Some days ago we left Chiang Mai to start the first leg of our new adventure. After an emotional afternoon saying goodbye to Thai mom and dad, Michael and I began the process. Always late…always rushing…it’s the jetsetzero way and I’m coming to terms with that.
We blasted around town picking up some last minute supplies before dropping our motorbikes off at the rental spot and made our way over to the travel agency we had arranged our bus tickets through. 12 hours later I stepped off the bus in Bangkok wondering if I had even really slept at all. Back into the grips of hell. Back into the machine that had chewed us up and spit us out like a used up wad of 5 cent chewing gum. Only, this time, we knew what the fuck we were doing. We had three months worth of Thai experience under our belts, and were back to give Bangkok a square kick in the fish balls. “We ain’t scared of you mother fucker! We’re from Saraphi! Say something!”
33 hours later.
Feeling beat up and abused. I’m pretty sure that Bangkok still gets the last laugh. Michael and I are staring at each other on the subway.
“Are you ready?”
“Yeah, I am ready.”
The train slows as the muscles in my legs tense. Re-situate my bags to ensure the best mobility and improve our chances.
…
…
GO!

We exploded through the car doors like two clunky clydesdales making an escape from the glue factory. The train had already left. As we approached the station, motorcycle taxi drivers took note of our hurried hoofing and soon were being whisked away on the backs of two underpowered motorbikes with the promise that we’d make it to the next train station before the train did. We laced through tiny gaps in traffic like fat fingered construction worker trying to thread a needle. The driver flicked the throttle leaving our untimely demise only inches in the past. Three train stations and 800 baht later (400 over the quoted price) we were finally boarding the train headed towards Penang, Malaysia.



19 hours later.
At the Thai/Malay border. Standing at the customs and immigration desk. I’m being informed that I’ve overstayed my visa by 1 day. 500 baht fine. Cash. To be paid immediately. ATM’s on the other side of the train station. Most of the other passengers are already back on the train. FUCK! Well, that’s what the emergency $100 dollars I’ve been carrying around for 5 months is for. Open the envelope where the money has stayed for the duration of my time abroad. IT’S GONE! Ok, don’t panic. Be cool. No wait, this train’s going to leave your ass. Ok, now panic. Start rambling. Tell the officer that you don’t have enough cash. She wants to know how much you have on your person. Nervously finger five bills out of your cheap china town wallet. 120 baht and the 3 US singles that I promised to keep as a reminder of home. An older officer comes over and looks at the bills like I just wiped my ass with them and placed them on the counter. “That’s it?,” he asks. The first officer starts writing a ticket. Another officer joins the conversation. What the hell is that ticket for? She hands me the ticket and my passport. “Go to customs.” I go to customs. They barely check my bags and tell me to get back on the train.



16 hours later. We’re at our destination in Penang, Malaysia. Chilling in Farid’s apartment, who we met on couch surfing. In less that 36 hours we’ll be doing it all over again. Making the second to last leg of our journey to Australia via Kuala Lumpur. I was going to run around town, check out a national park, maybe do some hiking or something like that. But now that I think about it, my ambitions might just stop at the pool downstairs.
Since Chiang Mai: 4 motorbikes, 2 different subways systems, 1 overnight bus, 1 Train, 1 Tuk Tuk, 1 Ferry boat, 1 city bus, and a ride in Farid’s car(does that count?).

Hello Jet Set Zero! My Name is Michael (27, Social Worker) and I’m from Germany … well actually I’m from Bavaria, that’s near Germany! You may ask yourself why I’m telling you this … first of all, because I really really like Bavaria! Its a great place to live, we have beautifull mountains, clearblue lakes, amazing food and most important – all my friends and my family are there!  And second – I have to apologize for being from this country! I hope you will understand, that sometimes without any purpose I will make some mistakes …  maybe I write “mäibi” wrong or my language sounds a little bit rude! Forgive me, I’m from Bavaria!

Why am I writing here? Easy answer – because I’m living the dream! The last eight month I’ve been traveling through Southeastasia – Thailand (1), Laos (1), Vietnam (2), Thailand (1) again, Cambodia (1), Vietnam (1/2) again and Thailand (1 1/2) again! Long time, a lot of storys, a lot of questions and only a few answers! But these answers I wanna share with you, I hope you will enjoy them and if you have more questions, just ask!

How do I know Jet Set Zero? I was lucky, really lucky! It began with one of my many visits to Bangkok … sitting at the table in my favorite guesthouse and thinking about what to do and where to go next it happend: Tyler showed up! He told me all about the idea of JS0, about his life, about his feelings, about his wishes – in only two days I knew that I’ve found a new friend! We had some great days with the whole cast, wondering through the city of angels and all of them where so amazing, friendly and open that I was sure never  to forget them!

