Infinite Love with Kate
Infinite Love with Kate
S4: Ep: 58 "Sunrise in Phuket: A Love Letter to Self-Discovery"
What if overcoming the challenges of a global pandemic could lead to an unexpected journey of self-discovery and empowerment? Join us in this episode of Infinite Love on the Go as we recount an unforgettable adventure through Phuket, Thailand. Discover how embracing both grand adventures and quiet moments can help you rewrite your own story. Despite the struggle with jet lag, the enchanting sunrises, warm interactions, and rich culture of Phuket left a lasting impression that transformed our experience.
We then venture to the stunning Phi Phi Islands, where the joys of snorkeling in crystal-clear waters and encountering vibrant wildlife await. Hear fascinating stories of fellow globetrotters, like a solo traveler from Canada and a lively family from Vegas, each reflecting our own dreams and aspirations. Get valuable travel tips on planning, flexibility, and savoring every moment, even amidst minor setbacks. Closing with serene moments by the ocean, this episode is a heartfelt tribute to self-love, gratitude, and the magic of solo travel. Tune in to feel inspired and rejuvenated by the wonders of the world around us.
Welcome back to another episode of Infinite Love on the Go. Where do I even begin? I told you I was taking this podcast with me as I embarked on an adventure of a lifetime A trip around the world, three countries, three weeks the longest I've ever been away from home. This journey began last year around the same time when I took my first solo trip to Greece and Madrid. I was ready, but there was something more to it. You see, during the pandemic is when I really dove deep to my healing, into the inner work I needed to do, even though it scared the hell out of me, even though there were some many, many, many dark nights, even during the times that I wanted to run for my own self from this healing journey. But you see, you can't. Once you begin, you start realizing your worth. You start putting back the power within you and you start creating that darkness that you were living in into your own light. You rewrite your story. You no longer become the victim of your story, because that wasn't really working. So you want to become the director, the writer, the center stage. You pour back into you, you pour all of this love into yourself and you watch your story unfold from a completely different perspective. So now fast forward a couple years and a lot of work, a lot of nights crying, a lot of begging and pleading with the universe to just make the pain go away and slowly but surely picking myself off the ground, taking steps forward to the ultimate transformation of leaping forward, not for anyone else but for my own self. That that was a whole different gift I gave myself.
Speaker 1:And so, present moment, here I am. I am all the way across the universe in Phuket, thailand, trip number one, eight days, and as much as this trip is winding down, it has been unbelievably beautiful serene. The culture, the climate, the environment, the love, the greetings, the atmosphere, the vibrations, the weather, the warmth, the colors, the sunrises and the sunsets. I could go on and on and sure, I'm sure, we could say that about any vacation we take. That's outside of our norm, and that may be true, and I may find glorious pieces in every single moment I embrace. But that's part of this journey. I embrace not only the large moments, because, yes, this is the large moment, but I have loved, handled with grace and care, the little moments to which have gotten me, to celebrate these larger moments. You see, when you let go of all of that expectation that life should just be one ginormous great moment. And then you start becoming more present in the smaller moments, more grateful in those moments, because those moments teach you something. Those moments present more blessings in life that you could ever have imagined, ever dreamed of.
Speaker 1:It's because of those small moments that I finally stood still. You see, sitting still was so hard for me because that meant I had to sit still in that silence, in that darkness, and that was terrifying. It was terrifying, to admit. It was terrifying to take accountability for. But then, when I began doing it, as uncomfy as it was, I started piecing together my life. I started understanding the things I was doing in my past that weren't working for myself. I started fixing the wrongs and making them right. I started taking full accountability for the choices I've made or didn't make. I started setting boundaries and standards for myself, because I saw worth in myself. I started believing in myself. I started seeing that girl in the mirror and loving every part of her, something I never gave, something I never did for myself. And then I'm here and universe is reflecting back to me all of the hard work I've ever done for myself by pouring me with love, with beautiful sunrises and sunsets, with amazing strangers opening, welcoming, friendly, you name it. I walk into this resort every single day and when I leave for an excursion, I come back and I'm greeted by so many staff members calling out my name because they remember me, asking me how my day was, how was my excursion, and they're all excited. They build you up, they amplify your vibrations that you're already bringing to the table. Who wouldn't love that? That is what I'm talking about. When you're able to amplify the ones you love all around you, not because you're forced to, not because you have to, but you're urged to, it's because you desire to, all on your own, because that vibration is living wildly through you. Therefore, you feel the need to share that. I love that and I desire that for everyone around me. The whole world needs that.
