I'm home, well back in Canada anyway...after almost 40 hours in transit, I finally saw a familiar face when my good mate Adam Hicks picked me up at the Ottawa airport on Wednesday afternoon.
His first question of course was "how was the trip?". "Amazing", I answered. After that, I was almost at a loss of words I thought to myself; unable to define with certainty what I had just experienced. Needless to say I was in shock after 40 hours removed from the pristine beaches of Koh Chang and the everyday routine of having the privilege to ride at one of the world's best cable parks, Thai Wake Park.
Now while I sort through the motions of a reverse culture shock be it resolved that our way of life is no more worse nor superior than that of southeast Asia's, it's just different. But that's not to say we couldn't learn a few things...
The simplicity and pace of life is something we could appreciate here in the hustle and bustle mecca of North America. The genuineness of the people of Thailand is truly amazing; the smiles, cheerfulness, diligence, and selflessness is something that I will miss. Be it of course I will try to carry on this spirit long after I have left Thailand
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But upon further reflection, it's not so much about Thailand anymore as much as it is about the thrill and spills of traveling the world and experiencing another culture first hand.
For those familiar with Travis Rice's The Art of Flight, in the flim's introduction he talks about how our lives have become digital and that we tend experience things through endless amounts of hallow second hand information. "If we want authenticity, we have to initiate it," he says. That statement basically sums up my whole two weeks in Thailand.
The friendships made, friendships renewed, experiences had, and memories made is what continues to fuel my desire to want to keep travelling the world and seek out authenticity in everything I do. My two weeks in Thailand was not a question of quantity, a measure nor duration of time, no. It was simply something of quality. And to that I say, "hold quality undefined" (Robert M. Pirsig) my friends.
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All this to say that the next trip can't come soon enough...and thanks for following along!
