Panic. Anxiety. Freedom. Or even a far stretch… Joy.

All emotions seem pretty valid. Our phones hold more knowledge than all the dictionaries and encyclopedias combined. We can type in a few keywords and research anything we question at the tip of our fingers. When that is taken from us, most people rightfully so panic. But give it a second. Look around. The sun is shining, the air you breath is clean. And you just freed up time for the present.

As I walked up to the entrance to the monastery, I took one last Instagram story and held the off button. It was official, no phone, no laptop, and no talking for the next 7 days.

Wat Tam Pam Wua is located about 1.5 hours northeast of Pai in Thailand. It’s a beautiful motorbike ride through lush mountains. Pai is a 3-hour motorbike ride from the main city of Chiang Mai.

Tham Wua Forest Monastery
Off the Mae Hong Son-Pai highway, Mae Suya district, Mae Hong Son
T: (081) 031 3326
[email protected]
http://watpatamwua.com/

Now, let’s get into the experience…

 

I arrived at the monastery around 2 PM today. It is a peaceful and tranquil place. As I entered the main meditation hall, the monks and other guests were deep in an afternoon meditation. I decided to explore the monastery grounds and a young man, Label, spotted me walking about and waived me over. He had just checked in as well but was already in the all-white attire that was to become our clothing for the duration of the stay. We said a few words and finding that we both planned to go full silent that evening, we acknowledge our last couple words to each other.

The white clothes were in the center of the grounds and I found some that looked like they would fit my long and lengthy frame. Entering one of the male dorms, there were no other guys to be seen. I got situated and laid on the wood floor to start The Autobiography of a Yogi, a book I have been dying to read. I found the book at a book store in Old City, Chiang Mai about 2 weeks before the monastery. I wanted to start it each night but stuck to my plan to read the book while I spent this time in the monastery. I was to get in touch with not only the lifestyle of Buddhist monks but also the personal account of life as a yogi.

After being enthralled for the first few pages, I took the book along to the eating and tea area next to the meditation hall. On the way, I walked past a girl who said hi to me. This whole silence thing was off to a sketchy start. I whispered back “hi” and we shared some words. I told her I planned to go silent and she would be the last person I would talk to for some time.

Around 5 pm, orientation commenced with Pan, a volunteer at the monastery. He walked us through the basics and even revealed how meditation became a part of his life. He used meditation to heal himself from a serious illness in which the doctors said a cure was improbable. Ever since, he has been a dedicated individual to Buddhism and Mindfulness. Pan is a very well-off person and spends his time at the monastery because this is one of his happy places.

Up next, we went straight into the Evening Chanting. The chanting seemed to last for hours. I was out of breath by the end of it. From chanting straight into the evening meditation.

I was able to bring myself back to the center when my mind began to go off on a tangent. The surroundings help to magnify the state of awareness. Sounds of nature, the presence of the monks, and the collective meditation group bring it all into focus. My body is not accustomed to the position and I began to feel some aches and pains. I lost complete feeling in my left leg which frightens me. I would learn techniques later that allowed me to overlook the pain.

I woke up wide-eyed and started to immerse myself in my first official day. I checked the alarm clock and it was only 1:30 AM! I repeated this process a few more times until it was 4:45 and officially time to get mindful. I washed my face and did my morning routine ( 45min – 1hr ) which included reading The Autobiography of the Yogi ( I will refer to this as the book from here on out ). After some time, I felt the urge to start meditating before the scheduled start time and set off on a walking meditation around the temple grounds. “Left…Right…Larry…Ralph…Oneness…Abundance” kissing the earth with each step.

Entering into the meditation hall, I was unaware of the endurance my body+mind would need for Day 2. First, we all lined the edges of the meditational hall and the male guests lined up, all on all-fours, ready to give the morning rice offering to the monks.

The first meditation started and I felt pain everywhere from my head to my toes. 20 minutes in, I lost feeling in my left leg and lower back. I couldn’t give up already, I would not let that happen. I pushed through the pain and finished the meditation.

After a short break, it was time to listen to a talk from one of the monks. Hearing a monk talk and share their perspective is hard to grasp at first. I don’t know if you are similar to me in this way but I have always placed monks on a pedestal, separate from other people. Hearing them speak about the same struggles and thoughts that we have daily was a good reminder that they are people just like you and me.

