Today was a perfect day! After enjoying some coffee on the beach and going on a run this morning, I came back to an omelet made by my dad! What an awesome guy! We all headed to the beach around 11 and were there all afternoon enjoying various activities. It was 70 degrees and sunny which felt like paradise to us! It was never hot enough to make you sweat, but not cold enough that you needed to bundle up. There also wasn’t any wind which made for an awesome last day in South Carolina.
Hula hooping aerobics class!Spike ball!Reading is such a treat! Switched to the pool for a few hours!
So much fun was had by all! Sometimes all you need is a nap, a walk on the beach, a good book to read, a long bike ride, a fun treat, and/or a fun visit with a friend. It has been so fun to just be able to relax and enjoy the weather, beach, and our family! Tomorrow we will start the 20 hour drive home, and luckily a few of us will be able to hop in with Grandma and Grandpa. We have done many road trips with all seven of us, but we are all a little bit bigger now! The rest of the night will be enjoyed playing rook, hot tubbing, reading our books, and relishing our last night of relaxation. We are trying to take advantage of every minute!
Day Two on Hilton Head Island did not disappoint. I was up early enough to catch the sunrise, so I made some coffee, grabbed my bike, and then promptly turned around. It was cold, even for a Minnesotan, and the wind was strong, so I opted out of a mouthful of sand and decided to enjoy the morning inside. After finishing my coffee, I decided to bundle up and go for a run. It took a few minutes to warm up, but it ended up being a perfect way to start the day. I ran down to the beach first to check it out and had to run back quickly because the strong winds were really whipping the sand around. There were many friendly people out running and walking, so it was fun to start the day on a cheerful note!
Empty beach this morning!
After waiting for the rest of the family to wake up and eat breakfast, we decided to go on a bike ride! As part of Hilton Head’s conservation mindset, biking is a common mode of transportation. There are bike paths everywhere, so we decided to take the 7-mile trek down to another beach where there were many shops and restaurants. My mom, dad, Carol, Daniel, John, Peter, Aaron, and myself were those that went on the adventure.
Not many cooperative bike riders for the pic!
The seven mile trek took approximately an hour, so by the time we got to the beach, everyone was ready for some food! We chose a local joint called Daniel’s and had the opportunity to get some seafood! They also had a buy-one-get-one deal so Johnny was pumped that he could get TWO 3/4 pound burgers. That guy can pack in the food! Any time you are on the coast or have an opportunity to have fresh fish tacos, I would highly recommend it. The tacos I had were SO good; what a treat!
10/10 would recommend
Everyone left the restaurant with full bellies and we continued our adventure by checking out the new beach. However, the wind was also strong on this side of the island, so we quickly turns around before we all had tons of sand in our hair. You can tell it was cold because we Minnesotans are all bundled up! Even though it was 60 degrees, the wind made it a pretty chilly day! It was still fun to be in a new place and feel the sun on our faces.
Serious wind!
The boys left after checking out the beach and the rest of us stayed to check out the shops in the area. A few of us grabbed a souvenir or two, and the made the 7- mile trek back home. Since we had left in the morning, the clouds cleared up and revealed clear, sunny skies! The only downfall on the day was all of our sore butts; the bikes are pretty nice, but the seats were pretty rough! On the way back, we passed a few golf courses which is what Hilton Head is known for. You see golfers everywhere here! Despite the chilly weather, we had a great afternoon adventure!
After relaxing, golfing, and/or playing rook, we all too the trek to Golden Corral, a Keranen vacation tradition! We have been going to the Goldan Corral for many years, whenever we have been able to find it. Most of the time we have gone in Florida, but whenever we can find it in a city we travel to, it is a bonus! The Goldan Corral is a buffet that has a grill station where you can get steak or ribs and other high quality meats. It is honestly amazing to observe how much food my brothers can eat and how much it makes them happy.
So many empty plates, so many full bellies!
The also have a legit dessert station and all of the kids were running back for all-you-can-eat ice cream, gummy bears, cotton candy, and other treats. They even have a chocolate fountain to dip things in! It is thepitome of American gluttony but you’ve got to indulge every once in awhile! For all of the first-timers, we heard many rave reviews! I love seeing how happy food makes everyone, especially my family! Tomorrow we are hoping to have another beach day, so we will see how the weather cooperates!
We have arrived in South Carolina! Daniel, Johnny, myself, and a few of the Kruses flew out after class on Tuesday to join the family who drove down on Saturday. This trip our family was traveling with the Kruses, Bruce and Julie Bekkala, and Grandma and Grandpa Tormanen. We heard that the weather had been awesome, so we were excited to leave the 40 degree weather behind in Minnesota. Our flight got in around midnight, so we just got settled in and went to bed so we could be rested for our first full day!
First time biking with a map! Beautiful landscaping despite the hurricane that hit in October.What a way to start the morning!
This semester, I started a new routine of waking up about an hour earlier than I have to. That way, I can start my morning with a good breakfast and enjoy a hot cup of coffee in the peace and quiet. There is something about the stillness of the morning that is seriously addicting. It has since become one of my favorite parts of every day! Our resort is pretty close to the beach, so I thought it would be fun to start my day there. Even better, we rented some bikes to get around, so I got to start the day with a refreshing, beautiful bike ride. What a start to vacation!
