Part 2 of my island getaway. I’m genuinely excited to share this adventure with you.
So much more to come…
Peace and love, peace and love.

Part 1 of my video short documenting my isolated island getaway off Thailand’s eastern coastline.

The experience was nothing short of phenomenal! Hope you enjoy. More to come…

My celebration of life continues and this past week it included…

• Circumnavigating an island by kayak
• Making 9 beautiful new friends
• Seeing a shooting star
• Skinny dipping in phosphorescent waters
• Finding just what I’ve been seeking: peace, joy, love, and natural beauty

So pure.

Check out more photos on my Facebook page here.

My Paradise island crew (minus 1 swimming Frenchie.) We roll deep.

The Universe conspired to make my sojourn on this unknown island one of cosmic proportions.

Each natural element aligned and shone unabashedly before me in a myriad of forms. The life force of the pregnant moon breathed awe-inspiring life into me and my Paradise companions each night. Even days away from completing its monthly rotation, it appeared as though each night we were all on some other planet where the moon is always full. It’s affect was extra-humanly.

At night, phosphorescent light glowed and swirled between the undulations of our fingertips in the salty sea reminding us once more how connected we are and how much life is teeming all around us, even if it just takes a wave of a hand underwater to see. The feeling is nothing short of pure joy.

The “we” and “us” I refer to is the community of friends I made on the island. Each residing in our own wooden bungalows on the beach, we came together to eat, drink, marvel, and discuss the merits and challenges of this life of travel and this world we navigate. Choosing to lead these lives independently of one another, it amazes me just how seamlessly we connected. It’s as though the constellations converged on this small stretch of beach – which I hadn’t even really planned on going to – connecting Thai, Australian, Italian, French, British, German, American, and New Zealanders in a cosmic boom that brought with it the most beautiful calm you can imagine. It was beautiful and I will cherish it forever as we all continue on our respective paths, knowing in my heart it wont be the last time our paths will cross.

Between us we’ve adopted so many new customs on all our travels and lives, seeing who knows how much of this beautiful planet and its people, speaking on average 2 languages fluently and learning new words in different dialects every day – the simple beauty and the monumentality of these endeavors begins to strike a chord. Seems like the more one realizes the need to carry on in this kind of life, the clearer is becomes that it’s not always just you achieving your dreams, but a whole Universe guiding you, illuminating your path and other seemingly disparate paths along the way. As one uncertain step connects with the other, I fully embrace the purity and the power of faith, trusting that everything is as it should be.

And everything, ladies and vagabonds, is beautiful.

The photo - and friend - that inspired me to go to Paradise

I’m realizing just how beautiful independence can be. So I’m going on a trip.

I was going to make this trip with Jeremiah, but as it often happens, things changed. I’ll be spending about a week going to Bangkok to see a friend and a few of those days on an island that’s not even on a map. I will literally be off the map for 3 days, snorkeling, kayaking, swimming, and relllaaxing in a small beach cabin to myself on an island I can navigate on foot in a matter of hours. No electricity past 11pm, no internet, and I even have to bring my own food to eat. I foresee dreams coming true, ladies and vagabonds. And the area I’m staying at on this pristine island is called Paradise. I will actually get to use the phrase, “I’m going to Paradise”. Hahaha!

See, man! Life is so good! No sense in clouding up all this sunshine with negative energy – mine or anyone else’s. It’s time for a release… in Paradise.

Man, Vietnam is truly a stunning country. Having been from the far reaches of the north all the way down to the south, I feel qualified to make such a statement. But I feel like I am repeating myself: “THIS is the most beautiful place in Vietnam”. Well, only one more time, I promise. Phu Quoc Island is everything a tropical island should be – white sand, turquoise water, palm trees waving in the breeze, and freshly caught seafood served grilled on the beach every night for dinner. On the other side of the road that lines the beaches there is lush, green jungle. This is one of those that places that you need to be careful about – if you don’t have anywhere to be, you could really get stuck here.

And the amazing thing about it is that it’s not too crowded. The main beach is fairly developed, but with beach-front bungalows rather than high-rise hotels. It’s only an hour flight from Saigon and it cost me $40 one way, and taking the boat back to the mainland is $8 plus the cost of the bus afterwards. I can’t believe more people from Saigon don’t come here for a few days break from the city.

But having said that, the cast from Season 1: Saigon actually did come here for a quick holiday from teaching. You can read about their experience here: http://www.jetsetzero.tv/2008/12/01/sna-phu-quoc/

Suffice it to say, it goes to show that it’s very possible to have two completely different experiences in the same place. The words “gruelling”, “irritating” and “island prison” certainly didn’t enter my vocabulary while here.

Note: the last picture is the series is literally where I wrote this post on my laptop, gazing upon the sun as it went down over the Gulf of Thailand. They will have to drag me kicking and screaming away from here.