i finally bit the bullet and rented a motorbike for the next month! wowzas! the first ride was a little shaky, but after that it was just a matter of getting used to. driving with your hands is slightly different, as is driving on the left side of the road. they gave me a “helmet” that is more like a salad bowl and wouldn’t protect more than a baseball cap if i hit pavement going 30. it also doesn’t fit over my dreadlocks. it’s laughable and looks like i’m wearing a silly small hat. since i’m soooo intelligent, i “splurged” and paid 650 baht (20 USD) for an actual helmet. now i am mobile, and safe. needless to say i spent all of yesterday driving around, getting lost, getting a massage then eating at a Euro restaurant where i met a surfer named Bjorn. he said he would let me borrow a board for free anytime. score!

last night i drove on the scariest road in Phuket to Patong beach, with terrible drivers, and an Aussie i met named Brenton who did our open water with us. we ended up at a Rasta Bar. played some pool, had only 2 beers, then safely drove ourselves home. there was a guy who was making leather hip belts there, and i told him i was definitely coming back to buy one! they are beautiful, i’ve never seen any hip belts, even at festivals, that comes close to his. ladies, i will send pictures, these things trump them all! 

i have spent lots of days on the boat in the past week, but gotten my fair share of exploring in and have been making new friends. i’ve also put quite a dent in the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy book series. slowly finding my place, and trying to prepare for me IE in the next month. 

have been in contact with a few dive shops, Barakuda Diving on the Phi Phi Islands wants me to come out some time before my IE to meet and dive with them for a few days to see how i fit in with the rest of the crew. i know it’s gonna be hard to get a good paying job right away, but i need to build my resume and start getting certifications under my belt. 

wherever you are, you are there because you have something to give, something to learn, something to offer to those around you. be mindful, because the present deserves your full attention. and remember, no matter how bad we want to get out, you are exactly where you need to be. i trust that the universe provides, and i wake up with good intentions. i think you do too. if i had been here in October or the year before like planned, my experience and opportunities may not have been what they are now. i am confident that i’m here now because i need to be. and i don’t intend on wasting moments, only creating them.

jag älskar dig,

lauryn