The beaches here are similar to North Carolina; grassy with soft, white sand. Very beautiful. The beach was full of people running and walking, starting their day with some exercise. It felt pretty amazing to be able to drink my coffee while hearing the waves crash, seeing the beautiful ocean, and feeling the warm sun on my cheeks. Well, even though it felt pretty warm to me, most people were in pants and hoodies. There is nothing like spring break to reveal you are from a Northern state! After heading back to the condo to eat some breakfast and collect a few siblings, we headed back to the beach! Being able to lay in the sand, feel the hot sun, and read a good book was such a treat. The weather was perfect today, not too hot, not too cold, revealed by Anna and Johnny’s massive sunburns. Because there is not blistering heat, is easy to stay in the sun all day!
Because we have such a large group, we are able to play a full game of beach volleyball and everyone has a partner for any activity like Shuffleboard or going on a bike ride. Traveling with friends makes everything more fun!
Ahh this is the life!Does our skin reveal where we are from?!
We all spent the morning at the playing around the beach and everyone jumped in the ocean (we were the only ones even touching the water). But, our beach day was cut short because we were going zip lining in the afternoon! We ziplined with Hilton Head Zipline and everyone had a great time, even though a few had quesy stomachs and shakey knees before we started. Each group had two guides that were great! The course was about 2 hours long with a variety of line lengths which was fun to experience!
We were split into two groups: the boys and Amy, and the girls. Our guides were trying so hard to get us to yell and scream at each line, and it took us awhile to get giggly enough to play along. By the end, we were screeching at the top of our lungs, laughing, and our guides were so proud. It was fun to Zipline again after Thailand! The feeling of flying through the air definitely doesn’t get old! It was interesting to see how different the liability and safety process was. The rules in Thailand were a lot more lax and their safety presentation lasted about 90 seconds compared to the 30 minute demonstration we did here.
Because Hilton Head Island was built from a conservational perspective, there are no buildings higher than the trees in the area. Lucky for us, the course had a few really tall trees, so we were at the highest legal point you could access on Hilton Head Island! There are also no streetlights here because sea turtles that hatch follow the moon back to the water and if they see lights, they don’t make it to the ocean! It’s interesting to see how different areas have different policies regarding the animals and environment.
We all got nice nicknames! “Crazy Carol” “Amanduhh”
After eating, we all were pretty wiped out, and spent the evening visiting and enjoying the resort at the hot tub, playing shuffleboard, and biking around. The best part of vacation is that we can just chill! Fortunately, we have three more days to bike, swim, laugh, visit, and explore Hilton Head! What a great start to the week!
Well, I couldn’t stay in the US for long. I think once you use your passport once, collecting stamps becomes an addiction. Nick got his passport a few weeks before we started planning our trip to Washington, so we thought it would be the perfect opportunity for him to get his first stamp! Vancouver is actually only about a four hour drive from Seattle, straight up Interstate 5, so the drive feels quick and is pretty easy. Again, we left early enough to beat traffic and were on our way. Similar to our adventure to Olympic National Park, we had a pretty loose itinerary and just a few places we wanted to see. This trip reaffirmed this type of traveling- it is so much more fun to have flexibility and just see where the day takes you!
Perfect weather!
Crossing the boarder was very quick and easy except we had to ask to get our passports stamped. Did you even go there if you didn’t get your passport stamped?! Plus, it was Nick’s first time using his passport, so we had to make sure to get stamps. We stopped at the visitor’s center to grab a few maps because we quickly realized we did not have the ability to use Google Maps anymore. We both would recommend renting a GPS with your rental car for the $10 or whatever it is if you are planning on driving in another country! It will make your life a lot easier! I struggle with directions, so it was interesting to try and get to our destinations with me as the primary map reader-you learn a lot about someone when you travel with them:) Nick has a lot of patience!
Not pictured- the other four maps that needed to be cross referenced!
Our first stop of the day was to the Canadian staple coffee shop, Tim Hortons! These were literally everywhere. They are famous for their coffee and treats and they also have food at some locations. At this point, I was so hungry I was hangry, so their food and coffee tasted like a 5 star restaurant to me! I think all my travel partners have learned that it is in everyone’s best interest to keep me fed:) We stopped here for coffee later in the day, and it was just as good; the caffeine was also pretty effective!
Vancouver is known for it’s suspension bridges, so we decided that was a must-see. There is a pretty famous one that costs about $40 to cross, but that seemed pretty steep to walk across a bridge that was most likely going to be packed with other tourists. So, we opted for the free option which was a smaller bridge over Lynn Canyon, and it was perfectly fine! The suspension bridge is part of a small protected area and hiking grounds, so we were able to stretch our legs after many hours in the car. We actually got to the park at the same time as a bus of day care kids, so it was pretty busy, but it was nice to be outside looking at pretty scenery!
Very narrow bridge over a gorge!
The suspension bridge was high above a river and there were nicely wooden trails all the way down to the bottom where there was a nice area to swim and hang out. We made our way to the bottom with the day care kids!
The river water at the bottom was crystal clear and there were many rocks to jump off which made us instantly regret not wearing our suits, but we decided if we had time at the end of the day, we would come and jump in! Unfortunately, it was a pretty steep trek back up to the top of the canyon, so we really wished we could jump in when we got back to the car! However, we needed to keep the day going, so we made our way to Stanley Park. This is where things got interesting with no GPS, but we made it! Maybe driving without a GPS is actually just a good test of a relationship?!
Stanley Park is located on a little peninsula-shaped piece of land. All of the land on the peninsula is part of the park, so there are many paths and things to look at and explore. The largest path follows the water and you are able to see the city of Vancouver from across the water! It was very beautiful! One of the things that we noticed the most about Vancouver was that it was very clean. Especially once you got to the tourist area downtown, it was apparent that this city had a lot of money. Robin told us later that this was because immigrants that come to this city have to have a minimum net worth, so they maintain a very wealthy population. It was very obvious!
