Last night, I dreamt I went to Thailand again...

First, if any of you can name the book I drew the rather obsecure allusion I used for the title of this post, I will send you a dollar. Naw. Two dollars! I only changed one word (hint: Thailand).

As my trip to Thailand draws closer, I've now started to dream of everything that could go wrong with said trip. Last night was a classic "I forgot Terilyn!" type of dream. Terilyn is my good friend and former roomie I've suckered into going on this adventure with me, and last night I dreamt I went ahead to Thailand without her - but I ended up bringing my Mom and Aunt C instead. Wha?!?! Aunt C makes sense because she offers protection (in a non-Godfather way), as she works for the Salt Lake City Police Department (that's right! Back up!). My mom, well, what does she bring to the table? Mostly good times and the promise that if ANYONE deserves 4 days on an exotic beach, it's her. However, in the dream the beach wasn't anywhere in sight and our surroundings looked more like a mountainy camp ground with wild flowers and crisp (down with crisp!) mountain air... sans mountains. I distinctly remember, in said dream, thinking "So... is Terilyn supposed to meet me here? We bought tickets at the same time! Did I leave her? I fail! FAIL!" This has been one of the weirder dreams I've had about Thailand, though I've noticed a pattern for sure. It's forgetting things. All the others have involved leaving my passport at home - I've had THAT dream twice. Getting into the country and finding I've left my entire wallet at home (i.e. money)... and forgetting the time and missing the connector flight from South Korea to Bangkok altogether. That one was a doosey! I I most definitely felt I was in North Korea instead and I think Sun and Jin from Lost made an appearance in that dream as well. I expect the next stress filled dream of Thailand will involve Oceanic Flight 815 and Dr. Jack Shepard. Mmmm... here's hoping for the Dr. Shepard part at any rate! I wouldn't mind being strandad in North Korea with him. Not. A. Bit.

Ahem, anxious dreams aside...

 In exactly 15 days (squee!) I will be on a plane with my good friend Terilyn on our way to the culturally exotic suddenly land of civil unrest, Thailand! We are flying into Bangkok where we've planned (emphasis on planned - with the protests who knows if we'll actually be able to do the plan) to blitz Bangkok (apologies for the "blitz" allusion right after mentioning civil unrest... sometimes irony even surprises me!) in a day and half, then we will board a plane for the lovely island of Phuket, where we will stay for an entire 4 days. Mmmm, think of it! Four days on the beach, on an elephant, on a boat, on the sand, in the water, with the fishies.... it's just bliss. Bliss I tell you! Terilyn is an accountant and her head is on the brink of explosion right now - so I think this four days in Paradise Island is going to do her some good. I, on the other hand, also have 14 days to submit 2 research papers, one project paper, and take a final exam while making sure all 'ends' are tied up at work so my leaving for 2 weeks won't send anything into a tail spin of doom.... oh man... slightly freaking out now. Dah! So much to do! Lists... lists...

Anyway...

After Phuket, we will then be traveling to Siem Reap, Cambodia. I am ridiculously excited for Cambodia. First! Because in Laura Croft Tomb Raider the first, Ms Croft (aka Angelina Jolie) must fly to Cambodia on her quest for something or another and it looks AWESOME! and a more seriously second, last year I read the novel "First They Killed My Father: A daughter of Cambodia Remembers" by Loung Ung, about the reign of the Khmer Rouge and their ruthless leader  Pol Pot (communist movement) over the country of Cambodia for four terrifying years. The story is told through the eyes of Loung Ung as a young girl from Phnom Phen and her witness of the grueling starvation and violence inflicted on the Cambodian people for those four years. I highly recommend it. Given these two reasons I've wanted to visit Cambodia, it's Wats (and what nots - har har har... ahem), Phnom Phen, the killing fields, and everything else Cambodia can show me, for awhile. Irony of ironies, between Sunday sessions of General Conference this April, they did a little special all about Cambodia, the humanitarian need there, and the history of the country. Pretty. Awesome. SO! Cambodia... yes... Siem Reap then Phnom Phen and then we begin our week in Vietnam with Ho Chi Mihn City. A sleeper train through Dang An and Hoi An. A $20 plane ride (that's right) to Hanoi and Ha Long Bay for three days and then, back on a plane to South (not North... not without Dr. Shepard!) Korea, LA, and finally, home to SLC not two days before the summer semester begins (I have to buy books! Dah! Lists... lists need to be made... where is my list paper?!?!).

So of course, with all this in mind, school needing to be completed a week early, and protests in Bangkok, you can see why Thailand is been on my mind increasingly the last week or so... particularly in the 'worrisome' part of my mind. I've had this trip planned since... oh... November last year (and truly, if we're getting really nostalgic I've had this 'trip' and zillions of trips like it planned since I found the family Atlas tucked behind Bernstein Bear books at the age of 8), and now it's finally April! Finally time to start my adventures! After years of dreaming and longing and drawing pictures of unknown sunsets in faraway lands during church, they are FINALLY starting. I promise you friends, this will be the first adventure of many. I've waited my whole life to be this person! The person that goes to places just to go to places and see everything because it needs to be seen! I've even started planning my next trip (see: Australia over Christmas), and have no doubt in my mind I will get there... I will get everywhere! I've got everywhere to go! I just need to make sure and remember my passport...