Home is where the heart is.

Monday morning, we woke up early and went to visit one of the largest temples in Laos. It was an incredible experience. The beautiful detail in every little object is awe inspiring. There is something about the Buddhist culture that is very comforting. The rituals, the peace and zen of it all, its so admirable. Although I grew up Christian, I am very fond of Buddhism. I gave my respects and said my own little prayer. I actually prayed for my closest loved ones to find true happiness in their own journeys.

Spending 24 hours every day with my mother was a special experience. I have never had the typical mother daughter relationship with my mom growing up. But as an adult, we’ve developed our own unique relationship. I cherish and respect her so much today and have a deeper appreciation for her character as an adult now more than ever. And as a woman, I really admire the path that she took and understand her choices. That, in itself has taken me 28 years to really cultivate. Traveling with her to these developing countries has been an adventure I’ll never forget. I can’t imagine what it was like for her to leave ‘home’ and come to the states by herself at 27 with only $400 in her pocket. But she was fearless and chased her dream to the other side of the world, to a land where she didn’t speak the language. Because of that bold decision, I am forever grateful to be born American and have the choices I have today. I hope that I can have that kind of courage and never hesitate in following my own dreams.

We enjoyed a special dinner with David and his parents at a famous Laos Restaurant, Kualao. The food was spectacular and they had traditional Laos dancers performing to live music. David and his family were so incredibly generous and the best hosts anyone could ask for. I can see why they moved to Laos. I loved every moment of every experience there! I strongly considered not coming back ;)

One of my biggest dreams growing up has been to ride an elephant. I’ve always loved them for being gentle giants and they seemed so lovable, so when I heard that you could ride your very own elephant in Vientiane, I had to do it! I have to say that it was one of the BEST moments of my life! I had to meet and greet the elephant and let him get familiar with me by feeding him cucumbers. Then, I had to climb this wooden contraption to hike up on the back of his neck. Because we are in Laos, there aren’t many regulations. You just simply get on and go. There was nothing to hold onto and not even a saddle, simply a cloth to sit on. To ride an animal of such stature (probably 4-5 tons) was a complete thrill! He has to like you first of all, and then when you get on, and he starts moving …. its insane! I couldn’t believe that I was riding an elephant in Laos! I tried to soak in all the elements around me and savor every moment so that I would never forget the experience. The ‘elephant man’ said I had a very strong connection to the elephant and let me stay on a bit longer. Trusting this enormous giant to carry me around was something very intimate and in so many ways so emotional for me.

When I finally got off, I was on cloud 9. I was on such a high from the elephant ride. It truly was the highlight of this entire journey. Since there wasn’t a charge for the ride and I must have fed the elephant like 40+ cucumbers, I wanted to tip the elephant man. All I had was a ten dollar bill (US). The average salary is $1 a day so when I gave this man $10, his eyes watered up and I thought he was going to get down and kiss my feet (literally). He had no idea that I would have gladly paid more for my experience and that this was a dream come true for me. In that moment, that special exchange of time, we shared something very palpable. I was thankful to him for giving me a once in a lifetime experience and he was thanking me for tipping him almost two weeks worth of salary. We were both stunned beyond belief and it was a beautiful moment.

My last day in Laos was magical. After my elephant ride, my mom and I joined David for a walk on the Mekong river to have dinner with the street vendors. We enjoyed our last moments under the lights, by the water with excellent food and Beerlao. My mom even made a toast and drank her share. We walked and walked and even went searching for the crepe stands when my mother was craving a crepe for dessert. It was great fun and to top it off, later that night David took me to a local bar/lounge/club called Wind West. The best hidden secret! They have a live band every night and surprisingly, they were pretty damn good. LOL. They played a few American classics so we were trying to make requests the rest of the night. They got 2 out of 5, not too bad :) After a few drinks, I went back and settled in for my last night in Laos. I barely slept and had to wake up at 6am to pack and travel back to Manila.

We traveled all day from Laos to Cambodia to Ho Chi Minh (Saigon) and then back to Manila. Our first flight was at 9am and we landed in Manila at 7pm. Then we checked into another hotel for the night and left at 5am to head back to the airport and head home. It was bittersweet leaving and I was really torn about coming back home. This experience was so different from all of my past international trips (Mexico, Jamaica, Korea) it really had divine timing and nourished my soul. I needed more and wasn’t ready to say goodbye. It really opened up my heart and eyes even more to where I want to go and what I want to do. I’m humbled by the generosity of the people, the kindness of their hearts, and the principles they live by. I want to find the same simple balance in my own life. Do some cleansing and continue my journey of discovery and keep connecting.

We all have our destiny and dreams do come true. I’ve been lucky enough to dream big and chase them with no fear. I’m so thankful for that path (even the painful moments) and I’m thrilled to see whats next. The tangible benefits of taking this trip are endless and I encourage everyone to explore outside of your own boundaries, whatever they may be. It falls back into my 28 days of passion project and the launch of the website, but my hope is that everyone I know will continue the pursuit of your own passion and happiness.

[I will say, the three little luxuries I missed about the states were: air conditioning (our last day was 102 degrees), high speed internet, and an abundant amount of toilet paper - 2 ply. LOL, no joke that was always something to be aware of. I wanted to hug my Charmin when I got home :) Other than that, I really only came back for the people who I love and who inspire me and push me on a daily basis. You feel very alone when you go so far from home base but its weird, I wasn't lonely. I just wanted to share the moments with my friends and family. I will continue to dream and constantly chase the stars and that may take me all over the world, far from home but home is where the heart is and now my heart is with the world.]