During the talk, the monk spoke about techniques for walking and sitting meditations. The walking meditation was a huge breath of fresh air for me. Over the weeks leading up to the monastery, I felt like I was not practicing mindful steps. But here, I could feel myself kissing the earth with my feet with every step. The rain and downpours came throughout the day which only intensified the ethereal atmosphere of this place. Multiple times, as the meditation came to a close, the monks would open their eyes as the rain would dissipate.

The afternoon leading into evening chanting and night meditation is a time for rest. I use the time to draw, read, and write. It’s also a time where you can help with maintaining the monastery by sweeping, raking leaves, doing dishes, and setting up the meditation halls.

The evening chanting is excessive in my opinion but it’s out of respect for the monk’s practice and for Buddha himself. The evening meditation brought me into a different space and a mindful state I have rarely felt. I found the center and walked away at peace with everything in that moment. I also was able to try out the lotus pose which is the pose of Buddha during meditation.

I awoke once again at 1:30-2 am ready to rise. The internal alarm clock seemed to be set a few hours early. The next time I opened my eyes, it was 5:25! I overslept and had to rush through my morning routine. I will get it right tomorrow morning.

6 am — Morning rice offering to the monks. I was more heavy-handed with my rations and quickly learned how much to give to each of the 7 monks.

Breakfast was next — Potatoes, rice, and coffee. It was quite good. My eyes have been watering all morning, I am not sure why. Feels like I am on the verge of tears. Maybe it’s because life seems to be in a beautiful state in which I am beyond happy in this experience… maybe it’s because my soul feels at home for the first time in a long time… maybe it’s because I can’t talk to anyone and being silent is harder than I thought… maybe it’s because I already miss life outside of here. See how I traveled through Vietnam and the best do it yourself day trips in Vietnam.

The travel, the work, the girls, and the family. It’s been a few months since I’ve been home. I am not sure how I feel about it at this moment. I think the next few days will be told within this sacred space. One of the monks talked about each human being a lotus flower slowly opening and growing. The lotus flower rises from the mud. I have a dirty past but if I continue to focus on the present, the past is history — muddy water under the bridge. Today, I see myself as a lotus flower, with each petal being part of personal growth.

I am struggling to stay focused. I can endure the mental aspect. The body is now in deep pain and I am using the breath to push air towards the pain points. The pain is tightness, pulsating the nerves, but breath is an ailment for all.

As the soul traverses through space and time, I am trying to breathe through the physical and alleviate the body. I see a purple and yellow aura above my two eyes. Is it the third eye-opening? Time will tell.

Before we start the walking meditation, one of the monks gives his dharma talk. We are introduced to the two different meditation styles created and taught by Buddha. I would not do these ideals justice to attempt to describe them and there is much to learn in-person with the monks so I will just provide a tip of the Buddhist iceberg…

The monk speaking is starting to align with my thoughts and beliefs. It’s like he is speaking my thoughts on a Buddhist platform. I have never had a guru but I am starting to feel a connection to this monk.

Walking meditation near the creek allows me to stay in a meditative state the entire time. Walking meditation comes more naturally for me up to this point. Legs crossed and eyes halfway closed, I enter into afternoon meditation.

The monk asked us to practice Summertime for 15 minutes and Vipassana for 20 minutes. During Summertime, I chose to focus on the orca whale as an external object. To enter this state, I count 100 in-breath ( bha ) —> out-breath ( dho). The orca whale later flowed into the wolf and then into language. I just went with this instead of forcing myself to stay with the orca the entire 15 minutes. It seems to work well for me since all of these “objects” are similar and connected. When I resist the flow, there is a strange sharp pain that I feel in my forehead for a moment. The lead monk would later describe this pain as resistance to the mind. The pain dissipated once I returned to my center with the breathing technique. I then switch to Vipassana after what I believe to be the first 15 minutes. I can locate the observer/knower within and this is powerful. I observe each thought and this allows me to be separate from the thought… mind separate from the soul.

There is a lying meditation that is practiced right after the sitting meditations. I am usually in a state between reality and something else. I am not quite asleep so there are visuals that I have during lying meditation.

The chant is excessive and I find my thoughts trailing off. I don’t know why but I am anxious tonight. The mosquitoes were after me minutes ago and it bothered me more than usual.

