Let's get started

So, it took awhile to get this blog set up. Additionally, I found myself scrambling all over Thailand for the last week that I didn't have a chance to sit down at a computer. I will start by quickly summarizing our trip and the travelers...

The Travelers:
There are three of us traveling in total. Aside from myself,
Ankush, a good friend from UCLA who was also a campus tour guide, just graduated with me and is taking time off to see the world before he enters law school. After our trip, he will undertake an exciting microfinance internship in Sudan with an international charity organization.
Jordan, was in Pi Kappa Phi fraternity with me for three years and has also decided to take some time off to travel before finding some work.

The Trip:
5 weeks in total. 4 weeks in Thailand (no specific plan) and 1 week in Tokyo.

My Thoughts
We decided to travel to Thailand primarily because we heard it was beautiful, and secondarily because the dollar still has some strength in Thailand compared to Europe. At first, the thought of taking time off after college and traveling scared me to death. I found myself to be extremely ambitious around middle school, and as a result I always set high expectations. For all of my educational career, I found myself just pushing forward, like a train, always with next destination in reach. By my fourth year, and after a couple of internships, I set out on the interview path, attending career fairs searching for anything and everything that might interest me. It was a great experience, as I had some lengthy discussions with professionals in marketing, consulting, and sales. I thought to myself "It would be great to land a job right after graduation and just start working" But then, I remembered what so many people suggested to me when they had some advice: "TRAVEL THE WORLD BEFORE YOU WORK". My parents, mentors, former colleagues, older alums all had the same piece of advice, go explore the world because you have the rest of your life to travel-And that's exactly what I did.

I suppose I could have taken a year off, like many international travelers I've met here in Thailand, who are taking 8 months to a year away from home before starting another phase in their lives. However, I couldn't be away from my friends, family, and girlfriend for so long. (Plus, I didn't want to miss UCLA basketball season). So that leaves me here, just an introduction to the blog and why I decided to travel. I will try and update this as much as possible throughout the trip. I am already backlogged one week and have a lot of writing to do...