Bangkok

I picked up where I left off in mid-February, when I boarded a flight to Bangkok and stepped straight out of winter and into summer. The warm, humid air hit me the moment I landed... and with it, a sense of ease I didn’t realize I’d been missing. I was finally back on the road, continuing the sabbatical I had to pause, and it felt good.

I could tell how big the contrast was... I even felt a bit sick from the heat on the first day. After coming straight from the cold winter in Europe, spending hours out in the Bangkok sun was a shock to my body. I had forgotten what that kind of heat felt like. But even through the dizzy warmth, I was happy. It felt like a proper reset, the kind that melts away tension and reminds you how good it is to feel warm again.

Bangkok was buzzing, chaotic in its own way, but full of life and flavor. I was instantly pulled into the rhythm of the city: tuk-tuks zipping by, golden temples tucked between skyscrapers, and the sizzling sounds of street food at every corner. Everything smelled like garlic, chili, lemongrass. I tried as much as I could, and I felt like the trip was really beginning again... this time, lighter, warmer, and full of spice.