There’s a moment before the plane touches down when I pull in my breath and try to center myself for the steps I’m about to take. It rarely works.
Mostly because my feet are asleep.
Partly because my nervous system is trying to tell me to pay attention—this is NEW AND UNKNOWN! I’m here to absorb everything, and my eyes have the assignment to remain open and watch for signs.
If you’ve ever traveled internationally solo, you’ve probably experienced the same feeling of not knowing what comes after you gather your bags and place your feet onto new ground. You have the unease of questioning whether you’ll be able to figure out where to go after you clear customs. It’s a feeling I’m not comfortable with. It was the thing I was most scared of, traveling to Thailand by myself.
I was grateful that my sister had been there two years prior, and had given me many pieces of advice; surprisingly, Reddit and Facebook groups filled in the majority of the rest. Nevertheless, I timidly approached the taxi area, and while on the escalator connected with a British guy who was clearly more nervous than I was. The fact that we were both scared gave us courage to smile through it and find the queue together. We said our goodbyes as we parted to find our assigned taxis.
My driver seemed fine, although a 5 minute stop at a roadside H̄̂xngn̂ả (bathroom) gave me enough reason to text my sister and let her know the situation in case something went sideways. Turns out, my driver is just like me—roadside H̄̂xngn̂ả is just a way of life.
I immediately began working on my tonal Thai pronunciation, expressing my gratitude to the driver and kind woman at my hotel who checked me in. Since my friends wouldn’t be arriving until close to midnight, it was up to me to find dinner and my bearings. I wasn’t overly jet-lagged, as I’d scheduled my flights to synchronize with my regular sleep, but it would be getting dark in just a few hours and I hadn’t had time to truly orient myself.
Down the main street, I found an adorable café. I gratefully accepted a huge pour of chilled red wine (I quickly figured out that they refrigerate all wine no matter the color) and ordered something that sounded yummy. I noticed that people were entering and exiting the patio area and realized that there was a dedicated area meant for taking Instagram pics. A large mirror, candles, random cutesy decor, and a string of lights held up one wall. Phone-wielding women and men were going outdoors to take pics and then returning back inside for the much-needed air conditioning. I didn’t want to be That American Lady Who Makes the Cheesy Instagram Post in Thailand on Her First Night…but I was That American Lady…so I went outside and took the photo.
Bangkok was a whirlwind. With two kids and three adults, we decided pre-planning was a necessity. The first morning, however, we got to wander a bit, and ended up at a huge mall: level after level of shopping, food, and experiences! And at the very top we found a rooftop pool! Because it was early in the day, the kids were welcome and it was almost completely empty. It was the absolute perfect way to start the trip.
That evening, Chrissy, Todd, their two kids, N and B, and I went on a tuk tuk food tour: so much food! We were literally served 4 full size meals and then had to haul our ever-heavier bodies back into the tuk tuks after each restaurant. Our last stop was Chinatown. Chinatown at night is, in a word, OVERSTIMULATING. There were vendors yelling, Thai folks shouldering tourists out of the way, neon lights blinking, and so. much. honking. I’m so glad I experienced it. Don’t need to see it again.
Our hotel area was perfectly located for massages, meals and walking adventures. The second morning, we explored a park rife with water monitors, hit up a Vietnamese coffee spot, and got massages. That evening, we took a rickety boat across a river to an island where the guide fitted us with bikes and helmets, and led us through a small nature preserve. Dinner was on the dock (Delicious!) and on the boat ride back, we had an unimaginable viewing of a million fireflies edging the island under a perfect half moon. I began crying softly as thoughts of gratitude entered my mind. I didn’t want to weird anyone out, so I wiped them away quickly. Turns out that wouldn’t be the only tears shed on this trip.
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