Filling in Some Blanks

I need to back track. Or, back trek, as it were. See, after my mountain meltdown I never wrote a post about the group I was traveling with before trekking on my own. It was a dynamic mixed bag of characters who hailed from the Boston and Rhode Island areas, respectively. There was Jonathan and Sara and Adrian. Edward and Jenny. George and Kate. Another Kate. And my impromptu roommate, Ralph.

If there were ever a top 5 list of environments that encourages immediate bonding, the himalayas would be 1 or 2. You really get to know one another over Sherpa tea and yak dung fires. But what I appreciated most about this group was everybody's enthusiasm and determination when things got a little tough. It wasn't until I was on my own that I realized how much they helped push me through my own anxieties. I only hope that I was able to contribute a little fun and some positive vibes to everyone else's experience.

Now, here's a quick update. I know I was ragging on India a little bit ago but I'm done with that. I wasn't being entirely fair to her or to me. Wedging such a wildly intense country in between a 17-day trek in Nepal and a 10-day mountain bike ride in Madagascar just wasn't fair. I wasn't able to decompress nor was I able to regain the weight I lost from the trek (which was a concern given the upcoming mtn bike ride). I also wasn't able to focus on India and all of its good elements. It really is a trip all its own. And that's how I want to experience it some day.

So, I left.

Throw enough money at a situation and 24 hrs later you can find yourself waking up on a beach in Southern Thailand with a bowl of fresh fruit, steak dinner and enough whisky to put Xanax out of business. The revelation to head back to Thailand took place in Bodh Gaya, India...where the Buddha enlightenment...hardly a coincidence if you ask me. I've been here since the 8th and fly back through India on the 15th. Other than rearranging a few flights here and there I've done absolutely nothing except for the abovementioned beachcombing...and swimming. And I don't feel the least bit bad or lazy. I think that might be a first for me on this trip.