probably enough of the philosophical talk; after all, I think ya’ll who are reading this want to know more about what I’ve been doing these last 2 months, and maybe a little less about what I’ve been thinking these last 5 minutes; so here we go:

 

Since last I wrote on this, I have fought valiently in the world's biggest waterfight, a waterfight that involved every single person in an entire nation, I have been diving at some of the world’s most amazing sites, climbing in places that are too beautiful for words to describe, playing frisbee and soccer on huge white sandy beaches that slowly fade into light blue thai oceans, and I have done a little partying while I was at it; all with some of the most amazing people I know. 

While all of our trips and endeavors have been pretty amazing, the pinnacle of my happiness definitely found me in Ton Sai and Railay on our climbing trip. How can you describe in words a place where the most difficult decisions you have to make are whether to get a mixed fruit or a pineapple shake, or which amazing location you’d like to climb today? I cannot imagine a better life than we had for those 2 weeks; reading in the morning, followed by a beautiful hike to whichever climbing spot we’d chosen for the day, every one of which was absolutely amazing. 

The first aspect of these climbs that made them so spectacular were the locations they were in. Some days we hiked through hours of jungle, repelling down small cliffs and up steep hills until we got to a land before time, an avatar world in which you’re sure dinosaurs must be watching you from behind the lush greenery and huge trees; other days we walked along sand and reef on the edge of the warm clear waters that themselves bring millions of people to this country every day; and on some occasions we would even wade through this water with gear on our heads to get out to islands with white sandy beaches and beautiful climbs just waiting to be conquered.

The second aspect which made this such a special place were the climbs themselves; there was everything you could possibly image, from overhanging stalagtites the size and shape of elephant heads with multiple trunks you could swing around and loose yourself inside, to slanting crack climbs, crimpy balancers, and my personal favorite, a beautiful arête in the middle of a huge cave that stood like a sharp and angular pillar holding up the roof of a beautiful cave that otherwise looks so soft and conofrming. 

Only once you reach the pinnacles of these climbs though do you realize the third aspect that really sets this site apart, the views. Especially on the taller climbs, the views form the top are absolutely ethereal, incorporating wild jungle scenery with calm and gorgeous blue waters and the surreal prehistoric islands that pop out of the blue like pieces on a chessboard. Add all this up and I really could not imagine a more unsettling and yet completely calming sight, as if you truly are on top of that world.

The last aspect that made our climbing adventure such a heavenly experience were the people we enjoyed that magic with. In the alchemist they talk about a boy who is asked to walk around a beautiful house and take note of the beauty all while balancing a spoonful of oil the entire time. To me we had found that perfect balance during those two weeks. Meeting new people forced us to look inward and reflect on life: our past, present, and future. It allowed us to think about what is important to us, talk about the people that mean a lot in our lives and turned what had been strangers only days before into a family almost. They are definitely people I will never forget and I plan on seeing again in the future.

Besides all that, life here has been amazing; traveling, diving, climbing, and kayaking, but unfortunately the honeymoon is ending and now I prepare for work. The idea that in 3 days I will be walking in to my own classroom with my own set of kids is completely surreal to me. I’ve found out that I will be teaching English, health, math, and science to a group of thirty 12 year olds. While the prospect of being in charge of such a group, accompanied by my memory of what I was like when I was 12, is enough to scare my socks off, I am eager to gain some direction here and settle down a bit. I’ve always liked setting goals for myself and taking on new challenges to I’m looking forward to testing myself and learning as much from my new children as I can!

Before I sign off I just wanted to add one more thing. One of my biggest motivations for coming over here was reading and hearing the stories of people who have always gone out and done things they wanted to do, whether it be moving to a foreign country, following a cause they believe in, or just making beautiful art and music for others to enjoy. One of the people who has inspired me most in all these ways is my friend Sasha, whose blog I follow religiously. While we were climbing in Krabi she and her family, who also happen to be some of the most beautiful climbers I’ve gotten to watch, were always on my mind.  I just wanted to thank them, and Sasha especially for always inspiring me, we climbed with you in mind!

