Kindred Spirits meet under the stars

After a day of relaxing here in Pai (oh and some afternoon swimming), I enjoyed a home cooked dinner at my bungalow. They must have sensed my hunger when the owners of the bungalow offered the girls and I a bowl of deliciously prepared egg noodle soup. This is so typical of Thais to be so kind and hospitable.  They love sharing meals with others and i couldnt have been mode grateful for their offering. 

After dinner, Heather and I went down to the night market and ended up meeting a group of travelers outside of a nearby bungalow. There is something magical about a group of travelers from all over the world sitting together. There was guitar playing, singing, and kindred spirits sharing stories and ideas. This is one of the things I love most about traveling. When you meet people who share the same curiosity and zeal for life, it's exhilarating and inspiring. I stayed there for hours singing and sharing ideas and stories  under the stars. Around midnight, it was time to walk back into town to grab a snack. As I was heading towards the crepe stand, I ran into a Swedish girl I had met at lunch.  Actually we had both attended a short meditation course in town and she couldn't stop giggling the entire time.  I knew I wanted to get to know this girl but didnt know when I'd get to see her again. Well, lo and behold, I ran into her at midnight on the street during my desperate pursuit of a snack.  We caught up for a moment and the next thing I knew, I was on the back of her motorbike and we were cruising around town. We decided it'd be funny to stop at all of the bars and awkwardly stare at people while sitting on the motorbike.  When we couldn't control our laughter anymore, we'd cruise on to the next bar.  We finally went home at 2 am and she left this morning for Bali. It was a short friendship but so rich. I wish I had met her earlier... but I have a feeling I'll see her again!

The Canadian girls (my roommates here in Pai) leave town today. I was having to think about accommodation for tonight while at breakfast at a cafe in town. Well, about 5 minutes into my brainstorming and mango-eating, a girl and her friend walk up to me and said "I know this is kind of random but, do you have a place tonight?" She then said that she was staying here but hoping for another roommate to help with cost. Looks like everything is taken care of and I'll have new roomies for the next few nights. That was easy :)