Moving to Thailand has been my goal for almost three years. There were many practical, logistical, and emotional barriers to overcome in order to make my dream a reality, but I finally made it here. Before I arrived, I had this idea that making it happen was going to be the hardest part. Maybe I was naive, but after over two months of living here, my perspective has shifted drastically. Since I arrived, the struggles have continued, from having my wallet and passport stolen, to supporting my kitty back home who got deathly ill (twice), to the town where I live flooding in a monsoon. It’s been a string of just plain ridiculous bad luck. Up until very recently, it’s been difficult for me to accept these challenges, and to see the positive side of them.
But then I remembered, I did not chose this path because I thought it would be easy! I was looking for a journey that would challenge me to my core – would shake me up and make me question everything. This is how we grow. Well I got the challenge I was hoping for, and more. It’s been tough as hell but now I know for sure that the personal growth I was chasing is shaping me every day. Moving to Thailand was the first step towards living a life that is authentic to what I truly want for myself, but it was far from the only step. I’ve come to realize that personal challenge and growth is a never-ending process that continually evolves with us. There is no single life change or mental shift that will teach you everything you need to learn. Learning is a lifelong affair.
For the last few years, I knew I needed to make a shift in the way I was living my life, that my environment, habits (mental and physical) and my lifestyle in general were just not working for me. Living in a tropical climate has always just felt… right. I consider myself solar-powered because of the extreme effect a lack of sunlight has on my existence, and the way every part of my body feels balanced when I live under the sun. I wanted, no needed, to correct that imbalance. There are so many other reasons I chose Thailand. Adventure, beautiful natural landscapes that inspire me, mountains, the sea, my interest in learning more about Buddhism. But ultimately, I chose Thailand because after visiting here in the spring, I just KNEW I needed to come back. I had this insane drive to finally make my dream happen. This country, it’s culture, it’s beauty, and it’s amazing people just drew me in.
This new art on my body, done in the traditional Thai bamboo style, symbolizes so much to me. Firstly, it’s about living under the sun, where I feel most myself, and staying true to that. But it’s also about staying true to me in every way – living a life that fulfills me, that inspires me, that makes me grow, and always striving to be better. Right now, that means learning to lean into the challenge, to embrace it rather than fighting it, and to remember that challenge was exactly what I was looking for when I chose this path. Marking my body in this way symbolizes honouring my values and beliefs, and shaping my daily existence to actually represent those values on a day-to-day basis. Getting closer to an authentic life is the constant challenge that always keeps us moving forward. ✌🏼️
Hannah
garden state of mind 