Up to this point, I have always been hard on myself. Whether it was self-inflicted pain from alcohol, drugs, or self-sabotage, I, the ego, got good at putting me down. I was the devil on my shoulder instead of the angel. Tonight, I continue to self-sabotage but the volume is at full blast. I am in a downward spiral during the evening chant and we are about to change into the meditation pose. I am not ready but I have nowhere to disappear to. My monkey mind and emotions have a grip on me and there not letting go.

Clawing my way to the 2nd 1/2 of the meditation, I finally hear my inner voice say

I burst into a downpour of tears. I kid you not, it’s starting to rain at the monastery. As the rain falls all around the meditation hall, I feel my tears raining on me. I think to myself..this is not what is supposed to happen at a monastery. I am now praising Buddha and the Universe as the tears continue to roll down my cheeks.  “Thank you for getting me to this place,” I whisper to them both. It was beautiful, not sad, but beautiful.

I open my eyes for a moment to try to process what just happened and then I finish the last 5 minutes with the meditators and the monks. The eyes of the monks or at least their energy is all I feel as I sit there, tears stained on my face. I walk away slowly and make eye contact with no one, they all could tell what I just went through.

A sense of inner growth comes over me. By being courageous when the meditation becomes uncomfortable, I know I can get better with my practice. I make a promise today to be the angel on my shoulders, to know that the Universe loves me for who I am. Heck, the Buddha loves me for who I am. Nothing more, nothing less. I am in the arena, so I must support and believe in myself to the Nth degree while I am in here. I understand now that I will be in the arena the rest of my life. In the words of Brene Brown, I choose to Dare Greatly.  Find out how to become a digital nomad and to dare greatly while traveling. Be confident, own this practice and come out of it more grown, awakened and at peace. The silent warrior is here to stay!

I woke up every couple of hours, alert and ready for the routine of day 4. Then, I woke up thinking I had slept in. But, I wasn’t alarmed, literally. I had a feeling both of the provided alarm clocks were off.

I decided to start my 4:45 routine with my morning PA ( push-ups and abs ) and give thanks during my morning walking meditation. I take a full loop around the monastery grounds and walk-up just in time for the morning rice offering.

I continue to use one of my mantras as the inner voice during the offering.

The monk’s presence is itself powerful and overwhelming at times.

With a full belly from breakfast, it’s now time for the monk’s morning discussion. One take away from the morning talk that I would like to share with you :

Do not give the remote control to other things. Stay in the driver’s seat…stay connected to your soul…stay distant from your thoughts as the observer of your mind.

The monk speaks to me with his thoughts on life. While being enthralled by each of his words, I decided to tear a piece of paper from this page. I write a question for him. With that question, I rise and decide to approach the monk. The question is about a point from his talk about the possibility that we live multiple lives on Earth. Monks believe in re-incarnation and so the question asked was about “old souls”.

He said that each of us could have carried baggage from a past life. He also said that either of us could have been each other’s brother, mother, or father so why don’t we all treat each other with love and kindness.

Morning Meditation

The meditation today was longer. 40 minutes to be exact. I felt pain—more pain than any time before but as the great monk said pain is not negative just as failure is not negative. He said we must visualize the pain as growth towards a more enlightened self.

Afternoon Walking/Sitting Meditation 

I set a goal well I was in the monastery to read the book Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahamsa Yogananda. Setting out on that goal I was able to see two cultural beliefs parallel at the same time. In experiencing this I wanted to recite something from the autobiography of the yogi.

Mind, nor intellect, nor ego, nor feeling;
Sky, nor earth, nor metals am I,
I am He, I am He, Blessed Spirit, I am He!

No birth, no death, no caste have I, Father, Mother, have I none,
I am He, I am He, Blessed Spirit, I am He!

Beyond all fancy, formless am I,
Free from dreams of all earthly life,
I am He, I am He, Blessed Spirit, I am He!

Bondage I fear not; I’m free in Thy joy! Free! Oh, free, Lord, free in Thy bliss!
I am He, I am He, Blessed Spirit, I am He!

It is Swami’s ultimate goal to be in unity with spirit allowing thy waking and sleeping consciousness to be in the world but not of it.

