A good friend of mine used to work in a psychiatric ward and she would tell me these crazy stories that took place at work. Her therapist told her sharing these stories with friends would help keep her touch on real reality. She used to tell me, "your reaction to my stories keeps me grounded, I need to know my world is not normal". I don't work in a psychiatric ward (however, being the only gweilo in my office can make ME feel crazy at times), but living in a city that is so far from my old reality, I have learned I need grounding moments just like my friend needed.
Checking out of this concrete jungle quarterly is a must. Not only to maintain my sanity, but to help keep a proper perspective on life outside this ever changing, ever inflating Hong Kong bubble. So, I need to escape to a place that's relaxing, where all my clothes for a 4 day weekend will easily fit into a duffel bag, a place where I can forget about emails, texts, and simply feel the warmth of the sun and the scent of lemongrass. (My parent’s front porch also works, but it takes 24 hours to get there!)
I’m a creature of habit. I like going to my neighborhood restaurants and coffee shops where the staff knows what I want without me having to order. Same goes for holidays. I like returning to places that I'm familiar with and where the staff are familiar with me as well. I like knowing exactly what to expect. I’m not a fan of researching hotels, restaurants and trying to uncover the must hits before heading out to relax. I don’t want to send 20 emails back and forth to the travel agent or spend hours surfing travel websites. I prefer pulling up the last email I sent to a particular hotel and resending it with my current dates and... done!
For this reason, Bangkok is simply amazing. I know shorts and flip flops work everywhere,
I know where to find fantastic food, where to get a great massage and most importantly, I know I won't feel guilty relaxing poolside with a good book, a stack of home magazines and perhaps one or four margaritas... ! You know that feeling when you’re
running late for a doctor’s appointment and as soon as you rush in and are confronted by a soft spoken receptionist, you magically respond in a matching soft tone?
It's funny how that works. Just minutes before you were rushing around
like a maniac, but as soon as you walk in you're immediately calm. That’s exactly what Thai people do for
me. They have a way of magically
relaxing me. It Just Happens! I mean… it just happens. There's no doubt about it, Thai people know the secret to the good life.
However, when you’re surrounded by as many amazing
destinations as I am, it’s hard not to explore a bit. So this weekend I’m visiting Singapore. I have done the research, sent dozens of
emails, asked all my friends where all the hot spots are located. Now it’s time to finally relax!
Nextstop post... Singapore!!
Next
