Incoming bold statement: So far Megatrip has been easy. It can be hard for us to see that if we focus on things like the slow-motion detonation our former lives, pesky foot lacerations, and Sara deciding it would be a good idea to crush a car into a cube and bring it along as her suitcase.
But in terms of travel, Megatrip has been easy. We’ve been to only one country so far, we’ve kept flights to a minimum, and we’ve spent all but 2 days on the beach. Seems like a respectable way to start an extensive transcontinental journey, right? Well, just like the policy of our travel insurance, the percentage DEET in our bug spray, and the acceptance of our burgeoning probiotic dependency, the leisurely start of our trip was an intentional design choice. And one of the most important factors in this feat of preparatory engineering, was that the one country we’ve been spending all our time in was one we were already well acquainted with.
Among the many interconnected organisms in the Megatrip planning ecosystem, WhereToBeginium was an element tied to just about every nutrient cycle and energy transfer out there. We knew because of things like budget and weather that we’d want to start in Southeast Asia, but picking Thailand as our launch pad wasn’t necessarily a given. In the end, three factors contributed to the Land of Smiles getting picked #1 in the Sara & David travel draft. First was the desire to celebrate the shit out of Megatrip by getting drunk on as many beautiful beaches as possible. Second was an attempt at poetry, starting the trip in the same place we first talked about doing it. And the last, in all honesty, was comfort.
Thailand is familiar, if spending a total of one week there 3 years ago can qualify it as such. And the thinking was, that when abandoning our lives as we knew them and embarking on something completely new, it might be nice to start somewhere we have at least a hazy notion of what we’re doing. Like a travel security blanket. A heavily polluted travel security blanket. With a major human trafficking issue. Look, don’t read into it too much. The point is, whether it made sense or not, starting in a place we’d been before at least gave us the illusion of dipping our toes in the water rather than bellyflopping on top of it. Or even drinking it from the tap, which is also a no-no for us. And for the most part, the plan, at least the illusory part of it, has seemed to work alright. But now that we’re comfortable, it’s time to tear away the blanket, throw it off the diving board, and hand it down to our younger sibling for whom it’s more “age appropriate”. We’re going to Laos, and we are officially in uncharted territory for the foreseeable future.
This next destination is, again, a fitting one. Laos has been a place that’s fascinated us for years. With its remote river towns, overlooked (in the U.S. at least) cuisines, and truly bizarre backpacker party history, it’s a place that feels so different and strange it just needs to be explored. Add in the fact that we know almost no one else who’s been there, and the anticipation is equal parts intimidating and exciting. The transition from accessible, sandy shores to a distant, landlocked wilderness was another intentional one, this time purposed around providing a healthy shock to a potentially complacent system.
We’ve joked to each other that these first few weeks in Thailand felt like the first vacation we’ve ever taken. We’ve been on many excursions together, but they were predominately bloated affairs, rife with an urgent emphasis on seeing, eating, and drinking everything we possibly could. It was our way of making the effort of these adventures worth it (feel free to substitute “effort” with money, PTO, indigestion, etc). In contrast, the past few weeks in Thailand felt extemporaneous, unrushed, and frequently stoned. And it was wonderful; Enough so to significantly influence how we approach the rest of this trip, and any travel beyond it. But still, the vacation now has to at least take a back seat so the true travel can begin. And with those first few weeks to get our bearings, train our digestive systems, and mentally prepare for this nerve-damaging heat, it’s time to get off the beach and head into the jungle.
Wait, it’s an actual jungle? Like with snakes and bugs and shit? Is anyone else kind of chilly all of a sudden? I think I could use a blanket.