Oneness…Abundance…Trust…Flow. I am in my element as the rhythm and pace are in unison with the surroundings of nature. With each step of the walking meditation, I am fully here and now. Crossing my legs and focusing inward,  I begin the sitting meditation and focus on summertime which is the practice of focusing on one single object. I focus on the cheeseburger ( the number of times I thought of cheeseburgers in southeast asia…can not be counted on two hands ) which leads to ideas of taste, the origin of senses, and thankfulness for food. The rest of the meditation has me in a laser focus on being the knower of my thoughts using the Vipassana technique—observing the thoughts separate from the body.

I am letting go of “I” and replacing it with “I am He.”

During the afternoon break, I choose to pick up leaves around the monastery grounds. I quickly learn leaf cleaning is a form of meditation within itself. I recall being perplexed as I watched older women sweeping on their porches in Bali, Vietnam, and Thailand. There seemed to be nothing to sweep but it was the process of sweeping that they enjoyed. I realize while sweeping that these elderly women had figured out an additional way to practice their devotion to their deity by incorporating sweeping into their daily routine.

As I pick each leaf, I feel bad for taking away the homes and shelter of the bugs from the rain. As crazy as that may sound, I never had the perspective of thinking of something so small needing the leaves for survival. Mind you, I am now four days and 96 hours into being silent. Being silent has allowed me to notice perspectives that would never make it to the surface if I was letting my mind drift into past conversations or what I should say next.

I do my part with leaves not simply because of the ego, not for competition, not for recognition but just because it feels right. This sacred place nestled in the forest gives you a place to stay, feeds you two meals a day, and allows you to immerse yourself in the life of a monk. Doing whatever I can to help the monastery is the least I can do for the beautiful experience they provide for outsiders like me.

Evening chanting seems to arrive quicker than I expected on my way into the meditation hall. I take a small sip of coffee and I enter into the kneeling pose. Chanting is long and arduous. It tests my body and mind as the mind constantly wants to take over. It wants to show its power during these chanting moments. The mind river is vast, it has room for all these thoughts and if I can continue to be the Knower/Observer, I can observe these thoughts while they pass by in simple flow.

Our final praise to Buddha is complete and the transition is made into lotus pose for the last meditation of the day.

I feel somewhat of a breakthrough tonight. The past meditations have culminated in a loss of ego and a deeper connection to something bigger than myself. A sense of accomplishment rushes through me as I reach a high state of mindfulness towards the final moments. It’s hard for me to describe it as an accomplishment, it is more of a big step in the right direction to becoming more mindful. Walking back to my cabin, a mantra or thought enters my awareness. This thought is something that has stuck with me since this experience and  I would like to share it with you:

 I leaves comparison to others and my past self, I leave expectation of others and my future, and I leave the forceful part of the Ego at the doorstep. For as I walk into this day, I am me, nothing more and nothing less.

 

We go through our usual morning routine and no moments stand out. As the young monk begins his Dharma talk about mindfulness and life he tells of an interesting thought.

When we have connection with one person and spend most of our time with them, we start to gain habits and parts of eachother.

The monk was once a citizen just like you and me. He did internet marketing, had a girlfriend and a very normal life in most people’s eyes. But he said that every waking moment he was free of responsibilities, he dedicated to meditation and continued to try to connect with Buddha with every breath that he had free. He realized all he wanted was to devote the rest of his life to Buddha.

Interlude from the Dalai Lama

Give the ones you love wings to fly, roots to come back, and reasons to stay. – Dalai Lama

 

Bo the Monk also touched on another very relatable and really interesting concept. He said to take the blue pill don’t take the red pill. The blue pill is awakening, growth. and understanding oneself. You could guess what the red pill is—society, other people’s expectations and not fulfilling your purpose. The monk continues to remind us — time is limited.

The Dharma talk also covered the idea of rebooting. Rebooting is a practice taught by the monks in which if you go with thought and it takes you on a trail to another thought, one must reboot as a computer must reboot. One must come back to our origin of knowing the mind, knowing the thoughts, and not being thoughts.

Learning to Be Flexible

I was quite looking forward to the walking meditation but the rain is starting to pour harder than it has in days. The monks decide we will walk around the Dharma meditation hall. It feels less authentic to walk under a roof instead of out in nature. This is something that I must get used to if I will be able to practice walking meditation back in the real world.

I think being an extremely visual person can get in the way of my presence at times and I realize now that I was overusing my sense of sight. Stimulated by the new sights and nature of South East Asia, I was losing my ability to mind-fully walk. Don’t get me wrong, it was a good distraction to have.