After my next trip through Cambodia and a pretty difficult time in Vietnam (long story, maybe I will tell it to you someday) I decided to go back to Thailand, not really knowing what will happen … and I ended up sharing a room with Bogdan and Evan, eating with ThaiMum + Dad, going to a Lakehouse, making Party with Ladyboys, relaxing in Pai, watching Loi Kratong, having great and deep conversations, making new friends and definetly having one of the best parts of my whole journey! I was “at home”, with my big JS0-Family and for a moment there was no other place on earth that I wanted to be more!

Goodbye Jet Set Zero! In Germany we have a saying: “Everything has an end, only the sausage has two!” So true, isn’t it? Also my time in Thailand with all the new friends had to come to an End … and what an END! Last Dinner with ThaiMum + Dad, I swear I have never seen so many men crying at the same time! It was heartbreaking but yeah, life goes on! Goodbye JS0!

Hello Jet Set Zero, again! And here we are again! In the spirit of JS0 Jean-Pierre and I decided to go to Australia and to be totaly broke when we arrive there … well the “broke-thing” was not really a decision, more the fact that I enjoyed life without any regrets! And I still dont have them! For what? Money is just money … it makes things sometimes more easy, the rest of the time it is just “there”! So, at the moment we are couchsurfing in Penang (Malaysia), in two days we head to Kuala Lumpur and from there … PERTH, Australia! Our Goal? Guess what … life in the country, make some money, go on traveling! Jet Set ZERO continues!

This week represents something that has been in the making for two years.

It’s the first time in two years that I’ve been home for the holiday season. Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s. the entire season. Family, friends, boyfriend, pets, the ‘neighborhood’. It all comes alive.

New York City, during Christmas is nothing less than angelic.

Thanksgiving boasts it’s Macy’s parade. Carols sneak their way into elaborate store front displays. Ice skating becomes the exercise of choice in Bryant Park and Rockefellar Center. It’s just the vibe.

2 years in the making… Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

While Jet Set Zero is coming to an end and we will finish filming this month, this is just the beginning for me. Loi Krathong sparked something inside of me. It put my entire life into perspective. I have come such a long way (literally and emotionally). I have grown so much as a person on this journey. I’ve learned things about myself that I would have never known if I wouldn’t have taken that leap of faith. Before this journey I will admit that I was at rock bottom. I had no direction, no motivation, living in a state of depression to say the least. I will admit that I cried every other day, if not every day back home. (Yes I cry.. Okay) Now the tears that come out of my eyes are tears of joy. I’ve learned how to be happy again. So, while this is the end of Jet Set Zero, I am here to announce that I will be calling Chiang Mai, Thailand my temporary home. I’ve made a life for myself here, a family, a group of friends (genuine friends). I’ve found something I couldn’t find back in Calhoun, Louisiana (Happiness). While I do miss my family so much, I feel that this is the right move for me right now. I’ve learned so much from everyone here and I am sure they have learned from me in return. So I feel it would be unfair to myself and my friends I have made here to leave so soon. We have so much more to learn from each other.

A small taste of what Joanie, Michael and I got into in Pai last weekend, capping off Joanie’s visit, my month of weekenders, and this lovely Thai life… for now.

The festivities are all alight, aglow, and blasting off into the sky as we speak, but your Loy Krathong vlog will be coming soon. So far it has be A-fucking-MAZING! Phenomenal! Breathtaking. As for me, I laughed, I cried… I lost my voice.

Food for thought: With 12 full moons in a lunar year, why doesn’t the U.S. of A have a festival – or even an acknowledgement – of this immense treasure in our sky?

More food for thought: Fuck em. Make your own festival.

I missed Loi Krathong. Honestly, out of EVERYTHING I wanted to see in Thailand, but knew I would miss by leaving early, this was that one thing that hit the hardest. I’d been excited about going to Loi Krathong, since hearing about it. Well, it’s night in Thailand right now and I know the guys there are having an awakening while watching tens of thousands of lanterns float up into the sky.

It has to be such a spiritual experience, and something I would consider bopping back into Thailand at some point to experience in person.

I hope the Jet Set Zero crew enjoys it thoroughly tonight. Wish I was there, but happy I’m here.

I also hope they are more successful than we were, trying to set off lanterns, when I was there.

Remember me and Jeremiah?

Experience Thai Mom in all her lovely, light-filled glory.

We’re moving out in the next couple days. Some will stay, some will go, but one thing that we all agree on is that Thai Mom and Dad have been amazing. On day one at this house, before we even paid or said we would move in, Dad gave me the keys and said, “You’re family now. You are like our children.” Mom raised her eyebrows and nodded with that smile that seems to never fade.

