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 my friend Hannah here in Chiang Mai really knows how to rally a group! She orchestrated 15 of us to go to this lake at Mae Ngad Dam in Srilanna National Park. Just an hour-and-a-half motorbike ride away from the city we were passing through rice fields, food and beverage in our bags, and leisure on our minds. Needless to say with 15 people on the superhighway our motorbike crew was rollin’ deep!

The longer I’m here the more I feel like I’m creating a community of friends that I can just be myself with. At the same time, I’m learning that “myself” is transient, just like this life of travel. I keep changing, I keep evolving, but the one thing that is constant is my simple love for the natural elements. So what the fuck is a floating lakehouse? Don’t think about it. Just float.

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.