Isabella, Giselle and Bax!: Thanksgiving in Thailand, The Land of SMILES

Thursday, December 08, 2022

Thanksgiving in Thailand, The Land of SMILES

I read somewhere once that "the best education you will ever get is traveling. Nothing teaches you more than exploring the world and accumulating experiences." That we did, we traveled to Tokyo, Bangkok and then wound up in Phuket. A TRIP OF A LIFETIME!!! I wanted to pack light and bring home souvenirs, so I visited the thrift store before I left and spent $30 on clothes to wear for the week to leave there once the vacation was over.

I have to be honest and tell you that I didn't think we would be able to survive a 23-hour flight (the longest we have ever been on), but WE DID. We watched several new movies, slept, ate, drank and played card games. We stayed in bustling Bangkok for four days. It was there that we visited Wat Arun, a striking temple that is one of Bangkoks landmarks. We visited an interactive museum and learned about "all things thai. The girls especially loved the museum. We hit the street markets filled with every kind of food imaginable and we tried to eat a bite of everything! We got to visit the largest flower distributor in Bangkok, and it was oh so beautiful and fragrant! We cruised the streets in a "tuk-tuk."

We took about an hour plane ride to Phuket from Bangkok, and it was there that we stayed for 6 days. We had a beautiful room with our own personal pool outside and plenty of space. In Phuket we visited more temples, walked in the jungle with several elephants and also visited the James Bond Island and Panyee floating village.

I can't tell you how REFRESHING it was to go on a cultural adventure vacation with my family. Those all-inclusive trips to Mexico where you are herded like cattle get dull with a capital D. I enjoyed watching the girls frolic in the water at the beach, trying new foods and learning "all things thai."

Thailand is known as the "land of smiles" and that it is!! Everyone SMILES at you all day; every day and they are such friendly people! The weather was gorgeous - between 85-90 and SUNNY. AND for a foodie like me, I was in my GLORY - eating freshly caught lobster and trying so many new foods. It was so enjoyable, that when it came time to fly home, NONE of us wanted to leave. Bob was joking that he was going to leave me there so I could explore more. Reality calls and we are back home. The puppies missed us immensely and are happy we are back. Us girls had a hard time adjusting to time when we got home. All three of us would wake up and stay up every day at about 2 a.m. After 4 days of an off cycle sleeping schedule, we are back on Chicago time. While I took well over a hundred pictures, here are some of my favorites from the trip to Thailand. In the meantime, I will be crafting up our next family adventure. I'm thinking Bali, Greece or maybe even the Maldives?? I am beyond blessed that Bob believes in my crazy travel ideas!