i have sat here for over an hour typing, deleting, typing, deleting…the right words just arent coming to me. i cant quantify how i feel now that it is over. its quite possibly the jet lag, i am still running 14 hours ahead of CA time. it could also be that there is just too MUCH to say.
i did have a very
but, until the words come, i will do what i do best. shut up and show the pretty pictures, as cathy would say.
this is our lovely group:
me, tami, sabrina, kari, michelle, doña, clare, jo, maren, april, amy, and my partner in crime: em.
some shots from around our first hotel in bangkok:
our time in bangkok consisted of much singing of this song, massages, a dinner cruise, a visit to a temple, having our palms read, an art journal workshop, lounging about the pool, and oh did i mention shopping? LOTS OF SHOPPING. so much shopping.
we drank loads of this fresh oj to keep refreshed and energized.
a couple shots from inside a taxi
the workshop took place under a pagoda on hotel grounds, on the edge of the river while the rain poured down around us. emily was in her element.
and then, a 90 minute flight and pure bliss after busy, bustling, bangkok: the tubkaak resort in krabi. we did a whole lot of this.
and spent a lot of time in this:
yes, that is a completely outdoor shower and bath. the details of this resort were beyond spectacular. i have never ever in my life seen something as amazing as it.
the day we arrived, as sabrina and i were unpacking in our rooms, emily comes rushing through the doors and says, “did i do good? DID?! I?! DO?! GOOD?!” i laugh even now thinking of her…she did more than good. the tubkaak will serve as location for my dreams for years to come…
this was where i did the photo sessions for the girls, mostly in my bathing suit. now, that is a dream come true. to feel comfortable enough around our tribe that i could contort myself into the positions i contort while shooting, in a bathing suit. but it was just oh so handy…and oh so cool.
(photo of me, photographing kari, taken by amy)
while in krabi, we each had five hours of spa treatments, spent a lot of time in bean bag chairs on the beach journaling and laying about, had dinners outside with the warm breeze and the lap of the ocean, had our lunches served to us pool or beachside, and in general pampered ourselves to excess.
here’s to being pampered to excess.
and to being back home again.
Wow. So many amazing photographs. I think I’ll have to go back and study them again, just to catch all the detail. I love how colorful everything is!!!
sounds lovely and divine and marvelous and fabulous. I am completly happy for you and for everyone who went.
Looks like a fabulous time!! but you got that camera WAAAYYY too close to the water for my comfort level…
That looks totally amazing!
Ok… God’s honest truth here. My most intentional thing about my life is I refuse to be envious… I live my life loving what I have instead of yearning for what I lack.
And in the 2.5 seconds it took to start looking at your photos I threw a lifetime of intentional thinking out the window.
I want to live the life you just did. A.M.A.Z.I.N.G.
Thanks for sharing :)
Holy cow, wow this looks like you had so much fun! Please post more pictures!!
OHMYGOD!!!! SHE! DID! GOOD! Wowzers. Looks like you had an amazing time, but I’m glad you are back in the land of blogging ;) Beautiful wonderful images from your large, magic camera(as one of the girls said in her blog). Welcome back.
“For Thai People Only. Thanks”? I’m part Thai, so does that mean I can only get one foot in the door??? I guess I’ll find out when I’m there in January for 10 days! YAY!!!
I love seeing the trip thru your eyes. Wonderful shots!
Your trip looks and sounds like it was lovely! How cool! Glad you are back!
A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!! It looks like you had an amazing trip. I LOVE the photo of you relaxing in the water. I love all the shots. I would have loved to have gone too but the schedule wouldn’t allow me! For a busy mom this looked like the perfect trip to relax and unwind .. Good for you!!
I am trying SOOOO hard not to be jealous right now! It looks beautiful, and it sounds like you had an amazing time away from reality (sort of) and enjoying yourself and your passions. So happy for you. A working mom as busy as you deserves it! :o)
Welcome home. The trip looks like a dream.
Oh, Tara…and Em…what a truly magical journey. Thank you so much for sharing it – I will be dreaming of joining you on your next one!! xoxo, Lilia
*Happy Sigh* Thank you for sharing those beautiful photos. It sounds like an amazing time. I think I’m going to scroll back up and check out the outdoor shower and tub one more time. Beautiful.
looks like you girls had an awesome trip. i think i speak for all the husbands that stayed behind in saying that we just can’t wait till the next one! the MAN TRIP that is! come on, back me up fellas!