Beautiful city!
There was a lot of green and chrome in this city. The buildings all had beautiful architecture and reflected the sunlight in different ways, so the city looked like it was expensive and shiny. After walking around Stanley Park for awhile, we walked along the boardwalk next to the fancy buildings! This is where their large event centers are as well as where the Olympic cauldron was!
You know the city is posh when they don’t have ANY tourist shops. Nick was determined to find a sweatshirt in Canada and found one at the very beginning of the day, but passed it up thinking there would be many opportunities to buy one. We literally looked for hours, and did not find one! Even though he was pretty annoyed, I thought it was hilarious. Lesson learned-if you find a sweatshirt or souvenir you like, just buy it!! We had to get tacos on the way back to improve his mood 🙂
You can see a ski plane in the back of the photo! There was a lot to watch on the water!
We were pretty beat after walking up and down the boardwalk so many times, so we decided that the perfect way to end the day would be jumping in the river at the bottom of the canyon we visited earlier that day. So, we made our way back, ran down to the bottom, and jumped in! Â IT WAS FREEZING, but very refreshing after a long day! It was also some of the clearest water I have ever seen! We saw some cliff jumpers there who were jumping into narrow columns of water and sliding off of natural waterfalls/waterslides. It was impressive to watch.
After drying off and grabbing some coffee to fuel our four hour long drive home, we were on our way! It was another long day, but again, worth it! We didn’t even want to count how many miles we drove while on this trip! If you are in the Seattle area, Vancouver is a great day trip option. If you are not interested in driving, you could take a train up and stay a night as well! One day was enough for us, but again, it was a busy, long day with long hours in the car, so you have to be okay with that. It was fun to get out of the country again, even if it was just to Canada! Really the only difference that you notice is that instead of mph, speed limits are in km/hr and you buy gas by the liter. But, we got a passport stamp and many fun memories out of the deal! Besides not finding a sweatshirt, I would say that Nick had a pretty awesome first international experience!
Nick and I made the trek to Washington in August (2016) for an end-of-the-summer adventure. Joan and Rob were nice enough to open their home to us and they were very gracious and welcoming hosts. After spending a day relaxing around the Tacoma area down by the Puget Sound, we decided to spend the next day of our trip exploring Olympic National Park. After Thailand, I knew that there wasn’t a lot of value in extensive planning, but had found a few things that we wanted to see. Kaye recommended visiting the Hoh Rainforest and we read about Ruby Beach, but we didn’t know much else about the park. Joan had been to the park many times and shared a few of the itineraries with us. After looking at the map and listening to her recommendations, we decided we were going to do a loop around the park and peninsula, despite the many hours of driving it would add. It total, it was about a 20 hour day, but it was worth it!
We started our day early enough to beat the rush hour traffic and made our way north towards Hurricane Ridge. Joan had told us about the many fun memories she had there and couldn’t say enough about the views, so we knew we had to stop. After a few hours of driving, we stopped in Port Angeles to grab some snacks for the rest of the day and stretched our legs along the boardwalk. You could see Victoria, Canada across the water along the horizon! It was a little bit nippy in the morning, but it the sun was peaking out and we knew it was going to be a beautiful day.
I LOVE THE MOUNTAINS!
Much like driving through Yellowstone or other national parks, we wound our way up the ridge on a narrow two-way road. It was pretty foggy at the bottom, but as we made our way up, the fog broke and revealed amazing scenery. We stopped at almost every overlook to take photos and appreciate what we were seeing; our parents and grandparents would have been so proud!! We have both been to the mountains before, but Hurricane Ridge was so unique because if you turned 360 degrees, you could see dense forests, snow-capped mountains, and the ocean. It was magnificent!!
Nick turned out to be a great travel partner!
After reaching the top of the ridge, you can park your car and do some hiking to explore the area. There was a nice visitor’s center and paved trails around the ridge, so you could see all of the different viewpoints. The sun was warm, but the breeze was cool and refreshing! Even though Thailand was amazing, it is really hard to beat cool, brisk air with the warm sun on your shoulders. It was nice to stretch our legs and breathe in some fresh air before spending another few hours in the car.
Love seeing the different climates!
After we hiked around for awhile, we decided we had better get going to our next destination. Even though Joan warned us that the rainforest might be dry, we decided that we may as well check it out while we were in the area. After all, it is one of the largest temperate rainforests in the US! We drove another few hours through peaks and valleys and also got to see some pretty beautiful lakes, so it went by pretty quick! To our surprise, the rainforest was actually very lush! The lighting was very dim and diffuse due to the canopy and overcast skies, so I didn’t get a picture to fully capture the magical feeling that this place exuded. It really felt like we were in the movie Jurassic Park!
These both are Google pictures to help you get an idea of what it was like!
Literally everything was covered in moss, and if it wasn’t covered in moss, there was probably a fern growing there. Grandma Anne would have LOVED it! Additionally, because the area gets almost 14 feet of rain a year, the trees were SO tall. Everything about this place was magnificent; it was fun to be able to witness such a unique climate after just being on top of Hurricane Ridge! The rainforest has a bunch of trails that bring you to a variety of different plants and covered trees. You leave feeling like you just stepped back in time for a little bit, we both would recommend it!
