Thailand: days 5-6

Day 5:
Day 5 we were picked up early from our resort and were taken on a beautiful drive up through the mountains for our elephant ride. The drive itself was amazing. So many beautiful sites. Once we arrived at the site we got to meet our Elephant, TiTi. Part of ride was spent with TiTi's owner leading him while Coy and I sat on a small seat. We were then able to each take a turn guiding the elephant...SO MUCH FUN.
After our ride, we had a photo shoot with a leopard. A little scary, but definitely worth it.
We then took a pick up truck up the mountain to Waterfall I and II. Taking a short hike to both was fun, and a little scary on the small, rickety, boards we walked on. At the last waterfall Coy took a swim...which probably led to the ear ache he got the next day and lasted until well after we got home.

 

Day 6:
On Day 6 we took a day trip to Koh Tao. We were picked up at our hotel and taken to the site we departed on our 2 hour speed boat ride to Koh Nang Yuan, a private island off the coast of Koh Tao. This was one of the most beautiful sites I have seen. A small island where two sides of Gulf of Thailand come together. We found private spot and the snorkeled for a few hours before taking a short hike around the island (again on small boards which were a little scary!). Following this we boarded our speed boat and rode to the island of Koh Tao where we had a lunch and got to tour the little village before we were taken to a final spot where we snorkeled again. The water here was absolutely gorgeous and is known all over the world because of this. It was so clear and the fish were incredible. So colorful and amazing! This is a MUST do!

                             (this quickly become our favorite treat...coconut shake...amazing!)

That evening we took the long, hot walk to Arun. I had done some research and heard great things about this restaurant in Maenam Beach. Sue was great. She makes everything by herself and uses fresh ingredients - you can see in one of the pictures below she is making a salad in the bowl behind me. We started out appetizers of spring rolls and fried prawns. Coy had prawn pad thai and I had Curry served in a coconut.

Thailand: days 1-4

Coy and I spent 10 amazing days in Thailand for our 5 year anniversary. Many people have asked why we picked Thailand and to be honest it happened for multiple reasons. I was pushing for Greece and Coy was rooting for Thailand. Coy is obsessed with the beach and while I love the beach I also love culture and sightseeing. In addition to seeing the Kardashians in Thailand a few seasons ago, Coy had also heard a lot of great things from people he knows. Once I started doing some research I was easily swayed to Team Thailand.
This was by far the most amazing trip we have ever taken. It was breathtakingly beautiful, the culture and the people there are beyond amazing, and the food is delicious. This was for sure a trip of a lifetime and one we will never forget. In an effort to make sure we remember all of the details I wanted to document our trip here.
I would HIGHLY recommend a trip to Thailand, and specifically Koh Samui.

Day 1-2:
Between the 11 hour time-difference and a 33 hour trip across the world, days 1-2 were primarily spent in an airplane. On the way there we flew from Indianapolis to Minneapolis to LA to Guangzhou, China to Bangkok to Koh Samui. We literally switched our first flight less than twelve hours before departure so we extended the length of our trip even more. We were both dreading the flight, particularly the almost 15 hour flight from LA to Guangzhou. However, all in all, we couldn't complain too much when it was over. I hated the LA airport, and hated it even more when we realized we had to leave the domestic airport and re-check ourselves in through security and ticketing at the international airport. I had never flown out of the LA so this was new and extremely annoying (especially when it was in the middle of the night to our bodies). We left LA on Wednesday night and landed in China on Friday morning. We were able to sleep for almost half of the flight and spent the rest of the time watching some of the millions of movies that were offered. The food was decent and although a little cramped, it went much quicker than anticipated. I hated the Guangzhou airport - the air conditioning was not working, it smelled bad, and there were very limited options for food. We settled on a breakfast of something's I cannot pronounce and had fresh squeezed watermelon and orange juice. We loved the Bangkok Airport and I wish we had had more time there. We flew Bangkok Airways from Bangkok to Koh Samui and LOVED it! It was by far my favorite and shortest flight. The service was great, the food excellent, and they did a great job serving us.

(Breakfast in China)                          (Last flight!!!)                                       (FINALLY...Samui!)