Thank you again too all of you who read this and tell me your thoughts. It’s the little things like that that give me the confidence to go out and do the things that I strive for in life.

Love to you all,

-Tommy

“Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us or we find it not.”

PS: Most of these photos are courtesy of my amazing partner in crime, Miranda Emanuel!

BIG NEWS!

            I’ve been thinking about this blog all week and until this point the only thing I knew was that it would begin with: Where to begin…”. That is no longer the case. I have done so many amazing things over the past week and had some unforgettable adventures with Miranda; watching sunsets from rocky peninsulas, crashing motorbikes into parked BMWs, playing with puppies, drinking all night with an Australian bachelor party on St. Patty’s day, writing songs, meeting some of the most beautiful people this world has to offer and enjoying every single second of it. But as of this moment, pure excitement has flooded every inch of my brain and I no longer have the ability to write about anything other than the present. And in this glorious present, I have just received a job offer that perfectly embodies everything I’ve longed for from this grand adventure!

            The position I’ve mentioned is located at a school in Phang Nga city, about an hour north of Phuket along the Andaman Coast. Phang Nga is more of a small, relaxed town than an actual city and although it boasts some of the most beautiful scenery in all of Thailand, the lack of amenities keep it from being overrun with tourists as most beaches here are. Phang Nga is similar to Krabi in that it is a small city with some of the best climbing in the country, as well as one of the top ten dive spots in the world directly off the coast. Unlike Krabi though it is a destination and not just a jumping off point for other adventures. In other words, between pristine diving in some of the world’s richest waters; hiking in a rain forest that hides elephants, tigers, leopards, birds, lizards, snakes and who knows what other adventurers; and climbing on rock formations that would make a dinosaur’s jaw drop; I will be in the most perfect place I could imagine.

            Now I know what my mom is thinking as she reads this, what about the SCHOOL Tommy, what is the SCHOOL like! Well momma bear, the school itself is a government run primary school. I’ve talked to many teachers that have told me this is the best age to teach, and from my experience coaching many children this same age, I’d have to agree. Because it is a government school I will be teaching mostly Thai children who very much NEED this education to move themselves up in the world, something that is very important to me but something I was not sure I would be able to get involved in. I will be teaching Math, Health, English, and Science and although the class sizes are relatively large, I am excited for the challenge and thanks to experience gained coaching 40 kids with Mike and Ashley, I’m pretty confident in my ability to handle such a rowdy bunch.  They pay is good, the rent is cheap, and the opportunity is golden; I am grateful beyond the extent to which words could explain. Here is a link to the school website itself in case any of you want to come over and enroll your children J

http://btc2551.igetweb.com/index.php

            Beyond all this, the school year doesn’t start until the middle of May, meaning Miranda and I have over a month of traveling, diving, climbing, and treacking to do. I am about ready to go see what this beautiful country has to offer my “sister” and I considering we’ve been able to experience so much in just 5 short days in a busy city.

             I know this blog was a bit boring, being so full of techincal mumbo jumbo, so we’ll make sure to get ourselves into some trouble over the next month and report back on it all, with pictures included. Love you all and here are some images to give you a taste of the life we’ve been living!

  

-Tommy

“Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us or we find it not.”

The Bus

            While my spur of the moment decision to switch locations had brought me new motivation and excitement, it was not without its inconveniences also. Most notably was the fact that the course I was now enrolled in had started a week previously. This meant that not only did I find myself a week behind on the material, but also I was responsible for getting there and settled within the next 12 hours. By that time the ferries had all left so I decided to do it the local way and take a cheap, un-airconditioned bus. Apparently I was the only Farang (foreigner) that thought this a feasible plan because I found myself surrounded by a full bus of Thai locals, pet birds, flowers, plants, and the like; all of whom seemed enchanted by the unusually tall farang with the funny hair. Needless to say I was watched the entire 3 hours like a movie on an airplane.

