I'll take you in my backpack

You've followed me on my journey through parts of Thailand and a quick jump over to Cambodia, now how would you like to help me plan my trip for next summer?! Like a choose your own adventure, except, choose Laura's adventure :) Unless you want to come too then come on, let's be vagabonds together! I'd like to take a month (ish) next summer, rather than the 18-20 ish days I had this summer...so there you have it. No real parameters (please don't get me locked up abroad or infested with disease)...one minor stipulation is that I would like to spend more time in Thailand seeing more of the islands (perhaps Pattong, Koh Tao, etc) I'd also like to see Vietnam. Post suggestions in the comments and I'll start making a list. As the time gets closer I'll have a final listed posted here where people can help me choose :) This is going to be fun!

8/21/15 Well, sleep did not happen! That's really unfortunate for anyone I come into contact with today. Apparently the airport does heavy construction in the middle of the night. Tonight's soundtrack was welding. By 2:30am I felt sick and was freezing (I forgot to pack my socks in my carry on to keep my feet warm) I decided to go see about this shower situation. I expected it to be 1. Nasty and 2. A pay shower. It was neither of those things. It was amazingly clean and free! I love the system. You press a red button on the wall when you walk in (there is a changing room section and then you can step into the shower (the changing room has a lock to keep it private obvi) the red button turns on the water heater. Directions say to let it warm for 5 mins before getting in. You only get a total of 15 mins so I wasn't waiting the full 5! That water temp is hard to figure out. Mine was hot instantly. Then it got really hot and I had to jump away from it because it was burning

8/20/15 I woke up very early this morning, 3 something. I just couldn't get back to sleep. I think my body just new that my vacation was coming to an end and my mind was beginning anxious as a result. I haven't been this happy in a long time and I dread that vacation hangover, coming down from the excitement, settling back into the reality of things (at least until my next trip), and moving to a new place where I am completely unfamiliar. I can look at all of that as "not being on holiday" and "not Thailand" or I can embark on it as another adventure...so I will do exactly that! That's not to say that I wasn't completely morose when I woke up this morning knowing my flight would be taking me out of Thailand.  I am rather excited and hopeful though, I found a super neat opportunity that I'm hoping to take advantage of tomorrow morning. I overnight in Taipei (I did not get a hotel so I will be airport camping) and the tourism board offers free tou

8/19/15 Woke up rather early today and headed down to breakfast. I had lofty plans for my partial day in Cambodia, so there was no time to waste...but I was so freaking tired! Slow moving is an understatement. Breakfast had fresh cut mango today. I think I died. I filled a bowl and sat happily at my table devouring it. I may possibly turn into a mango in another life, I think that would be ok! Despite having a very organized suitcase upon arriving here, it now appears as though a tornado has ripped through the damn thing leaving havoc all over the hotel room. This resulted in unpacking and repacking to try to restore some order as the next two days are basically travel days in various countries, one of which I will have my luggage, the other I will not, thus needing clothing in the carry on to be able to not be so foul! I went to the pool for a bit and relaxed before realizing I really should be packing, so I headed back to the room and organized my clutter. I really do

8/18/15 After breakfast I found a tuk tuk and started my adventure. Adventure would definitely be the accurate way to describe things. We took some back roads which lacked serious infrastructure while my tuk tuk seemed to lack shocks. Then my tuk tuk driver got lost trying to find the location I was going to which was actually just a few km from the hotel. And of course he had to stop for gas which is an interesting experience in itself. It's not exactly a gas station! Yes that's gasoline in those...water bottles? liquor bottles? what happens is she uses that rusty old funnel and just fills you up. It was the same in Thailand. I'm not sure of the price here, but it was 40baht in Thailand! I made it to the Handicraft Association (which in itself is an amazing organization...non-profit, they sell goods from local villages and give the money back to them, they had some great items, weaving, pottery, you name it, all kinds of crafty things). I was there to make som

8/16/15 I got only 3 hours of sleep last night and had to wake up and be out the door to meet my driver at 5am to catch the sunrise at Angkor Wat. I was exhausted and my eyes would barely stay open! As you near Angkor Wat you see tons of tuk tuks with people doing the same thing, heading in for the sunrise. You can purchase a 1 day pass or a 3 day pass to the temple, I got one day and it was expensive (in my opinion) at $20, I have no idea what the 3 day pass costs. They take your picture as part of the pass/ticket. Not flattering. **update: this ticket gets you into all of the temples, much better deal! So don't lose the ticket or else you have to buy a new one!** When I finally settled in, on a slab of wall outside of Angkor, along the mote. I realized how worth it it was to wake up this early. It was peaceful. The sunrise was stunning. The backdrop was indescribable. Angkor Wat is a World Heritage site and rightfully so. They say that when you see the sunrise at Angko

8/16/15 Some things you're meant to say goodbye to, Thailand is not one of those things for me. It truly is a "see you later" moment. I know I'll be back again...soon, hopefully many times in the future. Still, doesn't make leaving any easier. I have over 900 pictures from my journey, all with amazing memories attached to them. But, it's time for a new adventure, and another passport stamp, as I head on to Cambodia! I had a bit of a slow start, being lazy and enjoying the comfy bed and beautiful view (from the comfy bed!) went to breakfast around 9 then made the spontaneous (and slightly irresponsible) decision to go to the pool for my remaining time, rather than pack! I paid the price when it came check out time! There's no telling what is where or what I will open my bags to reveal when I get to Cambodia tonight but how could I pass on a beautiful day in Phuket? I had not had one of those! It felt kind of weird showering and getting dre

8/13/15 Of course the weather would be nice today, the day I'm leaving Phuket. I even hear birds chirping. Taunting me. I can only hope that the rain moved in the opposite direction of where I am going! At least this will make for calmer seas for the ferry to Phi Phi and then later Krabi! To anyone who gets a gibbon post card from me, I apologize! I swear I didn't commission a 3 year old to write them. I wrote them in the back of a van on the way to the port to board my ferry. It was a bit of a winding and bumpy ride! I boarded my boat and we set sail. Minus the sails! We passed some fishing boats in the waters and legit after I snapped this pic I looked back and off the back of the boat there was a man, pants down, hanging his ass off of the back of the boat, taking a shit into the water, wiping with paper and throwing the paper into the water. Don't drink the water in Thailand. I can't emphasize this enough.  The boat ride seemed long, but maybe t

8/15/15 Woke up earlier than my body wanted to, to catch a ferry back to Phi Phi Island, another beautiful day. I'm lathered in sunscreen with more in my bag for the beach. I could have packed nothing more than a swimsuit and cover up as the formal attire in Krabi and Phi Phi appears to be "swimwear".  I can't believe that my time in Thailand is nearly over, I leave tomorrow. I spent so much time planning for this trip, counting the days as they slowly ticked by anticipating its arrival, and now it seems like yesterday that it all started. How did it go so quickly? Granted I still have a grand adventure ahead of me in Cambodia, but Thailand will have a piece of my soul. This place has been beyond my wildest expectations.  A nice hour and a half ferry ride and I was to Phi Phi. You can tell you're arriving at Phi Phi because the water gets considerably more blue and beautiful. It was beyond scorching so I made a beeline to the beach. I couldn't get