Somewhere: My Favorite Place in Thailand

Imagine getting on a bus, sitting next to your newly made friend who thinks and breathes your same hilarious thoughts. Imagine driving by green rice fields and on the edge of mountain cliffs. You hop off the bus to start walking in the wrong direction where a complete stranger offers you a ride. And y’all arrive to a beautiful resort with valley views, opening the door to the rest of your tribe asleep. There is jumping on beds and kisses of embrace.

In this cool land, a true paradise of scenery overload, a conscious community lives full of organic farms and roadside avocados. This level of compassion and human connection has never been felt, even though you’ve been living the land of smiles for four months. Although this place is developing, it’s still intact, untouched by foreign tourism.

So you’re taken aback by the beauty of this region; a region that some compare to Switzerland, but you can only compare to Costa Rica and New Zealand. You didn’t know something like this could exist in Thailand. But, at the same time, this is exactly what you’ve been looking for. Mindful vibes, waterfalls, mountains. And? 

And a temple on the glass cliff. You don’t believe a destination could get more magical. As you and your friends wind around in your private songthaew you see it. And as the clouds open, you really see it. A jaw-dropping temple complex designed with orbs, mosaics, domes, and statues.

It’s like Candy Land for adults.

You spend your day admiring, snapping countless photos before you’ve even reached the second level of the first temple. There is laughter and smiles. There is constant disbelief of how incredibly legendary this site is. And you get to spend all day in scenery sensory overload with your very best spirits. You get to take it in for yourself, see how it makes your friends feel, and then you get to really feel it.

A storm rolls through, and you dodge to take cover in a dome, moments later realizing its roof is slotted. You’ve lost your friends so you quietly sit, watching the rain, smiling at the surrounding Thai families. And all you do is send thankful intentions and wait for the rain to pass. And since you are a person that craves moments of silence, you yet again realize this is the best day possible. Everything is exactly the way it could be, and more.

There are more viewpoints to gawk from. There are backbends and headstands and moments of prayer, because that’s how y’all live it. There are more comments like, “this is unbelievable!” The visit ends as you and your tribe try to duplicate the gargantuan Buddha statue. A peacock crosses your path, and yet again life blows you away.

       

You pack back in your Thai limo. When your driver asks where to go, you say, “somewhere beautiful.” You trust him and the stunning landscapes he has driven you through. And honestly, you don’t mind hours on end jamming with your gypsy sisters to instrumental melodies while you drive away from King Kandy’s Castle.

You arrive at the Candy Cane Forest and really wonder if this is a game. Following the Thai’s actions, you take a photo-shoot peeping out the maze of aligned trees. You go to the popular viewing point, as your friends lag behind in confidence it’s covered. As suspected, you eat clouds and turn around huffing and puffing up the hill.

When Sunday arrives, you land on rainbow to end the game. Your friends and you deflate on the grass of a beautiful flower garden overlooking the valley. Another weekend ends too quickly with the people you vibe best with. As you sip on a delicious coco-caramel drink, breathing the cool mountain air, you decide to say something profound.

If I pinched myself right now . . . I think it would just hurt.