After going through the trails in record time (we really need to learn how to stop and smell the roses instead of being so efficient all the time!) we stopped to eat at the “Hard Rain” cafe. Very clever. We filled our bellies and were off to our final destination, Ruby Beach! I found an article on Ruby Beach when looking for fun things to do in Washington, and it said that it was a perfect place to relax and watch the sunset. However, Nick thought that it might be fun to have a fire because it was getting pretty nippy, so we went in search of wood. Also, because it was a national park we thought we should probably ask before starting a fire on the beach. We found a little gas station and the cashier said that there isn’t really any official rule about fires so the worst that could happen would be that park officials would just ask you to put it out. That was good enough for us! We grabbed some supplies and then made our way down to the beach.
A lot more grey on this side of the world!
If you have been to the Oregon coast, this beach was very similar. It was really rocky but was so beautiful. Ruby beach is actually part of a long stretch of coastline that is protected as part of the Olympic National Park. We had some time before sunset and explored some of the tide pools and rock formations along the water. It was fun to think about how big our world is and how different each ocean climate is. The Pacific ocean offered a rocky, windy, chilly environment where the Indian Ocean offered a warm, moist, white-sand environment. The same salty water, but two totally different experiences. This is why traveling is so awesome!
Ruby beach was really crowded and there were not any dry places to start a fire, so we decided to go down a few beaches to Beach 4 where there was actually sand and some drift wood to collect. After many hours in the car and our active activities, it felt so good to be able to just sit back, relax, and enjoy the scenery in front of us. We both noted the fact that not many people get have a fire on an empty beach next to the ocean, listening to waves crash and wood crackle. This will always be a special memory!
A great way to end the summer!
After enjoying the sunset and relaxing by the fire, we decided we better start our 3 hour journey back to Joan and Rob’s. We talked for awhile about our day and realized that we had been on a mountain, in the rainforest, and on the ocean, all in 12 hours! The itinerary was pretty strenuous, but we would both highly recommend doing this loop if you don’t mind being in the car for many hours. It is not very often that you get to see so many climates and environments in such a short period of time! We both went to bed exhausted but content at a day well spent. This being my first trip after Thailand, it was fun to make special memories with a new travel partner in the US! It helped me realize that you don’t always need to use your passport to have a great adventure-even though we went to Vancouver a few days later. The US isn’t so bad after all 🙂
It has been almost exactly one week since we flew out of Chiang Mai for the last time, but it feels like a lifetime ago. It almost feels like I never left! The journey home felt way longer than the trek to Thailand, and by our second flight, we were over it. Luckily, on my 14 hour flight from Dubai to Chicago I got to sit right in the middle of two engineering students, one from India and one from Pakistan. I would always rather pass time chatting with someone, so it was really fun to be able to share what it is like in our own countries and share our college experiences. What was interesting is that most Americans are scared of the Middle East, but the student from Pakistan was nervous about coming to the US, and his family even told him to keep the fact that he was from Pakistan a secret. One of the coolest parts about traveling and meeting people from around the world is that you realize that for the most part, people are just people, regardless of their religion, culture, or heritage. It is pretty humbling to realize.
When we finally made it to Chicago, we all were running on fumes. Our flight had over 1,000 checked bags on it, so we waited for almost an hour until we got out bags. Customs went very smoothly as well as getting to our last terminal, but security took forever. By the time we got to our gate we were all super hungry, thirsty, and falling asleep, but we still had a two hours until we got to board. Let’s just say we all have forgave each other for our terrible attitudes during that time. It felt so good to know that we were in America, but we were still so far from being home. We were all trying to stay awake so we could just go to bed when we got back around 9pm, but we could not keep our eyes open. I literally woke up when our plane landed in Minneapolis! I can’t tell you how good it felt to drive away from the airport, knowing I wouldn’t be on a plane for a long time.
Tourist till the very last day!
It was really fun to be able to spend the weekend with our people! We got to experience being a local celebrity at church and share many quick synopsises of our trip. How do you condense an entire month of traveling into an answer for, “What was your favorite part?” I really should just give out business cards with my blog link so people can fully understand our experience:)
Celebrating Anna’s confirmation!
Doing American things was so unreal. Having the freedom to drive my own car has been a luxury! The grocery store was full of foods I recognized and I knew exactly where to find what I needed. My kitchen had pots and pans to cook with and all the flavors were exactly as I remembered. One thing about American food that is different is that the flavors are extreme. Compared to the Thai processed foods, things here are really salty and really sweet. For example, in Thailand, they don’t even have salt on their crackers, and some crackers here, you literally have to scrape off salt so your mouth doesn’t pucker. The only thing about American culture that has been a little weird is that it feels like I walking around in my underwear after wearing longer shorts in Thailand! It will take a little getting used to for sure.
Maya does not like to look at the camera…
Going back to work was another amazing thing. I was just floating around in a happy bubble because I got to see blood, pull IVs, solve problems, connect EKG lines, and talk about nursing for an entire 8 hours. I didn’t realize it was such a big part of my life, until it felt like I was literally feeding an addiction when people would ask for help or try teach me something and I was just pumped. It feels really good to use your brain after a month of coordinating meals and transportation. Don’t most people smile when they hear that the next patient coming out of the operating room is a kidney transplant?!
One thing I have realized since I have gotten back is that there are many different versions of home and family. Going back to my parents house for the weekend was one home and family, and then going back to my apartment and my roommates was another version. It sounds a little weird, but going back to work felt the same way. I spend so many hours on the floor I work on with the same people, and while I cringe at the cliche, we really are a family. Work to me is to the point where if I am ever stressed with school and have two papers due the next day and an exam, I love going to work because I can’t do homework, I know exactly what to do to do a good job, I learn cool things, and I get to be with some great people while getting paid! It’s pretty rare to find this with a job, so I am going to try really hard to find something similar when I graduate.
