In the mean time...

I've now been home for 5 months...and boy has it flown by! I've been really busy...Since I've been home I...

Celebrated my nephew Caleb's 3 birthday...

 

Spent a week in Oregon...

 

 

Made it to the Annual Christmas Party with my Best Friends from High School...

Spent Christmas with my family...

 

 

 

Rung in 2012 with my best friends in New Orleans...

Moved back in with Monica, Tyler and the babies in Memphis...

 FINALLY got to be at one of the birthings and welcome my new nephew, Carter Richard into the family...

 

 

 

Reunite with my Best Friends from college in Atlanta and celebrate my 25th Birthday...

 

Make a trip to Mimi's house for Keeneland and Easter...

Got accepted into Portland State University Graduate School...

Quit my job and moved back to Shreveport..
and threw a Wedding Shower for my Best Friend...

 

I said I've been busy!!

All good things must come to an end...

Aunt Margie had  a 4am flight out of Bangkok and unfortunately, mine wasn't until eleven o'clock that night. So, I had the whole day to myself in Bangkok. The last day of what will definitely be the most incredible time of my life....What a mix of emotions that brings on! I was actually a little less freaked out about it than I would have thought. I wasn't necessarily ready to be done traveling, but I felt like Southeast Asia had run its course. I had checked off everything I wanted to do in that area and was ready to move onto the next chapter. Yes, I probably would have been a little more excited if that next chapter included Australia, but it's not going anywhere. I was very excited to come home and spend time with my friends and family that I miss a ton while I'm away. I think everyone I met on the road knew I had a niece and nephew at home that I couldn't wait to get my hands on!!

The hotel was nice enough to grant me a late checkout from the room. So I had a leisurely morning at the hotel: buffet breakfast, couple hours by the pool (free massage included), quick workout in the gym, and one last looong hot shower! I checked out of the room and headed over to the MBK, an eight story shopping center with over 2,000 stores. I had been told by many people that it was the place to go on a day to kill in Bangkok. They were right! I roamed through the endless maze of clothes, spices, and Thai trinkets for hours! Once it started getting late I went and enjoyed one last Penang and Chang at Queen of Curry and ran back to the hotel to pick up my bags and catch my cab to the airport.

It's always a weird feeling looking out the window on your way to the airport trying to soak in every last morsel of the country you are leaving...not knowing when you will be back. I experienced this every time I left a country, but this time it was different. I wouldn't be entering a brand new country when the plane touched ground next, I'd be home...the USA...weird. What's my next step? When will my next adventure be? What am I going to do with my life? All these questions swirling around in my head...What in the world does my future look like? Who knows!!

I spent my time on the journey home re-reading my journal and reliving all of the incredible experiences I have been so fortunate to have. What always sticks out most is the people...Some I only knew long enough to sip a cold beer together...Some I spent weeks traveling with. But every single person I met left their mark and made my experience what it was. I am so thankful for all of the new friends I made and hope to see as many of you again as possible on future trips!! And an extra special THANK-YOU to Aunt Margie for yet another incredible trip together!!! I am so fortunate to have an aunt that I can travel with and share these memories with! I can't think of a better way to end my epic adventure!!

So that's it, this is the end of this chapter...Until the next Adventure...

Bangkok in a Day

We really only had one full day in Bangkok to see the sights. Aunt Margie is all for hiring a personal tour guide when in a big city and on a time crunch. I was pretty excited because that is not something you can afford on a backpacker budget, and I missed out on a lot of stuff I could of learned in some of the places I had been. So we went to the concierge and signed up for the Bangkok full day tour! Our guide picked us up from the hotel first thing in the morning (after another all you can eat buffet breakfast of course) and we were off! First stop, Wat Traimit, or Temple of the Golden Buddha...

Home of the Largest "Seated" Golden Buddha in the world

 

 

Then we took a ride through China Town...

to get to Wat Pho, Temple of the Reclining Buddha.

 

 

 

Where we dropped 108 coins into 108 bronze buckets to bring good fortune and help in the maintenance of the temple.

 and walked through the temple grounds...

The next stop was the highlight of the day...I had been waiting to see the Bangkok Grand Palace since the day I landed in Southeast Asia nearly 4 months before.

The Grand Palace served as the official Residence to the King and the Royal family until 1925. Now it serves as a museum and his still used for some official functions throughout the year. It is broken into two main sections: Temple area and Residential. We started our tour in the temple area.

 

We saw the famous Golden Stupa which houses the breast bone of Buddha. Buddha's remnants were sent all over the world to be housed in temples of major significance.

Here are some shots of the incredibly beautiful and ornate temple grounds.

 

 

 

Wat Phra Kaew, Temple of the Emerald Buddha, houses a small Buddha made completely out of Jade and dressed in garments made out of gold that are changed each season by the King himself. This is considered to be the most important Buddhist Temple in Thailand.

(The pictures are very hazy because flash was not allowed)

 

In his Summer attire.

Then it was on to the Residential Area...can you tell the King that built this had a bit different taste in Architecture?

A mixture of French and Thai architecture makes for a very interesting building...

 We happened to be leaving right in time to catch the changing of the guards.

 
and to get a picture with this guy.

 
The last stop of the day was at Wat Benchamabophit, The Marble Temple. It is made completely out of white marble shipped in from Italy.

 
 
 Our amazing tour guide with "Starving Buddha"

 
Having the private tour guide was such a great decision! We were able to ask her all kinds of questions about Bangkok, Thailand, the temples, and the Buddhist religion. I learned more about Buddhism in that one day than the entire year I spent in Korea! Our tour guide was a very knowledgeable, sweet and hard working lady and we loved having her!
After the tour, we went and freshened up and headed back up to enjoy our last Happy Hour and Bangkok Sunset!

And then to one last dinner of Thai curry and Chang Beer!