Looks heavenly! Love your pictures…
Dear Jeff,
There is a couch here in Toronto with your name on it. On the couch sitting next to you will be my husband all ready for many nights full of video games, beer and mexican food. We need to talk ;)
xo
Mic
I’m so damn jealous it hurts. Ok….when is the next one? ;)
I can’t wait to see more!
what a beautiful group of women….and here’s to you, Tara and Emily, for making that experience open to them.
You look so beautiful.
I have been waiting and waiting…patiently for the pictures from thailand. I wanted to go more than anything else I have wanted to do. It is amazing there and will definately be on my list of places to visit. Thanks for the pictures and glad that you and em had a safe journey.
Ahhhhh. I miss you girlie. Let’s get together again soon.
Your photos brought back so many of my own memories of Thailand. The tuk tuk, $1 pad thai, thai massage…isn’t it a magical place? What an amazing trip for all of you.
I totally HATE YOU….and I mean that in the best possible way…haha!! SO wish I could have gone. Can’t wait to see more. What an amazing time you all must have had! :)
Wow, the trip of a lifetime.
I’ll admit it – I am so jealous.
You beautiful girls look like you had a fantastic time.
I am not jealous….I am not jealous…. REALLY, I AM NOT JEALOUS. I am happy for you and for all of the cool girlz that got to go … I am not jealous. OK I’m trying my hardest…
I checked your blog 100 times since the 30th (OK maybe not quite a 100 times). Thank you so much for sharing and letting some of us live vicariously through you. I would love to see and hear more about it. Tell us something that you discovered about yourself that surprised you.
O M G. That looks like heaven. Total heaven. I must be one of the few Aussies who has never been to Thailand, but I want to go now-with you guys to that hotel. Sigh…
Oh Girlie,
What a magical journey thru your camera lens. Looks like absolute bliss. So happy that you did this for yourself–you deserve excessive pampering.
Simply breathtaking…everything about it.
Wow, what an amazing adventure you have all been blessed with! I have to admit, you are scaring me to death with that camera so close to the water LOL.
yeah……..i’ve stopped by at least 3x each day since halloween! i’m so glad you posted these. oh…..to be that relaxed………i haven’t since……..hmmmmmmmmmmm……….ever???????
It looks like an amazing time! Relaxing and inspirational. I hope you guys decide to do it again!
wow tara, what AMAZING photos!! you couldn’t have summed up the trip more beautifully, more exactly. just perfect.
what an amazing experience. you were missed — not reading your blog every morning was like going without caffeine!
WOw. Looks AMAZZZZING.
this post puts a huge smile on my face!!
MISS YOU GIRLS SO MUCH- and had one of the BEST times of my life.
Thank you!
Amazing images from what appears to be a phenomenal experience. I am excited to hear more of your stories!
Wow. What a spectacular getaway! Every part of it. Wish I could have joined you all! Glad you had a great time.
That. Looks. So. AWESOME! Makes me want to go, right now! So glad you guys were able to do this!
looks & sounds wonderful! good for you all taking some time away to just enjoy life & the world…it is beyond inspiring:)…where’s the next one going to be?
looks like it was an amazing time. can’t wait to see you share more. and i’m glad your back so that we can all start reading your blog again. haha.
I don’t know whether to be so happy for you for your wonderful time… jealous of you for the fact that you had it… or just hate you for not taking me with you!! I am currently fluctuating between all three… I’ll get back to you when I decide :o)
Wow! What a dream vacation! Heavenly!!
Oh the colours! I love the colours! When you get back to reality, it all really does feel like it was a dream – such a beautiful dream. Miss you and everyone else! Am saving my money madly already for a trip to the northen hemisphere for next fall. . .
I love that you did much singing of that song. It looks like it was absolutely heavenly. The details of the resort are AMAZING!
looks AMAZING tara. love the photos. can’t wait to hear more.
leslie
omg…
o_O
Awesome pistures! I can’t take my eyes of them o_O
Wow. That is about all I can come up with. The pictures you took are amazing and it looks like you all had a once in a life time, wonderful experience. Good for you. You totally deserved it.
Links? Links? I would love to put the places you went to and the places you stayed in my “someday travel” file. :o)
oh. my. goodness. i was jealous to begin with that I wasn’t able to sign up and come with you guys, seeing as how I am expecting a new little one in about 2 weeks here, but now I am more than jealous. What an amazingly beautiful and wonderful trip!
Please do it again in another year or two, I will so be there!
gorgeous shots, beautiful colors, so divine!