"DISCOVERING THE TRUE MEANING OF LIFE AND LOVE"

Thailand, 2006.

Written by Wanderercatt.

Khao Lak Police Boat Memorial.  Photo by The Wanderercatt.

The first time I visited Thailand, I was a student at university studying abroad. I decided that I wanted to take advantage of the many study abroad opportunities that my university offered, but where to go? In order to not go TOO out of my comfort zone, I decided to do a semester-long course in Australia (an English speaking country – yes that was a factor).  The beauty of this program was that there was a month-long study tour in Southeast Asia to open the semester.  We would spend a month visiting Malaysia, Thailand, Myanmar, and Cambodia before heading off to Australia for 6 months.

The more I try to put my life then into words, I realize that sometimes words are not sufficient to describe the feelings and experiences. I find it difficult to convey the emotions, sensations, and lessons that I learned during my time there.  It truly altered my perspective and taught me more about life than any class or vacation ever could. Despite my lack of eloquence, I want to share a few of my experiences because they truly were special. They live with me to this day and whether I am conscious of it, it shapes the way I think and act. Alternatively, I also don’t want to forget these times. As I grow older and do more, travel more, live more, I don’t want this important time in my life to fade into the background or become a dream.

Our group of 17 consisted of college students from all over the United States. We were all doe-eyed and excited to take in every experience and opportunity that was put in front of us. I had traveled a lot growing up, but it had never been without my family, so sometimes I look back and think that I never really visited all those places I had vacationed. I saw these cities and countries through fancy hotel rooms and restaurants, but I didn’t feel like I ever truly experienced the cultures.

Starting this journey and ready to board my flights, I remember being so nervous. I didn’t really know anyone in the group, and even though some of the students attended the same university as I did, I felt as if we were all but strangers. Little did I know that these people would become my family over the next 6 months and to this day, no one outside of that group will understand what we experienced because it was so unique..

A lot of the Southeast Asian study tour was meant to focus on scholarly education as opposed to life lessons.  In many of the other countries we visited museums, met with ambassadors, and listened to lectures.  And while that was all informative and interesting, as a psychology major, I wanted to focus more on people and how their culture and experiences impacted them.  I think that’s what drew me to Thailand. I felt that compared to any other country I visited I was able to connect more with the people of Thailand as well as my fellow peers.

Kao Yao Noi Bungalow. Photo by The Wanderercatt.

While in Thailand, we visited many different parts of the country, but the parts where I learned and connected the most were the places impacted by the tsunami.  

We learned about what happened on that fateful day, we visited memorials, and worked with a group that worked tirelessly to clean up the ocean. We would stay in open huts where we fell asleep looking at the millions of stars in the sky. We kayaked across the ocean, we drank by the fire, we told stories, we learned what it meant to connect not only as humans, but with nature.  We would meet people from all walks of life and learn about their stories. We would find that you can connect with anyone as long as you strip away judgement and see people for who they are. 

Kao Yao Noi View. Photo by The Wanderercatt. 

One of my favorite experiences, possibly in my lifetime, is doing a homestay on a tiny island close to Phuket. Our group was divided into smaller groups of 3-4 and invited to stay in the homes of the people living on the island. 

 My home was a simple one. It had a kitchen and a living area that opened onto a sleeping area. There was one bed where the whole family slept.  It was a simple hut built on stilts, as the rainy season can cause flooding so all the houses on this island were on stilts.  The bathroom was an outhouse, and if I can remember rightly, there was some running water, but it was scarce. 

The family consisted of a husband, wife, and son. The man was a fisherman and would go out at dawn every day and return at sundown with food for his family. They lived off the land. They grew and caught what they ate.  It was the true definition of rustic and it was magical.

Kao Yoa Noi Homestay. Photo by The Wanderercatt

Now, don’t get me wrong, I am not a girly-girl by any means, but this definitely tested my limits. 

There were giant spiders crawling the walls that the owner would throw the cat at so it could eat them. It was also the first time I saw a fully-grown kimodo dragon just walking around.    

This gracious family gave up their beds so that we were comfortable. They would wait until we were finished eating, so that we were never hungry. They offered us everything that they had just because that’s just who they were. No English was spoken by them, and we were reduced to only being able to say ‘Thank you’ in our very poorly spoken Thai. And even through our extreme language barrier, we all understood each other and respected each other. 

The last night we were there, we (families and students) all met on a dock and ate fresh crab that had just been caught. The sun was setting while we were overlooking the ocean and enjoying our fresh and delicious dinner. All of a sudden a dance troupe dressed in traditional Thai garb came out and showed off their cultural dances.    

With all of these experiences, I think the thing that I fell in love with while I was there was the spirit of the people. Yes, the land was beautiful, the food was delectable, and the beer was free-flowing, but the thing I remember most about my time there is the smiles on people’s faces, their unwavering spirit, and their humility.

These are people that not 2 years prior to our arrival had gone through the devastation of a tsunami

Many people had lost family members, friends, homes, and all their possessions.  Despite their deep sadness and loss, I always felt love radiating from everyone that I met and worked with. 

As a psychology major, I had the opportunity to work with a psychologist who was Thai-American and had moved over there after the tsunami to help the communities rebuild both physically and mentally. After meeting him through the program, I was able to work with him at an orphanage. I remember there were days where I would leave and just cry.  And not out of sadness for those children, but because despite what they had gone through and lost, these children smiled and laughed and played. They welcomed anyone that would volunteer there and make them feel welcome. How did these children, who some were no more than 5 years old, have such a deep understanding of empathy and love? How could they grasp such abstract thoughts, that most adults I know, including myself, have not figured out. 

As I remember those days so long ago, I sometimes find myself not believing that I actually got to experience everything I did. It seems so long ago, and when I look back, I feel as though I was another person, so much more naive and not really knowing who I was. 

Family in Phuket. Photo by The Wanderercatt. 

My time in Thailand truly changed the way I saw the world. It changed me in ways that no other experience could have.

I came to appreciate people and cultures that I had never experienced. I learned to see beauty in everyday interactions and it made me realize just how fortunate I truly am.  

I distinctly remember saying to myself, “please remember this feeling right now”. I wanted to hold on to the youthful sense of hope that one person can change the world through love and compassion.

- The Wanderercatt.