So, I'm In Laos Now.

When I left the states to travel alone, I was honestly a little nervous to be by myself, even though I said I wasn't. Now, I'm so glad I chose to go alone. It has opened me up to so many new experiences, and forced me to meet new people and ask more questions. It's forced me to be independent, even when I didn't want to be, and to face and conquer my anxiety. Nothing helps you define yourself better than a trip to a new place taken alone. I said goodbye to the good folks at Rak Tamachat on Thursday, and let me tell you, I will really miss that place. I have never looked worse or been more comfortable with myself than I was there. It seemed that I always had a sunburn, was always covered in bug bites, and no matter how many times I washed them, my feet were always dirty. But I was accepted there, and that made me feel good. On Thursday night, Lola and Jake drove me and my backpack to the bus stop, and waited with me for about a half an hour. For some reason, at that time I started to panic, and tried hard not to let it show. Suddenly a minibus drove up, and Jake was already walking over to it with my huge pack. He threw it in the door, I gave them both a hug, and the doors closed and away I went. It was a much quicker goodbye than I would have wanted, and on the minibus I felt sad. As I was leaving, Lola had handed me an envelope, which contained letters and drawings form her and Jake. I tore it open, read through them twice, and immediately felt better. The bus ride Hnong Kai went quickly, and I sat up front in the drivers compartment. He was very nice; he even pulled over to the side of the road so that I could run to the main bus compartment and use the bathroom. The border crossing was blissfully uneventful, and I found a guesthouse with a half hour of looking. I booked a bed in a dorm room of the Mixay Guesthouse, on the very top floor, up five flights of stairs. It's perfect. My roommates for now are a French man with tattoos, traveling for fun through Laos, and a super sociable man from New York City, who travels and promotes art for his work. They are both kind, helpful, and interesting people. The most important thing I've learned so far, is that enjoyable travel requires surrender and a good sense of humor. Just let go, and keep smiling. I never thought I would feel comfortable sharing a room with two people I've never met before, but the truth is I feel more comfortable than I would in a room by myself. I had been up all night, and all day as well, but I couldn't sleep because everyone else was still awake and moving about and turning lights on and off, so instead of being cranky, I just let it go, and went outside my room to where a few of the top floor guests were relaxing and talking. Geoffry, the guy from New York, was there, a guy name Peter, from Holland, and an elderly and extremely pleasant man from Japan, named Masaki. Masaki had a portable cooler with him, and was serving up fresh made cocktails from the generous contents of this cooler. "Masaki's Free Bar," he calls it. This man knows how to make friends. I had a lovely visit with these gentlemen until everyone quieted down in the guesthouse. Then, after being awake for more than 2 hours, I finally, FINALLY, went to sleep. So far, I love Laos. It's fun, interesting, cheap and eccentric. And, the food is incredible. In two days, I get on a bus to Luang Prahbang. This is a marvelous experience, and I wish it could go on much longer than the next month.