It was really fun to share my hospital experience with my coworkers! Most were pretty shocked and would reply with, “Well good thing we are here!” Maybe I was able to give people perspective for at least a few minutes before the complaining started again:) Even though cleaning and making beds are my least favorite parts of my job, I now can complete the tasks knowing that not everybody gets the luxury of a clean bed or clean equipment. It still blows my mind.
The weirdest thing about being home is that nothing has changed. Besides a few new songs on the radio, warmer weather, and some new posters at work, everything is the same. It is almost as though I pressed pause when I left and play when I got back. This is both comforting and scary at the same time because if we don’t travel and switch things up once-in-a-while, our life can go past in a blur of everyday monotony. However, one thing that has changed is me. I have seen and experienced things that have given me new knowledge and perspective that those who were not on the trip can’t understand. After thinking about how valuable this trip was and how much it opened my eyes, I got really scared I wouldn’t get to go on another trip before life got too crazy, so Beth, Maria, and I started planning our next one, just to make sure that it happens. I really thought it would take more than a few days to feel like the next trip needed to be in the books, but I really should not be suprised. There is only so much time before life gets really busy and really expensive, so I feel like every opportunity I have to travel needs to be seized.
The summer is going to fly by and then all that stands between me and being a big kid is two semesters! It is both exciting and terrifying. I will be using this blog for my next adventures, whether it be local, domestic, or international, so stay tuned! Thank you for following our crazy adventure and being so willing to share our excitement, photos, and stories. Until the next trip!
Our departure day has arrived! After our many adventures, flights, and change of plans, we will be making our long trek home. Our day started very early, and we were out by the beach at 6am to take a long tail boat back to the mainland. We were greeted by a beautiful sunrise. It seems that Thailand wants us to remember it well because it has treated us to some great views the last few days. After everything that has happened this trip, every good experience is considered a win and our goal is just to get back to America. This sunrise was a great start to our journey home.
After getting to the pier, we grabbed a taxi to the airport. We got to ride in one of the truck taxis one last time. It was pretty cool to get to have another authentic Thai experience even on our last day. Again, it was a beautiful morning, and we got to enjoy the fresh air while taking the last bits of Krabi in.
Unfortunately, we didn’t get through the morning without any bumps. For some reason, my ticket was not confirmed so I had to bounce between counters and eventually just buy a new one to get on the flight. We are so happy that we will never be taking another Air Asia flight. Even though we appreciate the cheap prices (usually around 50 USD) we have taken 6 flights with this airline in the last two weeks and have had our fair share of drama. I honestly would have paid anything to get on that flight- the goal at this point is just to get back to America! Our flight was very smooth and Randy was waiting for us right where he always is outside of terminal two. He actually was waiting for us in that spot the last two weeks, waiting for our call that we were coming back early. What a great guy:)
After we got back to Randy’s, we were treated to one last delicious Thai meal complete with mangoes and sticky rice! They would have been so ashamed with how we have been eating. I will always remember Kun Pa’s cooking very fondly when I think of Thailand. I only wish that I knew what it was so I could try order it at a restaurant! We had the afternoon to finish packing and rest our eyes. Laura hasn’t been back to America for almost 6 months and has most of her things from London still, so it was interesting to watch her try get all of her things into her bags under the 50lb weight limit. She made it!
Right before we left, Kun Pa and Kun Mae performed a string ceremony for us. It is a traditional Buddhist ritual that they use to keep good spirits with those wearing the strings and the bad spirits away. They were wishing us a safe trip, good health, good fortune, and good grades in college. (We all will be needing the spirits with us in our last year of college, let’s be honest!) They ended their wishes by asking us to come back to Thailand to visit. Their eyes shone with tears and it was so touching because their wishes really were sincere. This family has taken us in as their own daughters, granddaughters, nieces, and cousins and have shone us nothing but love since we have arrived. We all really have a second family and home here in Thailand.
As we said our final goodbyes to the family, our hearts were really heavy. It wasn’t until this moment that I truly experienced a bittersweet moment. Even though I am so excited to get back to America and my people there, I will really miss Thailand and all of the special people I have connected with here. Â It is pretty amazing that we have such great people on both ends of the world both bidding us farewell and waiting excitedly for our arrival. We are so lucky and so so thankful!
We stopped at a gas station to grab a few of our favorite Thai treats and then made our way to the Chiang Mai airport, our second home in Thailand. We all got to get one last bear hug from Randy and held on extra tight as we said goodbye. We can’t say enough how thankful we are for the experience him and his family have given us. Â They all hold a special place in our hearts!
After checking in, we were treated with the surprise that we got to sit in the Bangkok Airways lounge before our flight! They had free snacks, coffee, and good wifi so we were so pumped. We are not sure why we got to be there but did not ask any questions. We are going our good fortune continues for our next four flights back to Minneapolis!
We are at the Chiang Mai airport now and will fly to Bangkok, then Dubai, then Chicago, and finally Minneapolis. We have about 36 hours of flying and sitting in airports ahead of us so we are settling in with Game of Thrones and our iPads! We are hoping for smooth flights because we can not wait to be back!
I really can’t believe that today was our last full day in Thailand! We were able to have a few adventures and some relaxing time to cap it all off. We decided to start our day kayaking. We have seen many people kayaking all week and have heard that there are a few caves you can explore, so we decided to check it out! The photos are a little blurry because they were taken through a waterproof case.
