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Our two week adventure in Thailand was nothing short of amazing! Thailand sure knows how to bring on the spice- with their delish food, colorful clothing, beaches, and mind-boggling architecture.

The highlights:

The beaches! Koh Phi Phi, an island in the South of Thailand, is even more stunning that I imagined. You might remember it from that crazy Leonardo DiCaprio movie “The Beach”. I was on a quest to find perfect white sand and crystal clear water and I found it there! Too bad we had to share it with hundreds of tourists.

 

My toesies sure loved that powdery white sand.

 

The famed Maya Bay.

Sunset on Railey beach.

I’m not a fruit person, but I daily (sometimes twice daily) endulged in fresh banana, mango and papaya smoothies sold by the street vendors. The street food was absolutely the best.

We met up with a missionary family who is working hard ministering and preaching in their small village of Phra Putta Bat. The short time we spent with them, we learned so much about the Thai people and culture. Their 2 year old, Joshua, was so adorable.

If you’ve never experienced a thai massage before, you must! They make you do crazy yoga stretches while they massage your muscles with their hands, elbows, and knees. I cringed in pain when they dug their heels into my thighs, cracked my back and pulled each toe out of the socket, but I was left feeling renewed and refreshed.

While Joe was out mountain biking, I got a hot pink manicure and pedicure, and a facial treatment where yoghurt, honey, coffee grinds, mango slices and chocolate were rubbed all over my face. I have no idea how effective this facial was, but my skin was baby smooth afterward.

On my birthday, Joe and I climbed over 1200 stair steps leading to a temple at the top of a mountain. Being afraid of heights, this was a huge accomplishment for me!

 

Here we are, sweaty, exhausted, but victorious!!!

Also for my Birthday, we stayed in the most incredible resort on Tub Kaak beach. The beach was completely isolated and uncrowded. Sometimes Joe and I were the only ones out there.

 

Our resort smack dab in the middle of the jungle.

The people were so friendly and hospitable. If Joe and I looked confused or lost for more than 5 seconds, a good samaritan would ask us where we were trying to go and sometimes personally walk us there.

Riding the water taxi through the canals in Bangkok was super exciting. Bangkok is often called “The Venice of the East”.

We visited the flower mart in Bangkok. I was totally in my element there! Lots of fragrant jasmine garlands, marigolds and chrysanthemums, and rare varieties of orchids.

A flower market kitty.

 

Hand-strung jasmine garlands.

 

My new favorite flower, the lotus. I love the thick folded petals. Very peony-like. Isn’t God an artist?

We had an 8 hour layover in Seoul, Korea where we enjoyed real bi bim bap. My dad is from Seoul so it was pretty special to be there, even if only for a short time.

This trip was inspiring in so many ways. They call Thailand “The Land of Smiles”. What a cool thing to be named after! They really have fun while they work, laughing and joking, not taking work too seriously. While weddings are serious business and can be quite stressful, I never want to stop having fun while I work. I need to pump up the 80s music and really enjoy the time I have with my assistants while we create beautiful florals.

I am also pumped to create a Thailand inspired floral arrangement, which I’m working on right now and will be blogging soon! It’s inspired by these amazing water jugs filled with lotus and goldfish. We saw these everywhere.

Now I’m back home, refreshed and ready to rock my 2009 weddings!