Negative 23 degree weather, snow flurries, icy roads, layovers, 20 hours of flying, too many songs and TV shows and movies, and more craziness. These past couple of days have been crazy. I have finally arrived in Bangkok, however; our first destination!
After finals finished I headed up to my grandparents’ house in Red Deer, Alberta, with my brother. We drove from Spokane through Banff and the Canadian Rockies—a beautiful drive. I then spent six days just with my grandparents and brother, and an additional four with my parents, sister, Belgian exchange student, and cousins. Red Deer (affectionately known as Dead Rear to many) is a relatively small, flat, and cold city, however it is a place that seems to always be special. Although it was so cold we couldn’t go outside, and indoor activities were limited, I had a great time there and wished I could have spent more with my family.
On December 27 I set off at 10:30am to drive back to Spokane, where my first flight would depart from. It was a snowy and slightly slow drive, but a nice one nonetheless. After a slightly sleepless night at my house in Spokane I caught an Uber at 3:30am, and headed to the airport. The flight should have been quick and easy, however once we boarded the plane we were told that we would have to wait while they fixed a spring which helped the oil cap operate. An hour later the issue was fixed, and the paperwork was filled out. We then had to spend fifteen minutes deicing, and we were off. Upon landing we were required to wait 25 minutes on the tarmac for our gate to open. After these ordeals, this easy two hour flight took nearly four hours.
After landing in SFO, I was picked up by Bryden’s family, and we went to breakfast. I had a delicious waffle with lots of apple slices and silky fresh whipped cream, and Bryden and I headed to the airport. We checked in to our flight and quickly were through security.
We then boarded a 14:30 United flight to Hong Kong. Going into this flight, I seemed to forget that it would be so long. Although the flight was fine (good food, lots of movies and TV shows, and they didn’t card us for wine), it was certainly long. Over fourteen hours in a small seat with nowhere to go is a recipe for discomfort. United did a good job minimizing it, however.
With a two hour layover in Hong Kong, we couldn’t do much, but we still managed to find some good Chinese food and relax a little before heading out on our last three hour flight. The airport was huge and efficient, so we had no trouble getting through transit and finding our gate. We flew from Hong Kong to Bangkok with Cathay Pacific, and had a really great experience. The plane was older than the brand new 777-300 we flew on to Hong Kong, however it has much nicer seats and more storage. We were also lucky to be placed in the back, which was fairly empty. Bryden and I shared a row of three seats, and had no-one behind us. We were able to recline and relax and enjoy this flight, rather than tolerate it.
Upon landing in Bangkok we went through immigration easily, caught an Uber into the city (only $10 for a 30 minute ride!), and checked in to our hostel. Although Bryden and I have traveled a ton to get there, we have been comfortable the whole time. I was (more or less) awake for about 30 hours, so after a good sleep I was able to wake up somewhat adjusted to the time change.
I am extremely happy to be here. This trip has been different from the ones preceding it. When we went to Vietnam, I constantly anticipated the trip. During the weeks leading up to it, I always seemed to think that there was more to plan or prepare. The trip filled my thoughts. I had similar thoughts last spring before heading to Europe. I knew that I would become accustomed to lots of travel while living in Spain for five months, however I still constantly thought about the trip and anticipated any detail that I believed would be important. I wasn’t necessarily worried about being unprepared, but rather I was extremely excited for the trip and wanted it to begin as soon as possible. I seemed to think that by thinking about it, I could begin experiencing the trip vicariously through my research and planning.
This trip has been different. It isn’t that I am not excited; I am beyond excited for these next few weeks, but I am not as worried about the trip. After I roughly planned our itinerary and made all the necessary reservations and travel precautions I didn’t think too much about the trip. Maybe I am just becoming more comfortable traveling. Maybe I am not thinking about this trip enough and I should be considering more things. Whatever it is, I am excited, and now that the trip is starting it has begun to feel much more real.
Tomorrow Bryden and I will spend the first of two days in Bangkok. My brother spent time in Thailand this past summer and recommended an itinerary for us. We will attempt to take a tour of some of Bangkok’s canals, see the Royal Palace, and eat tons of delicious food. Hopefully we won’t be too tired, and we will be able to make the most of our short stay in Thailand’s capital.
As always, please comment below if you have any questions or comments or recommendations. This adventure has finally begun!