I found my new walking meditation cadence— oneness…abundance…know…flow…right…left…right…left.

Crossing my legs and immersing in lotus pose, I enter the sitting meditation. I am suddenly underwater—deep in a meditative state with water surrounding me. I can hear the sounds of whales overhead and behind me. They are speaking and I don’t understand or see them. I feel them. The water is now underneath me and is flowing like a rushing river. I am on a pedestal as the flow rushes beneath my crossed legs. My breath remains consistent—under and above water.

Before the afternoon meditation, I deep dive back into the Autobiography of a Yogi and the author, Yogananda, says the third eye is opal blue and gold during a meditative state. I realize at this moment that I’ve been seeing an open blue swirl above my closed eyes as I meditate. This space is my third eye and as I continue to work on my practice, it becomes more clear. The monks say that everyone’s energy can be a certain color.  Colors of the aura reveal certain aspects of that soul. More to be determined.

Afternoon Walking meditation

I’m beginning to have a breakthrough. I am in the middle of awareness of each step and my surroundings. I am of my body but also not of this body.

Afternoon Sitting Meditation

Great balance between Vipassana and Summertime techniques.

I begin the afternoon meditation with summertime and I focus on the sun. This focus takes me on a tangent to the universal light and the acceptance of us all sharing the same light.

I make the transfer into Vipassana which is becoming less of a struggle at this point. The Observer of my thoughts is what I’m becoming. I no longer feel any pain since pain is a part of a thought and is not within reality. The pain comes and goes just like a thought comes and goes. It is just temporary.

I decide to sweep the leaves and help clean the grounds of the monastery. I find it to be extremely relaxing and enjoyable to the point that I understand the enjoyment someone gets from planting crops, the enjoyment someone gets from farming living off the land or giving back to society. I’d like to do more of this.

Sweeping the leaves is just an extension of one’s daily practice and choice to be mindful.  And in being present we can enjoy any moment whether it is sweeping leaves or showing up for the biggest interview of your life.

The evening chat seems longer than ever— seems to get longer every time but instead of looking at it negatively, I see it as a chance to give thanks to Buddha for his teaching. I appreciate the teaching so I show up to every chant and be a part of it to give thanks. I end each prayer with Sadhu which means Amen in Buddhism/Thai.

Evening Meditation

Evening meditation commences and I feel a balance in the summertime technique. My focal point is the rain and how it cleanses our body and the Earth. I transition from summertime meditation into the Vipassana technique. As I focus on each in and out-breath, I begin to feel the sensation of no breath which means I am deep in a meditative state.

Elevated in growth and spirit I am happily seeing progress in my practice.

seek truth in meditation not in moldy books look in the sky to find the moon not in the pond. – Autobiography of a Yogi

The morning parallels with the past mornings. As we listen to Bo the Monk, he begins his morning Dharma talk.

Having the full mind versus the intelligent mind. It seems that the dogs at the monastery have the full mind meaning they can’t comprehend anything more than that moment. They can’t think anything more than that moment and their mind becomes full. An intelligent mind is present but not full. It is able to leave space for the moment and to appreciate the moment fully.

One of the dogs consistently sat at my feet during afternoon meditations. He is sweet and calm. He also took part in our walking meditations as he weaved between each walker. He is a monk in his own way.

The Monk speaks as the Buddha did. He does not want us to follow his teachings and live a replica of his practice. He advises us to learn about all religions and beliefs while keeping an open mind. Then, we can pull pieces and parts of each belief and incorporate it into our own beliefs.  Buddha never wanted anyone to see him as a guru or god. His teachings were meant to be mixed with our wisdom. Galileo had wisdom and realized that he could see that the world was round even though society and the collective belief was that it was flat.

Walking meditation

I find my rhythm to the point where I’m doing a slight dance because my rhythm seems to be so in tune with my mind, body,  and soul.

Sitting meditation

I’m fully omnipresent to the abundance of the day. In this part of the meditation,  I choose to focus on my breathing and 7 chakras. I can feel the flow of light entering from the Universe into my Crown Chakra ( top of the head ).

I also incorporate using my hands and fingers as the object of focus in the summertime technique.

I haven’t touched much on the laying meditation which commences after each sitting meditation because  I usually found myself visualizing or passing out. Today, the laying meditation is elevating since the monk has asked us to imagine our death. He wants us to visualize the experience and see if it is a positive/negative death.