The morning started off very nice! There were blue skies and there wasn’t too much wind, so we were able to paddle through a cave and take a close look at a few of the limestone cliffs! However, after about a half an hour, the wind began to pick up and the clouds got really dark. Luckily we were not too far from shore, so we paddled in to wait out the storm. The wind was so strong! We were really not surprised about the weather- based on our past experiences on this trip, we really should have expected it:) Because the wind was so strong, the waves were huge! To pass the time, we all went for a swim! We got the waves we loved at Bamboo Beach back!Â
Going through the cave!
After about a half an hour, the skies became a little less dark and we decided that we just had to try get back to the other beach because it didn’t really look like it was going to get much better. We had to drag our kayaks across the beach to get closer to where we needed to go and got a few funny looks. The actual paddle wasn’t too bad! It reminded Laura and I of one of our Boundary Waters trips to “Brutal Brule” with about 5 miles of paddling in whitecaps. We were able to make it back to shore no problem, but our already sore arms from rock climbing were pretty tired.
Dark sky!
After heading back to change out of our wet clothes, we went to check out an area of the peninsula that we just discovered today! It is a strip of restaurants and shops that the locals run! The food is more authentic and similar to street food. There were some souvenirs around, but all of the shops contained exactly the same things we have seen all over Thailand. If you have been to one store, you have been to them all. It was fun to look around and explore a part of Railay we haven’t see before. Beth and Paige went and got banana pancakes while Laura and I went to relax and read at our resort. It is pretty amazing that it was the last day and it was the first time we ever split up!
The waves were still really big, so Beth, Paige, and I decided to take one last swim! I love the ocean, so having the opportunity to swim in big, crashing waves one last time was awesome. I will definitely miss feeling the waves crash around me and the taste of salt while looking out at such incredible scenery. I am already looking forward to the next time I get to be at the ocean!
These waves were so fun!
Unfortunately, Beth got stung by a jellyfish after about 20 minutes of swimming. On our first day, some people on the beach told us that some locals helped them after their jellyfish sting, so we approached them and they rubbed some leaf mixture on it. There was another girl that they were helping as well, but she had welts all over her body! It looked very painful. (No, nobody peed on it like the movies) Luckily, Beth’s welts went away pretty quickly. We were hoping to get through our last day without a medical issue, but no such luck.
The beaches change so drastically at high and low tide. at high tide, it is filled with water!
After Beth got stung, we headed back to our resort to give it time to go down and read some more (yay!) If any of you know my mom or I’s reading habits, we tend to get very engrossed in the books we read. I never have time to read during the school year, so this has been such a treat! Game of Thrones is highly recommended.
Ahh…
After we had a chance to eat some of food, we decided we wanted to spend our last few hours of daylight on our favorite beach. It had been pretty cloudy all day, so we weren’t really sure if there would be a sunset, but would have been okay just sitting on the beach. There was actually a cave we heard about and decided to check it out! It was pretty cool! The limestone cliffs are so tall, they just tower over you wherever you go here! After climbing around for a while, we went to our favorite place to watch the sunset. It is in a little inlet or mini-cave and at low tide, it gives you your own private little beach!
The sunset was magnificent! Everytime you looked at it, it was a different color. It looked like a painting with the silhouettes of long tail boats in the distance and the beach on the horizon. The clouds were streaked across the sky and the limestone cliffs provided an interesting contrast to the beautiful colors. It was honestly the most amazing sunset I have ever seen and it was the perfect ending to our time here on Railay Beach and in Thailand. Watching the sunset gave us all a chance to have some closure and get lost in our own thoughts as we enjoyed the moment in content silence. We all appreciated having some time to just enjoy the peace and reflect on our crazy adventure. We all said later that we appreciated the that no one felt the need to fill the silence as it was really special to be fully immersed in the experience.
After sitting for a while, we walked up the beach a little ways and just stood in the waves to just enjoy them for a little while longer. Feeling the sand beneath my toes, the waves lap against my legs, and the breeze in my hair while watching such a beautiful sunset will be one of my favorite memories of this trip. It is not often that you get to feel perfectly content.
I am not a very sentimental person when it comes to objects, but I am very sentimental when it comes to memories. That is why this blog has been such a priority and experiencing moments like this one is so special to me. Reflecting on all of the crazy adventures we have had is almost overwhelming because there have been so many, and they have all been so unique and fun. It definitely hasn’t been perfect, and there were days when we were crabby, tired, and honestly just wanted to go home, but it was worth it, and we will come back with endless stories, thousands of pictures, and priceless memories.
One last group photo on the beach!
Tomorrow we will begin our very long journey home. We will have about 48 hours of travel and will probably arrive back in Minneapolis very tired and in desperate need of a shower. We get to see Randy one last time tomorrow as we have about 8 hours in between our Chiang Mai flights. I will try post a few more times as we wrap up the rest of this trip, but hopefully our travels are very smooth and there is not much drama to write about. We have had more than our fair share so far 🙂
Today was the best day. Literally. After all of our crazy once-in-a-lifetime adventures, going to the lagoon is number one on the list. Â We were told about the lagoon on our fist day here while talking to some people on the beach. They told us that it was by far their favorite experience on Railay Beach and that it was some crazy rock climbing. We all instantly wanted to do it! We have been wanting to go for a few days, but there has been rain in the forecast. Since the rocks get slippery when they are wet, we have waited, but today we just figured we had to go regardless because it hasn’t rained every day it said it would. The chances were pretty low and it was a beautiful morning, so we went for it!
We first made a quick stop at the viewpoint! Here you can see how skinny the peninsula is. It is less than a 10 minute walk between East and West Beach. We are staying on the East side which is the side closest to the right side of the screen. We are going to miss this beautiful place!
