30 Day Affair by Danielle Cesar

       As I strolled along a secluded beach I realized that today marks one month that I've been traveling through Asia. It's ironic how quickly a month passes by and how much it changes you. It seems like a lifetime ago I said goodbye to my loved ones and hopped on a plane to India. A plane ride that marked the start of a grand life changing adventure. Four countries in one month: India, Thailand, Laos and now Vietnam. Already a lifetime of stories and experiences that I'll never forget. There's been a lot of great experiences; from seeing the Taj Mahal,  to bonding with my host family in Goa and attending a wedding between Dubai business people that's estimated cost was 10 million usd and that I was so underdressed for! Trekking to the top of the tallest mountain in Thailand, eating the most amazing dumplings from a street vender, visiting the spectacular waterfalls of Luang Prabang, Laos, and now finding myself on this empty beach in Danang, Vietnam with mountains looming in the distance and the sun starting to set.

        Of course the bad experiences always make for the most entertaining stories though! Let's start with diarrhea for 5 days in India, to a 12 hour infested roach train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai, then enduring such freezing weather that I'm still trying to recover from a cold two weeks later and a 24 hour bus ride from hell (Chiang Mai to Lau Prabang). I don't know what I'll encounter each day, it's always something new and that's what I love about traveling. Every day I wake up and feel like I'm dreaming. I have to keep reminding myself that this is my reality. Each experience is molding me into the woman I'm supposed to be and I can't wait to see what's in store for me throughout the next few months.

Taj Mahal

Taj Mahal

India Wedding

Sunset in Goa

Bus ride from hell hotel room

Bangkok

Out of Shape and Trekking by Danielle Cesar

When trekking through a rainforest and jungle you have a lot of time to reflect about your life. Throughout the trek in the Doi inthanon national park to the tallest mountain in Thailand, I realized how out of shape I am! Dripping with sweat in the freezing cold, thighs aching from the climb, breathing heavy and feeling slightly dizzy from the lack of oxygen, but my body hasn't felt more alive than it has in years! Even before I packed up my bags and left for Asia I knew sitting at a desk for 8 hours a day staring at a computer screen was not for me. Making it to the top of the tallest mountain in Thailand - 25,653,341 meters above sea level - even though there were times that I didn't think my body could take anymore but my mind persevered and I kept reminding myself that it would be amazing when I reached the top reminds me of my career. I know the road I'm traveling is grueling, but once I get to the place I want to be in life it will all be worth it.
                                   

On this day I feel as if I took back control of my body, my mind, my career. It's my life, I want to feel as alive in my workplace as I did when I reached the summit point on top of the mountain.

Roach Train by Danielle Cesar

24 hours later and I'm finally able to sleep in a bed that isn't infested with roaches. "Let's take the sleeper train from Bangkok to Chaing Hai," my friend says, "I've heard it's very comfy and cheap!  I set to board a 6pm train at the MRT station Hua Lomphong in Bangkok, thinking that I would sleep most of the twelve hour journey in an air conditioned cabin with a top or bottom bunk bed and when I awoke I'd be in the beautiful northern city of Chiang Mai. Sounds simple enough right? Oh how wrong I turned out to be about two hours into the trip. We spotted our first giant roach friend peeking out between the cushions of the chair. After bringing it to a not so quick (those suckers are fast!) and gruesome death we thought we were in the clear. Wrong again. Over the course of the next hour we battled roaches with OFF Insect repellent and sneakers. I'm sure that must've been a sight for the locals surrounding us. No one else seemed perturbed by the presence of roaches.  

After standing our ground until 11pm, my friends climbed into their cubby holes (aka the top bunks). I'm left standing in a cabin of about forty people all with their bed curtains drawn and sleeping. Hell bent on not waking up with roaches on me or in any of my belongings I decided I wasn't going into the cubby hole and I'd stand the remaining 7 hours.

Did I actually accomplish my standing protest? Nope, not in the least. After not spotting any roaches for a while, around 1am I maneuvered my way up the tiny ladder and into my cubby hole. I'm 5'3 and could was barely able to stretch my legs so I sat up right with my backpack next to me reading until 3am and then involuntary sleep started to take over my body. After dozing for fifteen minutes the train stopped abruptly and I was shaken out of sleep. I stayed awake until the train attendants came around to convert the cabin back into seats between 5-6am. Once my friends were awake and alert I felt semi safe to sleep knowing they were watching and dozed for the last 30min. We pulled into the Chiang Mai train station at exactly 7:15am. I think I was one of the first people off that train!


Now of course I understand that I wasn't taking Amtrak and conditions are different in every country. I've mentally prepared for all of sorts of scenarios but I never in my wildest, over active imagination did I think roaches would be coming out of my bed. On the bright side, it seems as if we might've just had a ridiculously dirty car because other travelers I've spoken with since arriving in Chiang Mai didn't spot any creepy crawlers. So don't put off taking the train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai! If you don't want to waste a day or pay another nights accommodation, the sleeper (overnight) train is for you. But if you have time I'd recommend taking it during the day, I've heard the scenery traveling across Thailand is beautiful and you miss all of that taking a sleeper train. You live and you learn! I'm currently in a cramped minivan making my way to the border of Thailand and then on to Lua Prabang, Laos. Hopefully this 18 hour journey doesn't have any roach passengers along for the ride.

The Beginning by Danielle Cesar

This is the beginning of a wonderful tale documenting the adventures of a young woman. A woman on a journey of self discovery, growth and purpose. I hope you stick around for the ride.

Doi Inthanon National Park