Reward: Travel Unicorn

Yep, I have the worst timing ever...

... but overcompensated through Photoshop filtering. FTW!!!

A few weeks ago I went to Thailand and it was the most amazing trip. You must be wondering how brave I am for going there with all the flooding still. It's called geography, guys. Even 5th graders know that Phuket and Ko Phi Phi isn't remotely located near Bangkok! Well, 5th graders competing on Carmen Sandiego that is, haha. I did want to stop at Bangkok though but there's always next time. Or Chiang Mai... that's on my bucket list.

I hate traveling alone. Okay maybe that's not a fair statement because I've been on vacation alone before, but I have absolutely zero inclination to go somewhere foreign without having a companion in tow. Day trips are more than okay (done a ton), but overnighters? No thanks. It's like watching movies... I can do it alone in my home, but ask me to go to the movie theater alone? No thanks. Sure, it's not like you NEED to interact with someone to watch a movie. In fact, you really shouldn't be that annoying person prodding the guy next to you asking if they "just saw that?!". Similarly, you don't really need a buddy system to travel unless you're going to Afghanistan. But I like the idea that someone's experiencing the same thing at the same time as me. Otherwise I'd feel too lonely. MIFFY NEEDS HER PIRATE CREW!!! >:O

Kayaking at Maya Beach after our overnight camping trip. Sleeping on the beach under the stars sounds very romantic, but I just want to warn everyone that you WILL get sand everywhere. Like, in all your nooks and crannies. O_O

I was flipping shit the whole time that we'd capsize and my camera would die. Like, TOTALLY FLIPPING SHIT. Being such a PPP [see last picture].

So actually travel companions are quite important to me, and given the N amount of personalities out there in the world, how many people can deal with stressful conditions (language barriers, getting jipped by cabs, horribly lost, eaten alive by mosquitos, bad poo)? How many can you mesh with (control freak, frugal to a fault, procrastinator, thoughtless, PMS-y, megalomania)? Well, it's a bell curve, which luckily means we will only attempt to kill a slight fraction of our travel buddies. It also means that if you're lucky then one day you'll be able to observe and then hopefully capture a rare animal called... the Travel Unicorn (TU). 

Ok I just made that term up, but it made me laugh out loud. And it's the perfect description, but the acronym sounds kind of like a STD, haha.

So anyway, I had the honor of going to Thailand with TU Chris. Honestly, Phuket and Ko Phi Phi were nice, but the places weren't mindblowing. Phuket is overdeveloped and a far cultural cry from Bali. Ko Phi Phi got wiped out by the 2004 tsunami and is overrun with grungy Euro/Aussie hippies (who honestly look lice infested). I still recommend Ko Phi Phi if you're doing a round through SE Asia though, it's charming and inexpensive. I know I sound like such a brat, but take it from me... at the end of the day it doesn't matter where you go, every place will seem magical if you have a TU in tow. :)

This is definitely not a Travel Unicorn.

My advice -- avoid Party Pooper Pandas (PPPs) at all costs.