the journey ahead
The Wednesday after Tet, I drove up to LA to pick up my plane ticket at this Thai travel agency in Thai Town that V. referred me to. That same week, I made one last trip to LA to the Thai Consulate, where the travel document and visa that I had applied for were waiting for me.
It’s slowly starting to hit me: that I’ll be leaving soon (1 week to be exact) to go to Thailand, to a forest in the Isan (Northeast) region of the country and to Wat Pa Phu Poeng. I’m excited and scared at the same time. Either way, I have a good feeling that it’s going to be quite a worldly and spiritually adventure.
It’s somewhat hard to believe that it’s finally happening, after all this time and after centering my life on this dream of mine, it actually might come true. It hasn’t been an easy process at all. Truth be told, there have been plenty of bumps in the road and obstacles along the way. In fact, there were more than a few times when I just wanted to throw in the towel and give it up on this crazy idea.
But I never gave up, not on this dream anyway. I’m happy to say that I worked so hard to make this happen and stayed the course through it all: Applying for the travel document, finding and purchasing a plane ticket, applying for the visa, looking for a monastery that I could stay and practice at, funding the trip, my own doubts and fears, and last but not least, fiercely guarding this dream from all the haters, nay sayers, and my parents. I’m happy and proud to have gotten this far with realizing something that means so much to me despite all the obstacles.
Trying to make my way over there hasn’t been easy, and I’m sure being there won’t be a breezy walk in the park either. Having spent quite a bit of time at Buddhist monasteries, I know what to expect…somewhat. At the same time, having never traveled internationally on my own before, in a country foreign to me where I don’t speak the language and will have to learn my way around really quickly, I have no idea what to expect. Somehow I have a feeling my expectations will not serve me well on this trip, so I’ll do my best not make sure not to pack them before I board that plane.
Speaking of planes, I’m flying out on the 17th of February. And there’s still a lot to wrap up here and a lot to preparations to make for there.
It’s slowly starting to hit me: that I’ll be leaving soon (1 week to be exact) to go to Thailand, to a forest in the Isan (Northeast) region of the country and to Wat Pa Phu Poeng. I’m excited and scared at the same time. Either way, I have a good feeling that it’s going to be quite a worldly and spiritually adventure.
It’s somewhat hard to believe that it’s finally happening, after all this time and after centering my life on this dream of mine, it actually might come true. It hasn’t been an easy process at all. Truth be told, there have been plenty of bumps in the road and obstacles along the way. In fact, there were more than a few times when I just wanted to throw in the towel and give it up on this crazy idea.
But I never gave up, not on this dream anyway. I’m happy to say that I worked so hard to make this happen and stayed the course through it all: Applying for the travel document, finding and purchasing a plane ticket, applying for the visa, looking for a monastery that I could stay and practice at, funding the trip, my own doubts and fears, and last but not least, fiercely guarding this dream from all the haters, nay sayers, and my parents. I’m happy and proud to have gotten this far with realizing something that means so much to me despite all the obstacles.
Trying to make my way over there hasn’t been easy, and I’m sure being there won’t be a breezy walk in the park either. Having spent quite a bit of time at Buddhist monasteries, I know what to expect…somewhat. At the same time, having never traveled internationally on my own before, in a country foreign to me where I don’t speak the language and will have to learn my way around really quickly, I have no idea what to expect. Somehow I have a feeling my expectations will not serve me well on this trip, so I’ll do my best not make sure not to pack them before I board that plane.
Speaking of planes, I’m flying out on the 17th of February. And there’s still a lot to wrap up here and a lot to preparations to make for there.