The worldwide COVID-19 Pandemic continues. It's been another weird year with a lot of ups and downs, and I'm not sure whether I can say if 2020 or 2021 was better. Let's just hope that by next year, we'll be able to say for sure that 2022 was a great one.
2020 Year-in-Review: https://michaeldesrosiers.blogspot.com/2021/01/2020-year-in-review.html
We started the year more or less staying home to avoid the ongoing pandemic. However, we were able to get out and about a few times! During this "new normal", we took the opportunity to explore our city by e-scooter on a few different occasions.
My wife and I took a wonderful trip to Songkhla Province in the far south of Thailand. There, we ate some amazing southern Thai Halal food, explored Hat Yai, rode the kingdom's only cable car, and visited the fairy-tale Songkhla Central Mosque, which looks as if it came right out of Arabian Nights.
Some family stuff brought me home this summer. I had the chance to see my family for the first time since the pandemic started in 2019. Traveling was really weird this year, and I documented it in a three-part mini-series:
Part I https://michaeldesrosiers.blogspot.com/2021/07/vaxcation-getting-ready-to-go-part-1-of.html
Part I https://michaeldesrosiers.blogspot.com/2021/07/vaxcation-getting-ready-to-go-part-1-of.html
While I was home, I tried to make the best of the summer! My wife and I had the chance to tour a real Texas ranch.
We also set off on some adventures across Texas! We visited Glen Rose for a camping trip at Dinosaur Valley State Park, one of my very favorite state parks. We had a great time camping and hiking and exploring the park,
A few weeks later, we went off on a small road trip across the state. On our first night, we camped at Enchanted Rock State Natural Area, and trekked up the legendary Enchanted Rock itself.
A few days later in San Marcos, we went tubing down the river by day and glow kayaking up the river after dark.
My wife and I finally had a wedding ceremony at a small Buddhist temple in my hometown. COVID forced us to delay, and ultimately to have a very small ceremony, but it was a wonderful and special day.
I received a surprise honor - one of the greatest in my life! This year, I was commissioned as a Kentucky Colonel by the governor of Kentucky, joining the illustrious ranks of the United States' highest civilian honor bestowed by a state governor.
After the wedding, we took a little road trip north to visit Oklahoma. Even though I grew up not far from the border, I hadn't spent much time there. We visited Turner Falls on the way up, and were delighted by the beautiful nature of the Arbuckle Mountains.
We were also given a wonderful, free tour of the Oklahoma State Capitol by a fantastic, funny, and informed guide who showed us all of the secrets of this fascinating government building. I have always liked the Texas Capitol, but I have to admit that the Oklahoma Capitol is far more beautiful.
On the way home, we passed through the Chickasaw Nation, paid a visit to the Chickasaw Cultural Center, and were lucky enough to witness a traditional Stomp Dance.
Before leaving the US and heading back to Thailand, my family took a short vacation out to Rough Creek Lodge, a hunting lodge in Glen Rose, Texas. We spent the week relaxing by the pool, going on a crazy hike, and enjoying the amazing food at the lodge's restaurant.
Back in Thailand, we quarantined for two weeks (it was actually pretty nice!) before re-entering the country.
We mostly stayed home as the pandemic was entering a new wave. We did get the chance to go out to celebrate Loy Kratong, the Thai River Festival! This year, we made our very own homemade krathong, which was a ton of fun.
Loy Kratong night was very special. We got to visit some of the city's most famous Buddhist temples by moonlight, when there were no tourists around. We also got to float our homemade kratong on the Chaophraya River in a really special ceremony.
After Thanksgiving (which we celebrated at home), we took a wonderful day trip with a friend of ours up to Saraburi Province, a bit north of Bangkok.
It was a weird year. Here in Thailand, we've been under very strict lockdowns, curfews, and regulations for much of the year. My brief visit to the US was a very weird time for me, as I felt very strange seeing how relaxed everything was there. It was also a chance for me to get out and have some adventures before returning to Thailand (and before the Delta and Omicron variants of the COVID virus arrived). It was so great to be back home for a while, because now with the new virus outbreaks, it's more difficult to travel again. I was hoping to go back home again next spring... we'll see.
It looks like 2022 is going to be yet another unpredictable one. I am hoping that this is the year the pandemic finally disappears, although that remains to be seen. I hope that I can get the chance to travel back home to see my family whom I dearly miss. I also hope that I'll have the chance to travel more in and around Thailand.
To my dear friends and family who follow my blog, I wish you a very happy new year! I hope that your 2022 is a wonderful one, and that all of your resolutions and wishes for the year come true.
My 2021 Goals:
In last year's Year-in-Review post, I set out a few travel and adventure resolutions for 2021. Unfortunately, the continuing pandemic has made a lot of these adventures impossible, but I was still able to achieve several of my goals.
❌
Visit 1 new country that I've never been to before❌
Trek Mount Fuji (Japan)❌
Trek Mount Kinabalu (Malaysia)✔️
Visit my family in the USA and travel to a national park (well, I visited several Texas state parks)❌
Go camping on Doi Inthanon, Thailand's tallest mountain✔️
Jog/walk 2021 kilometers✔️
Complete more virtual adventuresMy 2022 Goals:
My 2022 goals are a bit less lofty and specific. I still don't know if I'll have much of a chance for international travel, so the treks up Mounts Kinabalu (Malaysia) and Fuji (Japan) are on hold for a while. Instead, I'll try to focus on more broad or attainable goals.
- Write and publish a new book (I've got a project in the works... more to come on that later!)
- Publish a successful second season of the Attempt Adventure Podcast
- Finish my Master's degree
- Visit 1 new country that I've never been to before (which I didn't get to do last year)
- Go camping at Doi Inthanon National Park (again, from last year)
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