Ohhh, Pai. One of my happy places. San Francisco feels gloomy and stressful today so I'm mentally transporting myself to Art in Chai, where I spent countless (literally. The lady definitely thought I was a degenerate) hours reading, FaceTiming, and journaling while sipping delicious Chai lattes.
While Southern Thailand can be somewhat polarizing (people either love the beaches and parties or feel scammed by the locals and overwhelmed by the crowds), most people I met while traveling fell in love with Northern Thailand. I didn't really have expectations for Chiang Mai or Pai (again, having no expectations is key) and I fell in love with both cities.
When I write, I try really hard to avoid cliches...or over-quoting...or inspirational quotes entirely (that's a lie; I LOVE inspirational quotes - guilty pleasure?) but the impetus for my two months in Southeast Asia really can best be summarized by a Rolling Stones song.
You can't always get what you want...but if you try sometimes...you get what you need...
I know, I know. But really.