Where in the world is Rachel?

Ummm, can we say paradise? It was only my second day in Thailand and I was already blown away. And not to mention everything is dirt cheap and you can still live like a king. Brett, Emily, and I spent our few days here exploring the town & beaches, watching a fire poi show & Thai boxing match, getting hour-long Thai massages for $5, boating around the islands, running away from monkeys on the beach, kayaking through bays, snorkeling with very aggressive fish, swimming in the majestic Maya Bay (where they filmed the secluded lagoon scene in "The Beach"), and watching our first sunset on the Andaman Sea. I think I may just retire here.

It's also bizarre to think that this island was ravaged by the tsunami just 2 years ago. I would never have known that disaster had struck the lives of the locals here because of their amazingly resilient attitudes. We laugh every day with the people we're meeting and no matter how little English they speak, they are never short on smiles or sarcasm. And I now have added to my Thai vocabulary: hello, thank you, sexy girl, and mango-lime fruit shake. I heart Thailand.