This hike is not for the faint of heart. It starts with a slope that is almost 90 degrees, straight up. There were ropes almost the entire way to help pull yourself up, but mostly it was just literal rock climbing. After we got past the first rock face, we all looked at each other and said, “This is so unreal!!” It wasn’t too hot and we were covered by the trees and foliage most of the time, but it was so humid that we were just dripping with sweat. Â It felt so good to get some solid exercise after a month of vacation! The lagoon is kind of right in the middle of one of the limestone cliffs, so we had to get to the top of it and then hike to the middle. It probably took an hour, so it was a decent hike!
Looks like the jungle to me!
After we got past the initial climb, it wasn’t as steep for a while and we were able to look around at all of the really cool trees and plants. It felt like we were hiking in the jungle because of all of the exotic plants surrounding us. We keep comparing this area to Gilligan’s Island- it is very similar and our childhood selves love it. Even though it wasn’t very steep at this point, there was mud covering the rocks and it was very slippery. After hiking for a little while, we came to our first rock face that we had to go down. It was literally straight down with a rope that you could use for assistance. Beth usually went down first and was able to help us find good footholds if we needed it.
Literally straight down. So fun!
There were four faces of various lengths that we had to climb down to get to the lagoon. A few of them had really good footholds the entire way and a few of them required us to do a little swinging or shimmying down the rope. It was so exhilarating and so so fun. After getting past our first face, we all took our shoes off which turned out being so awesome. It made a big difference when you were able to actually feel the rock beneath your feet and be able to grip with your toes. My feet are pretty scraped up, but it was so worth it!
When we got to the second to last face, we were able to see a hint of the lagoon through the trees. None of us had looked up what it looked like, so we were all really curious to see what we were hiking to. We were having so much fun climbing that whatever the lagoon looked like was just going to be a bonus!
The lagoon somewhere in the distance!
When we made it past our last face, we had to just climb down a little slope before we finally got to the lagoon. We were all just covered in mud. The ropes were all full of mud as well as all of the rocks that we were climbing down. We didn’t mind because it made us look pretty legit!
When we finally made it down to the lagoon, it took our breath away. It was as if God just drilled a hole in the middle of this limestone cliff and filled it with water. The limestone walls were towering around us and covered in trees. The water was so clear and the same beautiful blue-green color of the ocean. There were so many colors in the rock and in the trees, my eyes didn’t even know where to look! It is really hard to describe and the pictures don’t do it justice, but it is for sure the most beautiful place I have ever been. It was a little piece of heaven that I am so thankful I was able to see.
Getting back to our hiking and outdoor roots made us so happy, but one of the best parts of today was that we were alone for most of it. Feeling like you are the only people in the world in such unique place was an amazing experince. Because we went so early, we just missed the rush of people and we will forever be thankful for that. It definitely would have been a different experience with a bunch of people there. Comparing today to our tour, I am going to try as hard as I can in the future to experince wherever I go independently. Having the freedom to do what you want is worth the extra coordinating. Also, I would recommend trying to experience things on your own. For example, going bamboo rafting without a guide or going “rock climbing” on our own was awesome. (Obviously, as long as it is safe) I am not sure how possible this is in the US, but if possible, the freedom makes the experience even more special.
So much to see. The GoPro means we can get candid shots!
Because we came during high tide, we were able to swim! We spent about an hour just swimming around and enjoying the view. We were just trying to soak it all in and imprint what we were seeing into our memories. We came at the beginning of high tide, so the longer we swam, the deeper the water got. Beth and I could only touch on our tip toes and it was a struggle for all four of us to tread water in such close proximity to take a picture:)
The struggle is real for us short people
After we couldn’t touch anymore, we decided it was time to make our way back. Of course we brought peanut butter sandwiches to refuel, and after eating a quick lunch, we began our ascent. Climbing up is way easier than climbing down, but it still took a little while to get up each rock face. Because this trip is a trip of extremes, going back traditionally was not an option. We literally climbed up the small slope to the first rock face and it started to sprinkle. There were so many trees that we barely felt it, so we just brushed it off. However, about a minute later it started to downpour. We were instantly drenched. Because the rocks were going to be slippery regardless of if we went while it was raining or afterward, we just continued on! Even though this was probably dangerous, it never felt unsafe. The rocks provided really steady footholds and we were all able to climb up and down pretty easily.
So much mud!
The rain actually washed away some of the mud that was on the rocks, so it wasn’t even that slippery! The rope did get really slick, so we all were extra careful and made sure we had a solid hold and footing before we changed positions. The hardest part was that the pouring rain made almost little waterfalls down the rocks, so we were getting drenched in rain as well as a mud waterfall which made it a little difficult to see. However, we all made it with no problems! Even though it was so fun hiking to the lagoon, the rain added another element and just took the experience to the next level. It was by far the coolest thing I have ever done and will be such a special memory.
We love the rain!
One of the biggest lessons that I have learned about traveling this trip is the importance of finding people who travel similar to you. It was a gift that we all were so excited to rock climb with zero experince and thought that the rain made the day even better. Even having one person who was different would have changed the entire day and the trip in general. Also, we all enjoy some downtime, so it is nice that we all can appreciate just reading our books for a few hours. The moral of the story is to make sure that you know whether or not you and your travel partners are compatible because if you are not, it could lead to drama, resentment, and a lot of frustration. I can’t say enough how awesome my travel partners are:)
The photo above is what the beginning (and the end) of the hike looks like. As we emerged, just drenched and muddy, there were a lot of people curious about where we came from. You come out onto one of the main paths, so we were able to share our story and gave some tips to people that were just starting the hike. Of course, it stopped raining as soon as we were done. Â We were so dirty! We walked back to our resort and dropped off our wet electronics before we ran to the beach to rinse off. Having the ocean so close is something I could get used to!
