Staying True in Thailand

It all could have been different had I worn my earplugs on the plane. Instead, sitting in business class on my fourth flight from New York to Bangkok, I was privy to the excited chatter about me. I heard about the Full Moon Party, the Half Moon Party, and the Black Moon Party on the island of Koh Pangan. (Apparently, if you wanted to take drugs and stay awake dancing on the beach until sunrise, there was an entire community of tourists ready to celebrate each phase of the moon in such a fashion.) I heard about tuk tuk rides, glamorous temples, and delicious curries. One ex-pat told me the best place to get a Thai massage, another told me the names of the hottest night clubs on Koh San Road. Instead of responding with my usual excitement, I withdrew. Contrary to every other person on the flight, I was not going to Thailand to party, attend cooking classes, or learn how to scuba dive. I was going to Thailand to become enlightened.

It all started with a New Year’s resolution. Innocently enough, after number five, “eat less chocolate,” and six, “call your mother,” was seven, “spiritual pilgrimage.” This was followed by a resolve to read the list every now and then, instead of throwing it away as was the case every other year.

As the months went by, I honored my agreement to keep checking the list, which was conveniently located on the mirror in my bathroom. I had managed to ignore the decree for less chocolate-eating, as well as number eight, “exercise four times a week.” I’d neglected to do my taxes on time, produce continued to go stale in the fridge, and I did not practice my guitar. I did not always speak kindly to my upstairs neighbor, and I certainly did not honor number two, “do five nice things a day” or number three, “learn a foreign language.” I could not, however, ignore the call of number seven.

I’m a teacher and graduate student, so I could take time off from my graduate studies and have a month of summer to play with … but, where should I go? India had ashrams and Nepal had Everest; but, during July, India also had monsoons and Nepal had Maoist uprisings. If I wanted to go to Asia, I was told, Thailand was the place to be.