Things I’ve Learned in Pai
I’m sure I will learn these lessons over and over on this trip, before they fully sink in, but in my brief 2.5 days in Pai so far, I think I’ve learned some things about myself and how I want to live my life.
1. I love being alone.
2. I love talking to and being around new people.
3. All you have to do is leave your room and things will probably happen.
4. I love when a day is so packed that it feels like 10 days.
When I was working at my last job, days blended so that June became January in both a flash and an eternity. I have more memories in the last two days in Pai than I have in the average month of working and living back home. I want a job where I can chart a fresh itinerary of challenges every day and can treat every day as part of the adventure and journey that is my life.
5. Just chilling, staying in once place, or going to the same place is totally OK.
If there is some place that you love, then going back again is part of living life on your terms. It’s great to challenge yourself and I love new things, but there is no guilt in going back to the same place if you really love it, especially if you’ll be creating new experiences and memories there. I hate routine when it is by default, but when it’s a choice unimpacted by fear of change, I think it’s totally OK, and I’m going to try to remind myself of that rather than forcing myself to do something different every moment.
6. Don’t be ruled by FOMO.
The girls I volunteered with are going to a festival in Chiang Dao from February 14th to 15th. I was plannng to be in Laos at that time. However, part of me is tempted to stay in Chiang Mai an extra week so I can go to the festival with them, and I can spend it getting to know Chiang Mai even better and spending my days taking art classes. If I stay, I will have fear of missing out on Laos, which I am also afraid I might not like. If I go to Laos, I have fear of missing out on this fun event that my friends are going to. I’m having a hard time deciding, but right now it’s looking like Laos will win.