I imagine my soul leaving the body and somewhat flying high up into the sky. I do not know how to handle this much freedom from my body. The clouds pass by and my panic turns into pure ecstasy. No longer part of just one dimension, I break through the sky and everything begins to fast-forward. Years turn to minutes, minutes turn to seconds. On the brink of being gone forever, a thought comes over me. Are you ready to leave that life behind just yet?

I am not ready to move on through “death” but I do not fear the idea of this transformation. A so-called death is just smoke n’ mirrors for through my practice, I see no end and beginning— I just see a continued experience as a soul.

Still, in between reality and something else, I mindfully walk away from the Dharma Hall towards my small cabin. I decide this will be my final night at the monastery and I want to see how my meditation goes on my own one time with the temple around me. The evening meditation within my cabin within my inner temple. ( you are asked to attend every part of the schedule each day. I felt so strongly about where I was personally in my development so I decided to forego the evening chanting and evening meditation to practice on my own.)

Just as I enter my room, the rain begins to fall and everyone is within the Dharma Hall starting the evening chant. It’s just me, the rain, and nature. I am extremely enthralled by the rain, it is taking over my senses. I step from the dry stairs and out into the downfall—tongue to the sky. Clothes are now drenched and I impulsively run-up to shelter. But then I have a thought… “No one is around, and I am free to be me!” I pull off my clothes and run out into the rain with only boxers on now.

It feels like months since I last was in a full sprint. I run in rejoice, I run in celebration, I run in acceptance of myself, I run in appreciation for this monastery, and I don’t stop because the smile on my face keeps getting bigger.

Final Night Meditation

I regain my peace as I run back into the cabin. The floor is soaked, I decide to sit on the bed and enter into lotus pose. I find myself in a sense and state of pure gratitude and appreciation. I talked about my longing to stay at a monastery in Southeast Asia for months before leaving America.

Grateful to have been able to manifest this experience, I transition into the Vipassana technique which allows me to fully know and observe my thoughts. The thoughts are less frequent, the volume seems to be at an all-time low. Enthralled with a flow of happiness, I feel the rain from within me pouring down my face. I am finally at home within myself.

“I Can See Clearly Now” – Bob Marley

Opening my eyes, I come to realize that I now have new tools to use in the real world. The monks teach about tending to the garden within us—watering the flowers and cutting the dead weeds. What I feel means more to me now then what I think. Thoughts are quieter and carry less weight since I have learned to lose attachment. I am Christopher Lien, the knower, and the observer of my mind. I am now in the tree with Buddha, there’s room for more. Your experience awaits you.

I fell in love with myself at a Buddhist monastery

Good Meditation Practice I learned from the Monk’s Dharma Talks

A good meditation practice when walking in the park or monastery. Pour a cup of coffee or a glass of water. Now head outside and walk with the glass or coffee. The coffee or glass is your job, career, and materialistic possessions. Nature and the outdoors are your spiritual devotion to your practice. Now if you give nature and your surroundings too much of your attention, the cup will spill. In contrast, if you are unable to answer when asked how it looked outside during your walk, you are too focused on not spilling the cup. This is a practice of finding the balance.

Day 7

back to reality 

I plan to leave the monastery as it was when I arrived…peaceful. At the crack of dawn, I awake and hanging my clothes in my cabin, I make my final walk through the grounds. A new dharma hall has been built near the creek so I make my way there to the donation box. I give generously and get back onto the motorbike. The road is dark as the sun has not made it’s way around to this side.

Oneness…Abundance…Know…Flow

I repeat this over and over throughout the entire ride, waving at every passer-by. With about 50 pages still left in the book, I plan to go back to the Pai Hot Springs Resort where I stayed the two nights in Pai prior to the monastery. The plan is to walk back into the resort as if never left. The plan works flawlessly as I wave to the front desk and make my way to the hot springs. I am able to read about 20 pages and the heat becomes unbearable. With no towel in sight, I hang my trunks there for later haha and head over to the restaurant at the resort. I am able to get some coffee and a small breakfast and the waiter asks no questions. I finish the book in the cafe and meet my goal of 7 days.

Now, it’s time to make the ride back down the winding turns towards Chiang Mai. Fast forward to me entering the city. Immediately, I feel the energy of the city. Cars fly by—city sounds blare the peace. I accept this challenge.