Speaker 1:So what have I been doing while I've been in Phuket, thailand? Well, a little bit of everything, except for sleep. Universe does not want me to sleep on this trip. At first I thought it was jet lag, but I'm five days into it and I would think that jet lag is just gone. Plus, I slept. I slept really well on the 13-hour flight. I think I slept 11 out of the 13 hours on that flight, which I can't even do that when I'm home. So I have no reason to be this tired and I'm not even tired.
Speaker 1:Here's the thing. I go to bed at night After a long day. I'll go to bed early and I'm like all right, I'll get, let's get six hours, let's hope. And 12.45 rolls around every single night and I am wide awake. I am ready. It is pitch black outside, everyone else is asleep, there's nothing to do. So I'm laying there and I'm just, you know, scrolling on my phone or I'm meditating and I'm just giggling to myself, thinking what am I doing up? But then I'll lay around and then, hopefully, I fall asleep. But then my alarm goes off and I'm up and ready for breakfast.
Speaker 1:Early in the morning I beat the traffic and then I get my day started, whether it's lounging in the pool over here, taking a walk in the streets amongst me, or visiting an elephant sanctuary which, by far hands down, was the most beautiful experience of my life, even though it was raining cats and dogs, it still made the entire excursion even greater To know that these people are pouring love into these beautiful elephants who were just freely sent to roam the streets after being in a circus or being on land utilized in the worst ways possible. And these people knew that they couldn't just go back into an environment they wouldn't be safe. So they created these sanctuaries to give them the love, the natural love, to live out the rest of their life freely. And you could feel that love and I desire to see that all over the world. I want our animals to be free, I want to feel free. So therefore, everyone should have that experience, not just humans, everybody, every living being.
Speaker 1:So then, yesterday yesterday was another amazing day. We took a long speedboat ride out to Phi Phi Islands and we got to snorkel, we got to lounge in the water, we got to snorkel, we got to lounge in the water, we got to roam the island and then we got to see Monkey Island, which I did not get off the boat for that one, because there was monkeys everywhere and they did say that they will bite. So I stayed right there on that boat and took lots of pictures. But we made so many friends with the people on our boat because all it took was one person saying all right, where's everyone from? And majority of us that were sitting on the front of the boat, which is where the sunlight was just beaming on us, were all from the states, except for one beautiful lady who was from canada, and she was on a 16 month travel around the world excursion by herself.
Speaker 1:And it was like, yes, yes, yes, you are a mirrored reflection of what I desire to be in my future. And I asked her are you planning on going home anytime soon? She said nope. I said I love that. I love that you're going wherever the universe takes you. I love that you have the opportunity to do that for yourself.
Speaker 1:And then I met another beautiful couple from Vegas and she was there with her two kids and then her father, and they travel, seems. And she was there with her two kids and then her father, and they travel, seems like they travel every year to somewhere beautiful and beyond. They said they were in Dubai last year and then they were on an African safari the year before. And I just thought, wow, that is amazing. And again, another mirrored reflection of where I desire to be. That is my life, that is me and that's what I love. That universe is reflecting upon me.
Speaker 1:You don't get jealous or bitter of the moments of people sharing their excitement and what they have as opportunities. You live. In those moments you say thank you, universe, for reflecting back to me what I am living. This is my life, I'm living that out already and therefore I am am. So we were all just sharing our experiences. And then I got to share my story a little bit with all them and they loved it because I was a little bit younger than most of them and I said I just can't wait to do what you guys do and they're like, well, you're already started. I'm like, exactly exactly I am.
Speaker 1:And then we were all just talking about how amazing Thailand is, how beautiful this country is, and I definitely want to come back because there's so much more. I want to see this. You know you have to take excuse me. You have to. You have to be careful in some ways as a solo traveler, so I don't know everything just yet, but this is what I love about these trips is you take notes and you learn.
Speaker 1:So my first solo trip was last year to Greece and Madrid, and I didn't stay in Madrid long enough, so I took that note as okay if I do multiple countries and I'm staying for at least three days, if not longer. So that's what I did. So I made a better choice and stayed in Thailand longer. However, I would then recommend moving around, staying two nights in one hotel and then moving to a different part of the cities and getting a little taste of everything. That way, you're closer to other opportunities or excursions that are different.