We were pretty much orange from the mud
After our busy morning, we spent a few hours reading and lounging at the pool. My toes needed some cleaning up, so Laura was finally able to say that she wasn’t the one that needed medical attention:) We then went to dinner at our resort! They were offering a special, so we decided to check it out. You can only eat so many peanut butter sandwiches. We finally got to have some pork again! The ribs were good, but nothing compared to Randy’s!
The photo below is a perfect example of how cats rule the world in Thailand. There are so many of them everywhere! They just roam around and lay where they please. I have almost stepped on cats so many times! These cats are not cute either; they are dirty and just have a weird look about them. Personally, I don’t enjoy cats, so I won’t miss this part of Thailand.
Tomorrow is our last day here! I can’t believe that our adventure is coming to an end. We are hoping to just soak it all in and savor every moment before we begin our trek home. I am not sure what I am going to do when I don’t get to have a once-in-a-lifetime adventure everyday!
Today was such a nice day. It was very low key which was nice after our busy day with all of those people yesterday. First things first, we needed to find some actual food. The “mini marts” here have Ritz crackers, pretzels, and Lays potato chips and that is it, so we were desperate for some actual food. Paige had the idea to head back to the mainland to find a grocery store, so we decided to do that. We went to Ao Nang which is about 10 minutes by long tail boat. I’ve got to say, going everywhere by boat instead of taxi is pretty sweet!
After getting to the pier, we took a tuktuk (scooter taxi) to one of the local grocery stores. By now, we know which foods these grocery stores have, so we got to stock up on our usual food: peanut butter, bread, apples, Pringles, Ritz crackers, almonds, and some candy of some sort. We pretty much get all of the food that we recognize as normal food. It is not much! Â I can’t wait to go to an American grocery store when we get back and be able to recognize what all of the food is. We don’t have very many options here, especially because we can’t cook anything. Don’t they know that some American tourists don’t like to eat out every meal!?
Our most interesting mode of transportation!Notice the eggs on the shelf! Very fresh.
We had our tuk tuk driver drop us off at some of the local shops so we could grab some last minute gifts. Laura and I found out that we have the honor of being Maya’s godparents (Kristina and Dennis’s baby girl). We were so excited to have an excuse to buy little Thai baby clothes. They are so cute! Maya was actually born when Laura was in London, so Laura will finally be able to meet her for the first time on Saturday! She is the most precious baby, and we are so happy that we get to be a special part of her life.
We stopped for lunch at one of the local restaurants that had a nautical theme. It was kind of funny because even though it was ocean decor, it didn’t not belong in Thailand. It did have a super cool mural that made us want to go find a cooler place to snorkel!
We were transported to North Carolina for an hour… Never have seen a sail boat here.
We then had to walk back a little ways to the pier to take a long tail boat back to Railay Beach. We bought a big pack of water because it is really expensive where we are staying. Since you can’t drink the tap water, we have to buy it like you would buy pop at a restaurant. Our hotel gives us one complimentary bottle of water a day, but it is not enough if you don’t want to be chronically super dehydrated. It was cheaper to buy 12 bottles of water at the grocery store than one bottle of water at the restaurant we ate at today. We will never take free water for granted in America again! It adds up if you have to buy it wherever you go! Again, we were the girls walking down the street with a bunch of groceries getting very weird looks. I will definitely not mind if I never here, “Where you go? Where you go?” Asked of me by a taxi driver again.
Not your typical tourists…
After putting our new rations away, we decided to head back to our favorite beach to just relax. We all have started to read “Game of Thrones” so it was so nice to be able to just enjoy the sun and read. It hasn’t been super hot, so we are actually able to lay in the sun for longer than 5 minutes! Plus, we all have gotten some color, so we don’t have to worry about getting fried anymore. It was so relaxing!
Not a bad place to read!
We tend to be at this beach during low tide because there are less people, so instead of actually swimming, we just sit in the water. We miss the waves at Bamboo Beach! However, the water temperature here is perfect, so it is nice to just sit and chat in the water. You can just look around at the awesome scenery and be perfectly content.
So bright!Literally always laughing. Even while being blinded by the sun.
Sweet relief on the eyes!
After many hours of being in the sun, we were so hungry, so we tried out some of our new food! Peanut butter sandwiches are just as delicious as we remembered! We were going to go on a hike, but ended up having some good quality pillow talk until it was dark. None of us were too disappointed. I am going to miss getting to talk with these girls everyday! We are at the stage in life where things can change so quick, so we were noting that it will be really fun to see where everyone is at in 6 months or even a year. Paige will be married and Laura and I will both be graduated! It is pretty crazy to think about.
Only half of the evidence of quality pillow talk
We only have two full days left in this beautiful place until we start our incredibly long journey home. We still would like to do some hiking and kayaking, so we will see if we can put down our books long enough to get off the beach!
Ruby beach was really crowded and there were not any dry places to start a fire, so we decided to go down a few beaches to Beach 4 where there was actually sand and some drift wood to collect. After many hours in the car and our active activities, it felt so good to be able to just sit back, relax, and enjoy the scenery in front of us. We both noted the fact that not many people get have a fire on an empty beach next to the ocean, listening to waves crash and wood crackle. This will always be a special memory!
Eat Well Travel Often 