I knew that leaving this house would be tough. It’s not even the house, it’s them. It’s our neighbor, it’s the mechanics down the street that we smile at every morning we head out on our motorbikes – also the same guys that wrangled me in with Bogdan, one of our cameramen, for some whiskey tonight on our way to the market. It’s the endless smiles and Mom serving us homemade food on our patio and staying around to speak to us, even though we still speak hardly any Thai. Mom and Dad knew it would be tough, too. So Mom – speaking to me almost entirely in Thai – let me know that she planned a picnic for us. She said she would plan everything and knock on our doors to wake us up for a 9am departure. So Michael, Bogdan, and I went for it.

I didnt have the heart to tell Mom or Dad that I had already been to a floating lakehouse, but this one didnt include a private motorboat tug of the entire lakehouse out into the water from the shore, nor did it include Mom’s amazing food, or all the love. Walking across the wooden planks from the shore to the lakehouse, we were a family, all carrying food in bags and tupperware, with a Thai Mom making sure we were protected from the sun, a Thai Dad humbly making his way behind her, in front of a German, tailed by two Americans, one raise in Mexico and the other born in Ukraine. (Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt aint got shit on us.)

Before leaving Dad told us that he and his family hadn’t been there for about 20 years. This wasn’t something they did for just anyone. (Fun side note: Mom took all the cushions from their sofa and some blankets and totally turned the bed of their truck into a crash pad for us for the 2 hours drive there under the Thai blue sky, through rice fields, markets, huge temples and reclining Buddha’s, and breath-taking mountains. Something tells me she doesn’t dismantle her furniture for just anyone, either.) But as she and Dad have made clear, we are her Sons.

You can choose whichever language you desire to say it, but that’s love.

Crying is actually my default stress relief. When I have had no more, I’ve reached my brink, and emotions are at a high, I cry.

I’m not good at this saying goodbye piece. Never have been, never will be. I have trouble letting go, and wish I could take everyone and everything I’ve ever come across with me for life. I’ve been in the middle of a week long goodbye. It’s a lot. Bittersweet as it is, I stand by my decision to leave the show, and Thailand, early. Approaching the 8 week mark, of 12 weeks, I left Thailand.

Another day, another blog, I’m sure the details will come out. Today is not about the goodies. It’s about the love. All that needs to be known for the moment is that, for a number of reasons, it was time for me to head stateside.

I knew the day would be difficult. From finding out last minute (the night before) that I’d be leaving, I knew it was going to run me through the ringer emotionally, and it has. It was hard for me to look Jean-Pierre and Jeremiah in the face, for fears I would collapse into tears at the very sight of their eyes. I genuinely love these two. I may have the front on now, but my heart aches, not for leaving Thailand, or the project, but specifically for leaving them. They are what matters right now, on this side.

I think to the dinner they made for me the other night, and how much their actions of love transferred through their hearts and into my belly. That sounds gross but you get what I mean. I can’t say enough positive things about both these men, and I am beyond grateful to have been able to truly offer them the title “friend”. Friend to me, is as important as saying ‘love’ or ‘trust’. Both of which I have for them.

One of the conversations I was dreading was that to be had with Thai Mom and Dad.

I knew, walking into it, I was going to end up as a lost cause. In the security of one of their guest houses, they sat me down in what looked to be a double therapy session.

“What happened? Why you leave?” This was repeated. I wanted nothing more than to stop myself from crying, because I know it worried them. I tried to explain that I cry because I am sad, but nothing bad has happened. Mom doesn’t really play that though. She’s yelled at the guys, on my behalf, for letting me walk into town alone…when it was really absolutely fine. She’s made sure I was fed. Dr. Cosi drove me to and from hospitals and constantly checked up on me during the recovery of Dengue Fever. This has been a legit Thai home. I don’t know what has left more of an impression, his care, or the words he left me with today.

“If you really feel I am like your father, and she like your mother, then I want to say something as like my child. When you grow into adult, sometimes you have to make a decision and not look back. You have to just keep straight if it is right for you.” I needed to hear that more than he knew.

I apologized to the men of the house, in advance. I tried to calm their worries, but when Mom stops sending you free food, you’ll know why.

Their daughter is a travel agent and even scored my cheap last minute flight to take care of the leg I was missing from Bangkok to Hong Kong. Again, love. I’m surrounded by it, and grateful for it.

To these gentlemen, this house, Thai Mom and Dad, and Thailand…you have been a gracious host. I adore you for the hospitality, the learning about others and myself, as well as the very newfound appreciation I have for the concrete jungle I’ve returned to.

Ka pun ka! (Thank you!)

I’m out…