Speaker 1:So now I know, but am I complaining? No, do I absolutely love where I'm at in Cata Beach, phuket? Yes, is it exactly what I desired? A little bit offshore, not the young 21 year old lifestyle, partying. A little bit safer, more safer, I should say, for me to roam about freely solo as a female. So this is what I desired and it met everything that I desired. So I can't complain. Do the research, especially since you know yourself. Do Do the research for yourself. I watched a lot of videos on YouTube and that was beyond grateful for helping me, guide me towards every single step I was going to make.
Speaker 1:So I only have two and a half days left here and I just turned in all my laundry, which is another blessing I packed so lightly Not something. If you ever travel with me, you know that I'm not a light packer and I was hoping to not have to check a bag in. Unfortunately, airline I picked would not allow me to bring two bags, so I ended up having to check my bag, and it flew directly to Phuket. I did a layover in Doha, and so I was just going with God on this one and saying, all right, my bag is going to be there when I arrive. And sure enough it was, even though I had no idea which belt to check because I didn't have any bags to bring in. So I just happened to take a step, turned and looked up and I saw my bright, shiny, orange bag. There she was screaming at me, it's me, I'm here, so all is well.
Speaker 1:Everything turned out well, well, and all my flights, my seats, the energy, the people I sat next to perfect. I felt like I was constantly being blessed within the smaller moment, and I was so grateful for everything. And so now I'm here, snuggled in my bed, not running on a lot of sleep, but still loving it. The skies look a little little grayish outside, and that's okay. That just means I'm going to have to find something to do indoors, which I think I'm going to take myself to a seafood market. I was told that if you go to those seafood markets, you can pick out your lobsters, pick out your meals, and then they'll cook it the way you want it, right then and there, while you're staring at the ocean. Water, that sounds glorious, it's nothing crazy, it's nothing wild, but I get to do a lot of people watching, and then I got, you know, get to zen, be by the ocean, and then tonight, I hope, to catch a fire show, which is right outside my hotel. Um, that's not until 10 o'clock tonight, so let's open them up. We shall see.
Speaker 1:Last night, though, because we were out on the water all day, I got back, had dinner. I mean, and I'm telling you, every time I took a bite to eat, my eyes were getting heavier and heavier. I felt like a kid on Christmas or Thanksgiving, you know, like when you're so full and your eyes were just slamming shut. So I made sure to jump in the shower, got all the sand off of me, and then, finally, was chit-chatting with the family checking in, letting them know I was safe and I couldn't type anymore.
Speaker 1:I rolled over and I don't even remember anything, but I just remember falling asleep and then being startled because my phone went off and, I guess because I took my phone and put it in one of those waterproof cases for the snorkeling adventure. I must have hit my volume back on. So my phone was actually ringing and if you know me as a teacher, my phone stays silent permanently. Now I don't ever have the ringtone on. So it was ringing and I was so confused and it finally woke me up and obviously I didn't answer it. But I noticed that it was a parent asking about registration.
Speaker 1:Already I was like listen, I am across the universe. I do not want to think about school already starting back up, but I know that's coming, I know that time is right around the corner and I'm okay with it. So here I am, sitting in the comfort of my bed, staring out the window at the pool, and then further back is the ocean, and what better way to wake up in the morning? I love it. I love all of it and that's the moral of my story here is gratitude, universe, blessing with opportunities, seeing the world from a whole different perspective, having the opportunity to do something like this and being blessed with just taking that leap. I'm abundant in all areas of my life, and I continue to say this because I continue to tell you how much I believe in this. I am abundant in all areas of my life. I'm not faking it till I make it. I am abundant in all areas of my life. Every day is not perfect, every day is not easy, but I am abundant in all areas of my life. I hold gratitude for even the hardest days. And I will tell you there was something going on and I didn't realize it until later on that it's Mercury in retrograde and it's Pisces season and I'm a Pisces. So God bless my soul.
