Top 3 Places

1. San Diego, California

2. L.A. California

3. Thailand

Events

1. Roadtrip to California.

2. Loi Krathong (Chiang Mai, Thailand)

3. Taking off of the runway in L.A.

4. Getting in touch with my spirituality.

People that changed my life (had to list 10 for this one)

1. Evita Robinson- for making me realize what a strong person I was.

2. Jean-Pierre Chery- for being a big brother to me.

3. Tyler Batson- for opening my eyes to the world around me.

4. Bogdan Tiflinsky- For making me realize that cameramen have souls too. And becoming a part of my family.

5. Evan Engel- Same as Bogdan. Can’t wait for you guys to come to the Bayous.

6. Nui, Black, Tor, Mint- for showing me what real friends are.

7. Nora Godkin- for bringing out the animal in me!

8. Benz and Meang- for being awesome friends that I will never forget.

9. Ying- for being my big sister and friend!

10. Thai mom and dad- for bringing us into their lives, and treating us like their children.

11. Cameron and Kanako- For being my partners in crime.

12. Last but not least, Mom and Dad for supporting me along the way.

Most Memorable Moments (Needed 4 for this one)

1. Loi Krathong (Chiang Mai, Thailand)

2. Showering in the waterfall (Chiang Mai, Thailand)

3. Caressing a tiger while it slept (Chiang Mai, Thailand)

4. Jet Set Zero

Successes

1. Getting out of Calhoun, Louisiana.

2. Making a group of true friends. Ones  I will never forget.

3. Finding happiness.

This year was a major milestone in my life. I have been blessed with so many great things. I know that 2011 will be a year filled with many more adventures. 2010 was just the beginning.

PS: This was on my List of Things To Do Before I Die. Swish!

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!

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.

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.

Let’s see. What did Michael, Joanie, and I do in Pai?

• Eat
• Sleep
• Read
• Eat
• Sleep
• Hike
• Eat some more

Yep, that pretty much sums it up.

As soon as we arrived Joanie and I couldn’t stop gushing, “It’s so cute!” Seriously, Pai is just one of those sweet little towns you can get sucked into – most likely while swinging in a hammock. Sitting on cushions on the floor of bars is a norm, reggae music and bossanova versions of Western Pop hits fill the streets and restaurants, and the smell of amazing Thai food follows you almost everywhere. The best part, however, is the people themselves. Their smiles are always without judgement and carry a warmth that will make anyone just want to relax and enjoy. Highly recommended. But a warning: if you are prone to motion sickness, knock yourself out because its a long, windy (and ultimately rewarding) road up the mountain to Pai.

Peace, love, and Pai, dude!

So I got a few days off work and my lovely friends, Michael and Joanie, and I will be heading out of town for the last few days of Joanie’s visit. (If you havent yet been introduced to Joanie click here.)

Here’s a taste of a few things we could possibly be getting into:

• Hot springs
• Waterfalls
• Awesome reggae scene
• Caves
• Whitewater rafting
• Hilltribe villages
• Forrest cabins

I’ll report back shortly. Over and out.