Twenty-Whatever

I was laying on the top level of the fairy bracing myself for the bumpy journey ahead, as our travel tickets cost a mere 850 baht ($25 at most) we were getting what we asked for: a cheap and rough (but mostly safe) bus ride. Myself and a gentleman from Poland took advantage of the luxuriously flat surface and plopped ourselves down on footprint caked cement, savasana style, for two hours while the sea graced us with salt and wind. I’m not sure what was on his iPod, but I listened to Adele and Jake Owen revisiting the past five days and doing a general overview of my time in Thailand thus far.

My new found American friend and I followed our trusty Australian to Koh Tao (he and his alluring sassiness left a night prior to our departure). Admittedly I was very much looking forward to the island as I’ve been regularly keeping tabs on an American’s Blog from NYC who lives on the Island. Instantly, I knew the island wasn’t exactly What I  had envisioned as we came off the boat to haggling taxi drivers and the prominent English language staring us in the face. It certainly wasn’t the cultural traveler’s paradise I was expecting but after finally accepting and embracing our tourist side, we managed to enjoy ourselves just fine.

Some physical highlights of the trip included hiking up to some beautiful look out points, such as Fraggle Rock as the island is covered all sorts of tropical flora and fauna plants and the view is what coffee-table books are made of. I fell in love a little with Paddle Boarding, my balance was surprisingly stable (I know, right?!), only falling off the board twice, with dramatic yelps escaping me throughout each topple. The ocean was calm and the paddling lovely, I felt like I was in a content state that I typically only ever reach during hard runs, intense yoga sessions or my third glass of wine.

In all honesty my favorite part of the trip was the company. I’m always caught off guard on how quickly you can become so close with those around you when traveling. Conversations quickly go from generic travel questions and silly get-to-know-you stories about growing up and sibling tales to one year plans, trekking dreams and  what we quite simply won’t put up with in a life-partner. And this is typically before the help of the social lubricant of Chiang Beer. I think I so easily jive with other people while traveling is because these strangers I come across share that passion that only comes from getting your passport stamped and booking your next flight in order to immerse yourself in foreign food and new culture. This isn’t really a passion I encounter in small town, Canada. I know this is my greatest downfalls, but I can tell you my next trip, but I can’t tell you where I’ll be living in Canada. And I’m more concerned with planning my next adventure rather than finding my next house. I’ve so incredibly easy to meet those people who feel like my people, with that shared restlessness and eager for adventure.

During my time in Koh Tao I turned twenty-nine. I know right, based on physical appearances I look like a mere twenty-five, and combined with my adulating failures, you’d think I was just shy of twenty-one. But, I’ve never transitioned to a new age so flawlessly. I’m one year short of thirty with no thought of settling down anytime soon. In fact, the best present a girl could be given was the news that Travel-Work visas in Australia have now increased to the age of thirty-five. For a girl who knows her presence in Canada never really felt like a forever status, I’m no less than ecstatic. I’ve met so many travelers who are either finishing up or just starting their one year work visa, not applying for the Work Permit right now and right here has seemed to be the only sense of self-control I’ve managed to maintain during this trip. For the most part, I’ve just been getting really good at loving my life.

Next stop, Chiang Mai!

Truly,

Kirstin - Almost thirty and loving it.

She’s a mess of gorgeous chaos, you can see it in her eyes.