why im traveling..

One of the reasons I fell in love with traveling is the feeling I get when I'm waiting to board a flight, the anticipation, the unknown of whats about to come. Then its on a plane, no access to the world below, the mystery of whats above, the freedom of not knowing. Its gazing out the window of a 18 hour train ride With head phones on & pen in hand, its in these moments I feel completely connected & in tune with myself.. In these moments when where I've been and where I'm going hold little worth compared to who I am. 

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Dee Dee Mak Sweet Elephant

When going to Thailand there are the beaches, Bangkok and the countryside to fit onto the schedule. While in the countryside what activities should one partake in... Elephant Trekking of course. 

When reviewing the many many companies that offer elephant trekking in the Chiag Mai area alone there are a few key factors we took into consideration:

1. treatment of the elephants

2. the setting/living conditions

3. the cost

4. does Jess get to get a juicy elephant kiss

5. bath time

After extensive research Gil found a company we could morally feel comfortable booking our one day trekking experience with, Baan Chiang Elephant Park, located about 30-45 minutes outside of the city center. One motto for this travel journey has been no regrets, it was a once in a life time experience but Jess still left feeling sad for the elephants who aren't able to roam free throughout the jungle as nature intended. A new found love for Jess has been elephants after she got the juiciest kiss of her life. 

*Please do research when choosing a company, proper treatment of wildlife is vital to the planet thriving for 100's of years to come. We found this article very informative. 

Our First Homemade Meal in Chiang Mai

One of the biggest challenges traveling in South East Asia is that there is no need to cook. Amazing local food is available around every corner and for cheap. So when our friends, Ethan & Olivia (Blog can be found here), were traveling in Chiang Mai & interested in going to a cooking class I was thrilled. 

We choose Red Chili Cooking School.  After touring a local farmers market learning about all the ingredients that we would be using we took a short ride out of the hustle and bustle of the city center to the owners lovely outdoor kitchen setup. 

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Each with our own cooking stations & a cold beer in hand we made the following dishes:

Tom Kha or Tom Yum

Pad Thai

Fresh Red & Green chili paste & Curry

Fried Chicken & Veggies

To complete the amazing evening we were lucky enough to light a wish lantern, a symbolic process in which you all hold a white lantern, lighting the center which fills the lantern with hot air, once the lantern is filled with enough air you let it go and it floats into the sky above. While letting go you make a wish. Gil being the romantic he is believes that the lantern becomes a star, forever above for us to remember our wishes that have hopefully come true or keeps us believing if they haven't.