Now many people have told me to be safe in Thailand but I must say the only danger I have encountered thus far was on this bus ride, and it wasn’t really a danger to my health as much as it was a danger to my pride. As I’ve said, my fellow commuters found me a fascinating sight so as I stood and walked to the back of the bus where the restroom was, 20 sets of eyes followed me the entire way. I had been suppressing my need to pee for 2 hours in a desperate effort to avoid this moment, but inevitably it had come. As I stepped into the tiny bathroom that was swaying with every turn (and there were many), I had the sinking realization that the bathroom door had no mechanism to hold it closed. I can do this I thought, so I held the door closed with one hand and turned just in time to see the lid I had just put up slam down with a loud SLAP! After several more failed attempts to prop it up I realized that this was going not going to be difficult, it was going to be IMPOSSIBLE. I braced myself and mustered all the natural human ingenuity and athleticism I could, then I went about my task.  With back against the wall and one hand pulling the door handle in against the opposing centrifugal force, I balanced on my left foot and held the lid up with my right… let me tell you if I encounter anything that difficult again I think I may just turn around and go home, but, I did it, and for the rest of my trip I sat with a smile. I wondered if any of these commuters turned people watchers had any idea just how close they’d come to seeing  a truly disastrous series of events.

Several lost taxis, one trip to a town that no longer held a language school, and 30 minutes of backpacking through the streets of Patong later, I was standing at the front desk of my language school gathering my materials and trying to conceal a smile that was threatening to split my face from ear to ear.  Every step so far has been an adventure and I had just taken a big one without knowing much of what to expect, but this felt right and I knew immediately, I’d found the path I needed to be on.

-Tommy

“Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us or we find it not.” -Emerson

Day 1- Krabi

In the lead up to this grand adventure that I’m now a part of, during the long months in which my friends had to endure my endless talk of Thailand, one specific friend made me promise her that I would keep a travel blog while I was gone. A travel blog I thought, what on earth would I write in a blog? I’ve never even kept a journal! Well soon enough I would find out a lesson about traveling both painful and beautiful; every day you are living in or traveling through a foreign country, you WILL have something to write about. Every step here is a step into the unknown and whether you end up on a beautiful beach paradise, on a jungle path through the mountains, or in a dingy hotel room with bed bugs… it is still a step towards a greater understanding of the world.

            

            By the time I landed in Krabi I had been traveling for close to 30 hours, stop and go, and had barely slept a wink. I had cycled through more emotions than I knew existed; sadness in the airport as I looked through the cards; letters, and pictures from the beautiful people I was leaving behind; complete awe of the earth’s beauty as I looked down on frozen Alaskan tundra from my tiny window in the sky; pride as I wrote down my goals and ambitions; fear of the unknown as I made my decent into Krabi and finally an overwhelming sense of doubt in myself and my decisions as my day came to a close, a feeling of emotional distress that I hope never again to feel in my life. This feeling overtook me as I laid on my back under the leaking roof of a cramped, dingy hotel room that I inevitably overpaid for, on a mattress as stiff as my body felt. The thoughts of bed bugs, mold, and a general unhappiness is what forced me back out and it was this instinct that began to change my fortunes. I realized that the reason for my unhappiness and my doubts was that I was looking at this city through the eyes of someone about to move in. Within that mindset I was lonely, lost, overwhelmed and I must say, fairly disappointed in my decisions, for while the surroundings were stunning, Krabi just didn't seem livable to me; but when I shifted my viewpoint to that of a stranger traveling through a new land everything changed. My loneliness morphed into a curiosity about all the new people around me, and the sense of being overwhelmed transitioned into an excitement of the unknown. Some good thai food, an amazing mai tai, and several beers at the local Irish bar later and I was happy man. Lying in bed the next morning I thought about where I was and what I wanted from my trip; it was right then that I made a decision that has completely changed the direction of my plans... I was going to Phuket, but first, it was time to eat!

-Tommy

“Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us or we find it not.” -Emerson