People of the Journey

I began my journey from Salt Lake City to a small town in Thailand early in the morning Thursday September 3. Everyone I talked to about the journey said I was so brave for going alone. But I was not alone, there were tons of people around me I just needed to meet them.

I first met a girl from Japan who was going home after a stay visiting her previous host family in Chicago. She was very nice and we had a good talk. I would have liked to talk more to her, unfortunately she was flying to Japan, and I still had many hours to wait before I could board my plane to Bangkok. 

The next people I met were a couple going to the Philippines. I met them in the LA airport, waiting like I was for the flight out. They were a very friendly and interesting couple. They got an opportunity to do World War II historical tours and research in the Philippines
on the same island where his father had been during WWII. You can read more about their adventures here. We ended up in China together before we parted ways. 

Also in the LA airport while I was waiting in line at Panda Express to get a bite to eat, there was a Chinese guy waiting behind me. Out of the blue he showed me something he had written and asked me, "have you heard of this university?" To my surprise it was Brigham Young University! I was like what? I was not wearing any gear or anything, so it was kind of random. I told him that I had gone to that university! He then asked if it was a good university. I actually looked again to make sure it really was what I thought, I then noticed the "Idaho" written underneath. He was actually talking about BYU-Idaho. Still cool, but not as cool. It turns out he is going to go there this coming year. So that was random, and cool.

While I was on my 12-hour stereo-typically Asian flight to China, what should happen, but I get talking to the girl in the seat in front of me and guess what? She doesn't speak English, or Chinese, however she did speak Spanish! I wish I had talked to her sooner so I could have helped her out with the flight where everything was either in Chinese or English. It must have been a difficult start to what I am sure will be a difficult trip, but major kudos to her for going to a foreign country to learn Chinese. She is from Mexico. 

Well while I had been talking to this girl in Spanish, two other older ladies I guess had overheard me, and started talking to me in Spanish. They both were from LA, but of Latino heritage, so we talked a little. who knew there were so many Spanish-speaking people flying to China?

On the way off the plane I ran into a guy I had seen in the LA airport with his whole family who were apparently sending him off. I was curious what his story was, so I asked him. Turns out he is a 17 year old kid who wanted some adventure in his life, so he decided he is going to backpack through Thailand, alone. Now that kid is ballsy, 17 and going to a foreign country alone with no set plans. He had a hostel booked for his first night in Bangkok, then after that it was all up in the air. Below is a picture of one of the coolest 17-year-old people I have ever met. 

Dunkin, the coolest 17 year old backpacker I have ever met. 

I spent my time in China with my friend Dunkin, but we had to part ways as he had a later flight to Bangkok. I get on the airplane and by the by start talking to the couple sitting next to me. And guess what? They are four-time world ballroom dance champions! His name is Bjorn. They are from Denmark. It was funny, I ask them where they are from, they say Denmark, and I am like, oh that is supposedly one of the happiest places in the world, then I ask them what they are doing in Bangkok, they say they are going to a Ballroom dance competition. I tell them I have been in a few Ballroom dance competitions, that it is a pretty big deal at the University I went to. Turns out they of course know all about BYU and its dance program, and even were good friends with a couple from Utah who had come over to Denmark for six months to be trained by them. And I am like, well if you are going to Thailand to dance, you must be pretty good. Bjorn replies, "We were fortunate enough to win the World Dance Competition, four times." Anyways, below is his picture (his partner was just waking up, so I don't think she wanted to be in the picture. And if you are curious they competed in the 10 point or something like that where it includes both standard (waltz, foxtrot, etc) as well as Latin (samba, cha cha, etc.) dances. 

The 4-time world Ballroom dance champion!

Finally I am in Bangkok, and I enjoy the day seeing the city a little (as much as you can with two suitcases). In Bangkok just before boarding I meet a lady who needs to use a phone, I don't have one. But we get to talking. She has a beautiful accent, and as it turns out is from New Zealand. I tell her how much I love Lord of the Rings and how it just must be beautiful there. She says it is. She has a small farm and it is just outside of where the "shire" is. I am like, I need to visit! She says I do as well and even gave me her contact info so I can go visit her in New Zealand. Yay! next trip. Anyways she is going to Chiang Mai to get some dental work done. I guess dentistry is cheaper and of higher quality in Thailand than it is in New Zealand. Keep that in mind. 

I fly into Chiang Mai and meet Kia, my brother's friend who is gracious enough to drive me around the next day. From there I get on a killer long bus ride to Mae Sot. There are interestingly enough no less then 4 white people on the bus. Michael, who is going to Mae Sot to work for an NGO, John, who's wife works for an NGO in Chiang Mai and he is going to visit friends, and some tourist lady. I also talked to Nehemiah who was super friendly, and I assumed was Thai or Indian. I was wrong, he is Pakistani and he studies at a University in Chiang Mai, and his parents are Christian pastors in Mae Sot. All sorts of stereo types I had came down in that conversation. He had to be one of the most friendly people I had met. 

I arrived really late in Mae Sot then got a ride on a motorcycle with all my bags to a guest house. Smile guest house, worth staying there if only for the wifi signal. However, when I arrived there was no one at the desk (as it turns out there is almost never anyone at the desk). There were some people in  one of the rooms, and I asked them, they said he would be back. I then asked if they knew where a bathroom was (I had been holding it for several hours). There were 4 young adults (20s) sitting in the room. One of them stood up, put his arm around me, and guided me to where the bathroom was. When I was done he invited me to eat dinner with the group. I was amazed. I decided Thai people were the nicest in the world. I was just some random guy in a hotel lobby. Nothing like that would ever happen in the states. 

As it turns out my view of the nicest people in the world had to be changed again, because that group of young people in the hotel it turns out were not Thai, they were Karen. And though we did not realize it then, the guy who put his arm around me, is actually a teacher at the school I was going to teach at. We realized this when we saw each other the next day in Mae La camp. "I was surprised to see you" he told me. 

I have heard it said that our true character is shown by how we treat those who are not able to do anything for us. By this standard I have met some of the most incredible people in the world here in Thailand. The next day while I was walking looking for a phone to use (I had walked for almost half an hour and had a long ways to go), a kid completely out of the blue pulled up next to me on his bike and asks if he can help. I tell him I need to call, he lets me use his phone, make connection with the guy I need to talk to and saves me hours walking. The kid then just rides off in the direction he came from, as if his only purpose was just helping me out. 

The world is filled with incredible people. You are not alone, you are surrounded by friends you just haven't met yet. Get to know them.