40 HOURS OF TRAVEL

Honestly guys. Travel isn’t always rainbows and butterflies, it’s not always beautiful and easy. Everyone told me that going in and I believed them but what I didn’t know is that I would be experiencing it all within 4 hours of leaving my house. 4 flights and 38 or 40 hours of travel, I was bound to get sick or something was suppose to go wrong.

But my first flight from Seattle to LA - It hit me. Maybe it was my own nerves and thoughts creating a sickness, like everything was too perfect that I needed something bad to happen. Maybe it was waking up at 3AM after going to bed at 1AM. Maybe it was the coffee on an empty stomach. It could have been a lot of things but what it wasn’t, was amazing.

LA to China was 13 hours.. And thank GOD for having Avatar on the TV in flight. That’s the only thing that made me not think for the first 3 hours. And thank god for Melatonin for putting me to sleep the majority of the rest of the flight. I remember getting off the plane and saying to Cierra “Wow I feel so much better” until we realized that we literally had to go all the way through customs again and get to our gate in the matter of 40 minutes.. I think the worst part was when we were literally 20 minutes away from our flight leaving and just getting to customs, the security said we had to take things out of our backpack and then repack. By that time we legit had 5 minutes to run across an airport we had never been to or could even figure out. 30 pounds combined by two backpacks on my front and back and then my heavy ass camera strapped around my neck.. running through the airport. I could feel myself ready to get sick again.. Cierra was ahead of me sprinting as fast we could and I literally shouted to her “Dude leave without me or tell them I’ll be there I’m about to projectile puke all over” but I kept going. We finally got to our gate and realized we were the last people on the plane.. We got to our row where I threw my stuff down in what I wasn’t even sure was my seat. And made my way to the bathroom again where I literally threw up my insides.

(This all could be too much information but it’s the reality)

I was LIVID when I sat back down and the pilot said “Because of turbulence above we won’t be leaving for another half an hour” - and then that half an hour turned into hour. I wondered why I even ran to the gate knowing that’s what had made me sick again. By this point I wanted to head back home because I was miserable. I wanted to cry and just lay down somewhere but with 4 flights and not enough time in between, it was impossible.

When we finally arrived at Bangkok we had 5 hours to kill until our final flight to Krabi.. That feeling of relief was like no other. Although I couldn’t keep anything down no matter what I tried to eat.. It dawned on me. That I was actually in Thailand. The place I had once dreamt about for ages.. Literally across the world from home. I started to cry and I looked over at Cierra and said “We’re really fucking here” And that was the moment I realized it was all worth it. I know that it could have been smooth sailing and I could have been like Cierra who had no problems at all the whole 40 hours. But I think it was in some way preparing me to appreciate the moments there more. Just because life has a funny way of doing that, you know? Regardless of me getting sick again our first couple days in Krabi..

I couldn’t tell you how happy I am to be here. Nothing good comes easy. And that’s a damn fact. This whole trip was a 6 month journey of planning - from emailing potential hotels to work with, finding the best places to eat / hike, hidden spots, all the beautiful waterfalls we’ll see. It took a lot of planning and work. I should have known then that this trip wouldn’t be all perfect and glamorous. And that you really can’t plan for EVERYTHING..

So if there’s anything I can say to you.. Take the bad times and appreciate them so much. Yeah I said that right. Appreciate the bad times.. because in the end it makes you feel blessed forall the little things so much more.

I’m writing this on day 2 or 3 of officially being in Thailand. Where I woke up sick again but sort of smiled.. Knowing how much worst it was a couple days ago, how I could just be at home in WA sick there, that it will pass and I’ll officially be able to enjoy my month here. I just feel that with every new journey there comes so many situations you can’t plan for or prepare enough for. So just accept the unknown and the bad. It makes you appreciate the positives that much more.. And really life is out of your control, the only thing you have real power over is yourself and your mindset. One thing that’s been a huge learning process for me especially this past week while traveling.. So if I have any advice to give you.. Always have an open mind. Appreciate the negative / bad times - without them you wouldn’t know how good things are. All the travel photos and videos you see online, are the highlights and not the lows.. And don’t drink coffee on an empty stomach before 40 hours of travel. Lol

But on that note - I’m leaving the beautiful Krabi after exploring 4 days and I can’t wait to write about my time not spent sick..

Thank you for being Lost in a Dream with me.

With lots of love,

Niki

LifeNiki HerringApril 8, 2019thailand1 Comment

Life

LIKE WE WERE YOUNG AGAIN.

I’ve felt like more childlike wonder these past 2 months than I did all of my last year total. You see, I always have a young spirit and I love spontaneity, adventure, always being on the go, you name it. But with that, also comes an old soul in me; the worrying and figuring out of the future. I sometimes forget the slow down period. The period of looking around and taking in everything that this moment offers. I forget to scream to the world just how happy I am when I feel like it, to laugh out loud to the point someone could mistake it for a dying seal, to cry when I feel something. Sometimes I just forget to really live. Like how we did when we were young.

A YEAR OF LESSONS

Here we are again. End of December looking back at everything that happened throughout this whole year, that bittersweet reflection of everything you’ve done throughout the past 365 days. That sort of painful sit down of looking back knowing it’s about to be nothing but memories in the past. Knowing all those moments were literally once in a lifetime. It’s so bittersweet.

WINTERTIME BLUES.

Some days are better than others.. I’m sure if you suffer with depression or anxiety like I do, you know that sometimes you’re on top of the world and it feels like you could scream to it just how happy you are and how great life is.. Sometimes the world feels like it’s crushing down on you instead. To a point you just want it to suffocate you, to take away the uninvited thoughts and feelings. Right now it feels a lot like being suffocated.