Travel Decisions. Where to Next?

There are so many decisions to make. With a limited number of weekends, my time and money must be spent wisely. Would I rather go to Burma or Vietnam? Some other international students are traveling to Bali, and another group to Singapore. I would like to visit Angkor Wat temples in Cambodia and also get dive certified. I want to go to Chiang Mai for at least one weekend. I also would like to spend a day with elephants at a humane elephant camp for rescued elephants. A friend mentioned volunteering with horses which happen to be my favorite animal. I still have not made it to Ayutthaya or the Grand Palace yet. Even after spending 3 months here I know I won't be able to see everything. As disappointing as that is, it also means that I will just have to come back someday to visit the places I am unable to get to this semester.

With limited funds I am having to prioritize and make decisions about which places I would really like to go see. Would I rather spend a weekend on the beach or in the mountains? Do I want to see everything that I can in Thailand, or take advantage of the fairly inexpensive transportation and explore more of Southeast Asia while I am already halfway around the world? These are the questions that I'm having to answer and it's difficult. I am glad that there is so much to do in Thailand though!

I am learning all about transportation and getting around effectively as well as efficiently. Trains, buses, planes, taxis, skytrain, subway, tuk-tuks, motorbikes, and minivans are all ways to get around in Thailand. Finding the best way to get somewhere can be pretty difficult. There are multiple bus stations and different buses to get to those stations (or should we take a taxi?). It can get pretty confusing. I know the two main places to catch buses or vans to places further away. I know which buses to take to get there, but I have to really pay attention to know when to ring the buzzer to get off the bus. There is still so much to learn, but I'm getting better. The first big trip to Koh Samet took much longer than it should have to get there. Luckily, everyone was pretty upbeat about the all-day trip, despite the fact that we sat on the ferry for 3 hours before it actually left the dock and it took about twice as long as it should have. Websites like tripadvisor.com and agoda.com have been lifesavers so far, as well as others' blogs and advice that I've found online. The internet is a wonderful resource.

Where would you like to go? Start looking into it now. Print our some awesome pictures and tape them to a travel jar to collect change to start saving for your trip. Get a passport. Check out studying abroad, gap years, working abroad, volunteering, or traveling abroad. I'm already thinking about my next trips abroad and how I'm going to save for them. Hopefully I'll be able to go on a safari in Africa. I'd also like to backpack through Europe. I now feel like I know a good number of people to meet up with on my way through, thanks to studying abroad. This experience brings together people from all over the world. It's really pretty cool. I have connections everywhere!

“Adventure is a path. Real adventure- self-determined, self-motivated, often risky- forces you to have firsthand encounters with the world. The world the way it is, not the way you imagine it. Your body will collide with the earth and you will bear witness. In this way you will be compelled to grapple with the limitless kindness and bottomless cruelty of humankind- and perhaps realize that you yourself are capable of both. This will change you. Nothing will ever again be black-and-white.” Mark Jenkins