Speaker 1:I was wondering the first three days why my energy was all over the place. I at first was like, okay, it's my monthly of a woman going through that. But it felt different. It felt more. I felt this sadness within my soul and I'm thinking I'm in Thailand, there's nothing to be sad about, what's going on. And then I thought jet lag, okay, well, I'm just exhausted, but I'm still going to go, go, go. And I'm just getting my bearings. I'm all the way across the universe and can't turn around now. So maybe that's it. And I thought, no, I'm not scared, this doesn't terrify me. If anything, I'm excited, I'm overly excited. And okay, well, maybe that's it. Maybe I just have too much energy going on here and I just kept sitting with it and I would just have these bouts. These moments of sadness overwhelm me and I didn't know what that was.
Speaker 1:And then, finally, when you start doing the research, you start asking universe for the answers or the guidance. You got it and so right away it was the Mercury retrograde and everything made sense. Why I was feeling so much energy, what I need to purge, blah, blah, blah all the good stuff. I'm not going to go deeply into the spiritual aspect of it, but you catch my drift. It's intuition when I say that I know my body, I know all the alignments now and I listen. There's more to it.
Speaker 1:I ask the right questions for myself to seek the answers I need. I sit quietly. There's more to it. I ask the right questions for myself to seek the answers I need. I sit quietly in the silence to receive those answers. They may not all come at once, but that teaches you patience. If you're expecting answers to come right away, there's something where you got to work within yourself to allow patience to come through. Otherwise you're never going to appreciate the answers you've got. You're going to fight those answers, and that's your ego fighting you to the death. And I know that. I know that about myself. I know when the ego wants to come out and I also know when I need to purge. And then I also know when I need help and assistance and I ask and I let it all be.
Speaker 1:I don't hold on to anything, I don't attach myself to anything, because that was what was drowning me in the first place, which means that I would never have been able to do such things like this. Take those leaps, get on a plane, fly across the world by myself for not just a week vacation, but three weeks, multiple cities from multiple countries. Just go, go, go without any expectations, let the world guide you. Do you trust the world enough to let it lead you? And I don't just mean in big situations, obviously starts well.
Speaker 1:See, I listened so intently and so intuitively to my soul of what it needed when it needed it. You would never have seen me just jump on a plane and say, all right, let's just take this leap, let's just do a solo trip. That wouldn't have happened three years ago. I would never have been ready, I know. My insecurities would have been at the forefront, everything would have been misguided, my communication would have been misled and everything would have been so uncomfortable. It would have been setting myself up for failure, basically because the world would have been just throwing lesson after lesson and I would have felt depleted and I would have felt more of a failure, and that would have been my ego telling me that I'm no good, that this is what am I thinking Like, you're not worthy of this.
Speaker 1:So it's listening to those moments and no longer faking them, but allowing them to be there to teach you. Teach you what you need to know about yourself, teach you what you need to know, what to let go of. Teaching you to forgive yourself, to forgive others. And then time just goes by and everything seems to shift and change over and over again. Nothing stays the same and healing is never just linear where it's like okay, I healed that, bam no, there's always going to be something more and it's always going to be brought back to you in a different perspective, in a different light, to see where you've gotten, to see how far you've gotten and to see if you still need to work on those things, because sometimes you do. Let's just be honest with ourselves. Sometimes we don't just get it right the first time, but it's not allowing ourselves to shame ourselves and guilt ourselves for the work we're doing or for the lack of work we're doing.
Speaker 1:The universe is not going to be there to slap it right there in front of us. So, whether we choose to or not, that's everyone's free will and I love it, and I love that I don't see other choices for their journey as judgment for me, because my journey and your journey are never going to be the same. But can we coincide together? Can our journeys coincide? Are they meant to coincide? Is it all about divine timing or is it about divine intervention that pulls us apart? It's beautiful the way the world works and the way you can see it from different perspectives nowadays.
Speaker 1:So here I am, sharing my journey with all of you, and I thank you for taking this trip with me across the universe to Phuket, thailand, to a world of wonder, of magic, of beautiful culture, of wonderful energy, illuminating from people who are just grateful for their surroundings, for their lives. I'm thankful for universe for allowing me the opportunity to be here in the presence of such gifts, of sunrises, of sunsets, of see-through waters, of beautiful animal life, of warm, loving energies, not only from tourists, but from those that live here, who work here. I'm grateful, and I'm grateful for all of you for being here and joining me on another beautiful episode of infinite love on the go. Stay tuned for where I'll be next week. Until then, take care.