Day 3:
We arrived in Koh Samui on Friday afternoon and were immediately taken aback by both the beauty and the heat. The humidity was something I had never quite experienced before and as much as I would like to say we got used to that, that never really happened. Luckily, the island itself was worth the sweat the poured out of my body for the entirety of our trip.
We stayed at Fairhouse Villas on Maenam Beach and loved it! We chose it because of it's seclusion and that did not disappoint! Although we had considered an upgrade once we arrived we decided to decline this, as our villa was in a great location and we loved it! Many of the staff spoke limited English but they were the sweetest little things and had such a great work ethic. Our villa was adorable. We were pleasantly surprised that we had to take our shoes off before entering and not so pleasantly surprised to find out that our one room key was the only way that the air or electricity would run. To translate - unless we were in the room our air conditioning would not run! This was a little upsetting and pretty blazing hot when we would return after a day out but in the end it was bearable and less dramatic then we thought it would be.
We spent the rest of the afternoon at the resort, taking in the amazing view and scenery. That night, despite our exhaustion we headed to Fisherman's Village for the Friday night open-air market. It was amazing. However, by the time we sat down to dinner (I had coconut curry prawns and Coy had sweet-n-sour chicken) we could barely keep our eyes open and made it as quickly as possible to street for a taxi ride home. I LOVED Fisherman's Village, luckily we were able to go back another night and actually enjoy ourselves.

Day 4:
We spent our first full day at the resort. It rained slightly this day but passed pretty quick. I headed a short distance down the beach for a ($9) one hour massage. It was amazing! We also went to lunch a short walk down the beach to Jin's - our favorite restaurant! Jin owns a little shack on the beach that I had read about previously. She was amazing and the food was even more amazing. We ate here multiple times and each time it was better than the time before.

                 (Breaking my coconut for coconut curry)

Chicken Satay                             Coconut Curry

Prawn Pad Thai

Late that afternoon we took the shuttle to Chaweng Beach. This was a much more crowded area. We spent a lot of time shopping and were luckily enough to find a small open-air market at the end of the night. We had fish-therapy on our feet and also a foot massage. We ate dinner on the beach and loved seeing the culture and the views. Every part of the island looks a little different and the beach and streets here varied from Maenam. We had talked about coming back to Chaweng later in the week but this never happened and this was our only time at this beach.

(Our first experience with Thai pancakes. These little carts, attached to a motorcycle make a variety of thin 'pancakes' with various toppings and fillings...all for around $0.10 each!)

                                                             (Mopeds galore...everywhere)

you are not alone.

Sunday was the start of National Infertility Awareness Week. The message of this year's campaign is "You are not alone."

"Infertility is a disease that results in the abnormal functioning of the male or female reproductive system. The American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and the World Health Organization (WHO) recognize infertility as a disease. Infertility affects approximately 10% of the population. Since infertility strikes diverse groups-affecting people from all socioeconomic levels and cutting across all racial, ethnic and religious lines- chances are great that a friend, relative, neighbor or perhaps you are attempting to cope with the medical and emotional aspects of infertility." (Credit can be found here.)

I am one of the 1 in 8 women that struggles with infertility. 1 in 8! You can look around your office, your neighborhood, your church, your friends, your family, at the stranger walking down the street and chances are you are meeting or have met someone struggling with infertility. I would even wager to say that chances are you have met multiple people struggling with infertility. And while infertility is becoming more and more common, it remains one of the most private battles people carry. The pain is real, it can be all-consuming. It is isolating. It hurts so much at times it takes your breath away. Yet, there is hope, even in the most desperate of times.

You are NOT alone. Everyone's story is different. Each story has it's own unique struggle. My story, while distinctively my own, still carries the common emotions and feelings that goes along with the journey of infertility. I might experience these emotions different than my neighbor and they may look differently in my life than yours, but each us of us still knows the feelings of pain, confusion, desperation, and loneliness. There is someone out there who knows this pain you are going through, and although it doesn't take that pain away, it brings a little light to an otherwise dark and suffocating situation.

You are NOT alone. God loves you. He cares for you. He wishes you no harm but wants the very best. He will never leave you or forsake you. Even in my darkest moments He has never left and is waiting patiently for me to return to him. He is big enough for my questions and my cries. He is the provider of hope and I will continue to trust in Him just as he will continue to never leave me alone. "Fear not, for I am with you. Do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will help you. I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10.

You are NOT alone. Even though at times it feels like the exact opposite, you are NOT alone. 1 in 8 people in the United States understand our pain, they've felt it too. We know the disappointment, the grief, sadness, anger and the unsuccessful procedures that have cost more of our money and our emotions than we would ever like to admit or remember. They've cried tears from the same we have. They've been poked and prodded, pumped full of meds, and spent hours upon hours at the doctor and specialist. Some may have it 'better' than you, some may have it 'worse'. In the end those details don't matter. All that matters is that we are NOT alone.