Having been home for a week, I've decided it's time to sign out. As I'm no longer in India or traveling, it's time to shut 'er off. I have been meaning to blog about Bangalore, the Maldives, and Bangkok so this final post will be pretty scattered. My time in India had its ups and downs, but the one lesson I've learned is the value of relationships, in all its forms. There is a lot of love and kindness in the world, and the people I've met and my old friends have inspired me to be kinder and more generous. There is never a reason not to be nice to someone, even if the other person doesn't recognize or reciprocate, the world could always use a little more kindness. Both new friends and old have been so kind and generous with me, I hope I can be as supportive to them as they have to me.
On to Bangalore. This trip was with a friend who visited earlier in the year, I just never got around to blogging about it. To be honest we didn't do much in Bangalore, although the exciting highlight was Taco Bell! When my friend first told me about Taco Bell in Bangalore I was so excited. Then I remembered it's India so I asked if there's beef, to which the response was a sheepish, "There's chicken!" I was a little bummed but when I actually had the chicken tacos and the nachos, it hit the spot.
So now I've been home for a week, and I'm really happy to be back. I've been feeding my Nordstrom habit, and was greeted by the Zappos shoes I bought while in India. (Though now I have to find a place to put all my shoes.) I've also checked off In N Out, Mexican food, ramen, and Korean food off my list. I still need to hit up IHOP, Taco Bell, and sushi. I've started sewing again, and I'm almost done with a dress already! But again, I'm happy to see old friends and faces. It's been really great to see people who have had my back this whole time. I'm so blessed to be surrounded by so much love and support.
On to Bangalore. This trip was with a friend who visited earlier in the year, I just never got around to blogging about it. To be honest we didn't do much in Bangalore, although the exciting highlight was Taco Bell! When my friend first told me about Taco Bell in Bangalore I was so excited. Then I remembered it's India so I asked if there's beef, to which the response was a sheepish, "There's chicken!" I was a little bummed but when I actually had the chicken tacos and the nachos, it hit the spot.
My new favorite place on earth is the Maldives. Having grown up in San Diego, I'm a little bit of a beach snob. A beach as a vacation destination is not enough, it should be a really pretty beach with turquoise water and white sand. I've only been to two beaches that I would call actual beach destinations: Maui and Nice, France. Planning our trip to the Maldives with friends, I knew the beaches wouldn't disappoint. And they didn't. The Maldives are utterly stunning, with turquoise water and white sand. I also love when the water changes from a rich turquoise to deep blue as the ocean floor drops off. The Maldives had that too. It was amazing. After flying into Male, we had to take a 20 minute speedboat ride to the resort, which was its own island. My very generous friends covered our stay at the resort with their free hotel nights, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to afford the Maldivian experience. The next five days were spent eating, sleeping on the beach, snorkeling along the different coral reefs, and wakeboarding. All in all, it was pretty effing amazing.
Water bungalows.
Stairs directly into the ocean.
Back balcony.
Sharks!
From there we went on to Bangkok. Another generous friend put us up in the Grand Hyatt, I didn't do so bad on this vacation as an NGO worker. We had suites and access to the Grand Lounge with free drinks and food. Later he also gifted us a spa afternoon and I got a nice massage, scrub, and mani/pedi. (I mean seriously don't I have the most awesome friends? I really am a very lucky girl.) We went to the crazy weekend market and got Thai massages everyday. We also hit up the red light district of course. But I think my favorite part was going with all my friends to the bespoke tailor. Bespoke clothing in Bangkok is pretty cheap so my friends decided to stock up on dress shirts and suits. I was planning on maybe going sightseeing or shopping while they were there but they asked me to come for some consulting. I was ok with that but it turned out to be so much fun! Getting to choose the colors of the shirts and suits, as well as giving input on general design as well as analyzing fit is my dream come true. The only way it could have been more fun is if I was buying clothes for myself.
Delicious curry crab.
Soi Cowboy
Grand Palace
So now I've been home for a week, and I'm really happy to be back. I've been feeding my Nordstrom habit, and was greeted by the Zappos shoes I bought while in India. (Though now I have to find a place to put all my shoes.) I've also checked off In N Out, Mexican food, ramen, and Korean food off my list. I still need to hit up IHOP, Taco Bell, and sushi. I've started sewing again, and I'm almost done with a dress already! But again, I'm happy to see old friends and faces. It's been really great to see people who have had my back this whole time. I'm so blessed to be surrounded by so much love and support.
Welcome home :)
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