Ko Chang Island

I was in pretty extreme pain when this picture was taken. I'm trying to SMILE (like the Pearl Jam song) here, but I had the worse earache I can remember.

This was similar to Bali in earlier 2014. Ending the trip on an island, with nothing to do for a few days but spend time with friends. I always wanted to let the little fish have at my feet and finally did. My friend and I rode motorbikes around the island and got some great pictures. Lot of Russians here, which surprised me.

Fun with friends in Trat

Very close to Cambodia, but we never made it there. I was happy to see my friends here & we ate excellent seafood.

My 35th birthday in Chiang Mai

This was unexpected. After a day in Chiang Rai, our driver took us here before dropping us off at the hotel. They had a good variety of macaron flavors. Besides that, Chaing Mai was the only Thai city I've visited where I could wear the same clothes 2 days in a row. It was just warm. Not humid & hot. This was a welcome change after starting in Songkhla province.

My 35th birthday in Chiang Rai

My 35th birthday in Chiang Rai. There's something amazing about arriving somewhere that you've been seeing in pictures for years! Also the 2nd year is a row that I spent my birthday in Thailand. I hope to spend my 36th there as well (or maybe Indonesia).

Macaron class

An expensive addiction! I thought I would learn how to make french macarons in a 210 minute class, but not so easy. The funny thing is that I didn't get into macarons until the year after my most recent trip to France.

Chichén Itzá

Tulum

Yoga

I started lifting weights just before my 15th birthday. A few years later (just after graduating high school), I hurt  my back doing leg presses. Countless visits to the chiropractor didn't seem to help for long and flights and road trips became very uncomfortable. My best friend had been mentioning p90x for a while, but I was a dedicated gym guy. We all get in our ruts, so I looked into p90x and saw that it had plyo (jump training), yoga as well as cardio. I started in the spring of 2012 and have not gone to a gym or chiropractor since. Unlike my friends I didn't skip the Yoga. I'd been curious about it for years, but again, we all get into our ruts, so I didn't start until my early 30s. Now I'm doing p90x3, which also has Pilates X. I hope to never go to a chiropractor again. Nowadays, last thing on my mind when I'm flying or going on a road trip is "how will my back be"? Thank you Mr. Horton!

Bali

I love to visit historical sites and am usually on the move when traveling. I found myself in Bali for 4 days, with no major agenda except to spend time with friends. It was different for me, but I enjoyed it. This money exchange branch has my initials!

I like the organized countries

There are no direct flights between Hat Yai & Denpasar, so my friend and I chose to stop in Singapore and spend a couple nights. I love this city! I could live here! I was teased about how I only like the organized countries. I enjoyed using their (very clean) public transportation & eating at the hawker stalls. I guess for me, the unorganized countries are nice to visit but..........

V-day feast

I've been cooking for myself before I was old enough to drive. I've lived alone for 10 years, so I'm either eating what I cook at home or going to restaurants that cook things better than I can or that I can't cook at all (these are all at least 30 minutes from my house). I brought my gracious Thai hosts Godiva chocolates and french macarons (not the Laduree they requested) and I was greeted with all of this great Thai food, just like when I visited a few months earlier. Before my last visit, I was nervous about staying in someone else's house, but I really enjoyed it (so much that I was back a few months later). Although Sathing Phra is not a tourist area, it was nice to see the places the tourists don't go. I couldn't even find Sathing Phra in my Lonely Planet book. I'm always making my own plans, but when I go to Thailand, I'm used to being taken care of & I enjoy it.

East Harlem

Today I had a chance to introduce my cousin to East Harlem. We drove in from PA & of course I suggested we eat at Patsy's (cash only!). 1 block north on 1st Ave., you can also get excellent red velvet cake at Evelyn's Kitchen. I've used the subway to get here (only nearby subway stop is the local 6 train which can get very crowded), but I've also never had trouble finding a parking spot when I drove.