The Campaign

I have been back exactly two weeks and my mind is still reeling. I can't believe it. I thought I had it bad 6 years ago when I returned from my 7 month-long Southeast Asian tour. I covered Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia and even Tokyo. It was a fulfilling trip. The energy carried me for the last 6 years as I constantly returned to Thailand hoping to recreate the fire that had ignited a passion I didn't know existed within me. Well, the fire was set blazing again this time, but out of control, in a way that I need to harness to fuel the quest that I'm now about to embark on. What better place than this blog to document the start of my campaign to take me back to my home away from home.

First thing's first. Money. I plan on returning to Haad Yuan indefinitely in January of 2011. Since I work a meager three and a half days a week as a registered massage therapist I'm by no means living paycheck to paycheck but I'm not also not one with a huge amount of disposable income. I own a beautiful one-bedroom apartment which I absolutely adore. It is completely furnished with souvenirs from all my various travels: India, Thailand, Cambodia, Viet Nam, Mexico, Morocco, Laos, Costa Rica, Peru, not to mention antique Chinese as well as vintage furniture. Hence, there is a lot of color. No cold, bare minimal effect. Only warmth and comfort. Admittedly, it bares a slight resemblance to the local hookah lounge. No fancy pipe here...Inspired by my travels, I have tried my best to bring the beautiful outdoors inside my home. I have hardwood floors, slate in the bathroom and stone-colored porcelain in the kitchen. The walls are a fire-like sunset contrasted by a soft wheat. Various blue accents remind me of the ocean. Did I mention my family of plants? I won't tell you how much I worried about them while I was away this last time. My mom did a great job with them, though. Thank you so much. I even asked her to talk to them. I have yet to set up my indoor fountain. But would that be too much? Okay, you get the idea, right? I don't want to give up my home. But how can one live in two places at once? Yes, oh my god, I have to rent out my home while I'm gone. Worse, I've decided to move out the beginning of October so I can rent a live/work studio to live and work out of for the last 3 months of the year. I've estimated that it will save me roughly $900/month for my trip. If I make my potential tenant sign a one-year lease that brings me back to Vancouver for October 2011. Perfect, just when monsoon is getting under way.

I once went to Haad Yuan during monsoon. It was November 2006. It is apparently the rainiest month of the monsoon season. I can attest to that. I only spent two weeks there. I was sad to leave, especially since this cute little black kitten had become best friends with me. My bungalow was about ninety horrible concrete steps up on a hill. She first came up to me at Big Blue restaurant. We cuddled for a couple hours. The next day I heard a "meow" outside my door and there she was. My ex-boyfriend let her come in to sleep with us in our bed. How or why this little kitty sought us out way up there still baffles me to this day...She came up constantly before we left.

The rain drove us away. The beach also wasn't the same back then. Vincent, a french fellow who looked very much like a sadhu, with his beautiful long black hair, kept crying about the good-old days when Haad Yuan Bungalows was still down on the beach. It was the main hub, a resource centre of sorts. Centara, a massive 5 star resort, was not yet built. He was speaking of the magic from 2004. There really was something there. Anyone you ask from the "family" will recount those days with heartfelt reverie and aching. With those ghosts of Haad Yuan-past teasing me unrelentingly, we ran to the solace of Krabi where it was much drier in the east coast. Very worth it. I did my first rope-climb on Ton Sai.


So not only do I have to start mentally preparing to allow someone else to enjoy my apartment, I also have to get used to the idea of living and working out of the same place in October, as well as having to STOP all acquisition of any fashionable garnishings, eat out less, drink less wine...it's a means to an end. Did I mention that I now need to work more? But I'm driven...