Updates + Reflecting on a month of travel

Hello friends! I am back from a month of traveling + whatever amount of time it has taken me to settle in to my new home for the next two years! My hiatus is over, and I am revving up to get back into writing and the blogosphere in general! My goal is to be able to stick to posting at least once a week - Fun Fact Fridays may be happening less routinely, sadly :( - but we shall see how grad school life treats me as I ease into it more.

I just wanted to take a quick minute to reflect on my past month or so, from the items I packed and whether they were sufficient, to traveling alone (mostly). I promise it won't take too long!


In terms of items packed, I did a great job in terms of skincare, but less so in terms of clothes. I ended up steadily cycling through the same outfits every week/1.5 weeks, which was perfect for my needs. I brought a few more pieces than I really needed - I totally did not go running while on this trip lols - but I suppose they weren't bad pieces to have as a just in case sort of thing. I did like that I never got bored of a particular outfit. Perhaps it's because it was only four weeks of travel, but I definitely would have been alright wearing the clothes I had for another two weeks. That being said, it's nice to be reunited with my much more expanded wardrobe!

For skincare, I was on point. I consistently stuck to my routine, and ended up using up almost all of the items I decanted and brought with me. I even managed to go through the sheet masks I brought, save one! I actually ended up buying a small sample of First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream while perusing Sephora halfway through my trip on a whim, and it really helped with the rest of my skincare. My skin stayed (mostly) spot-free, hydrated, and not terribly red and irritated.

Similarly, I had a set menu of makeup items that I brought with me, and I more or less used them all (save for my eyeshadow sticks, funny enough!). The only variation I had in my makeup menu was whether I was going to use Maybelline 24-Hour Color Tattoo in Bad to the Bronze over my lids that day, or do an eyeshadow look using my Naked palette. Otherwise, I was quite content with using Bourjois 123 Perfect CC Cream, The Face Shop Lovely me:ex Design My Brow, Kiss Me Heroine Long & Curl, KATE Super Sharp Liner, ELF Blush and Bronzing Duo, and Bobbi Brown Sheer Pressed Powder all day err day.

A photo posted by Pat Thai (@howdoithai) on Aug 9, 2015 at 4:37pm PDT

Now, onto slightly more serious topics.

Firstly, I am so glad I decided to spend a week in each of the cities I visited, and not anymore or less. The duration I spent in each place was perfect: enough for me to go out and explore, but not so constraining that I don't have time to take it easy and breathe. I know that we have a tendency to be more more more in our travels because time is short, and tickets are expensive. However, if you ever do have the time and opportunity to be somewhere for a good chunk of time, don't rush it! I think this is the biggest traveling mistake I've done in my years of travel - most evident in my terrible experience and subsequent dislike of Paris - and I'm glad that I got to see the error of my ways in this trip. I know this is so cliche, but quality over quantity definitely applies to traveling, and I'm going to need to remember to do this more.

Secondly, I knew when I was going on this trip that I would be traveling alone most of the time. I mean, the people who I was visiting were all working - I had no expectations that they would take days off to hang out with me. Evenings and weekends were going to be golden for seeing my friends.

I've always been a outgoing introvert: very happy to socialize, but ultimately quite content with being alone (at times it's really necessary that I'm alone to recharge). I figured that this trip I'd be alright with being alone, and would have a great time with me, myself, and I.

This is true, but I also realized that I was also lonelier than anticipated. And I learned a lot about myself through my loneliness, and the actions I took in an attempt to abate these feelings. Now, I feel a bit more wizened to dealing with that loneliness. I realize that the steps I took to feel less lonely aren't necessarily in my best interest.

Nonetheless, I still had a wonderful time being by myself while exploring new places and revisiting old ones. I've realized I've grown more in my time in Thailand than anticipated, and that practice self-awareness will only help me more down the road.

Traveling alone also inspired a sort of self-confidence I never knew I had. Now, I don't want to attribute this solely to my solo travel, but it definitely helped. I was more receptive to talking to strangers, less shy, and more forward with meeting new people and trying new things. I stood up more for myself in everyday situations and in personal ones - for better or for worse.

If you ever have the opportunity to travel alone, I highly recommend it. It doesn't need to be backpacking alone across some new country, or an absolutely exotic location. I mean, I wouldn't say LA/Vegas, Seattle, Boston or New York City are particularly exotic places, but traveling in those places alone has made me all that much better. The experiences and insights I have gain have been truly unexpected. I would have never imagined growing this much from an unassuming trip like this.

Anyway, that's it for now! I will hopefully be back within a week's time with less personal ruminations. I hope you've all had a wonderful August, and are ready for September!