The Mother of All Vacations

Pui awoke to my not so subtle suggestion "If you're going to make this plane you've got 3 minutes to get all your shit in the car!" This was the last day of her month long trip to the states; her plane was leaving back to Thailand in less than an hour; we were no less than 30 minutes from the airport. It was painfully ovbious that both of the alarms I set to wake us up had failed miserably. This is why you pack your bags 100% the night before. I would gander that I set the landspeed record in a monster truck record between Jackson and the airport. She made it through security exactly 15 minutes before the plane took off (mind you it was an international flight). And thus came an end to our adventure around America - showcasing the best and worst our country has to offer.

This would have been a great time for me to blog throughout the last month. We had new adventures just about every day and plenty of stuff to write about. Alas, I waited until I find myself sitting on a plane back to Thailand myself (a week later). So I'm just going to go for the list of everything. If you would rather not read and just check out the photos, here is the link.

Our journey took us from Jackson Hole WY through Yellowstone, Cooke City MT, Laramie WY, Boulder and Golden CO, Manhattan NY, Brooklyn NY, San Francisco CA, Marin, Las Vegas NV, Denver CO, Estes Park CO, Lander WY and back to Jackson.

• In 30 days we had 67 breakfasts, lunches, and dinners with different groups of friends. This was the most rewarding and exhausting part of the trip.


• Met my family (first time not on Skype). It went fabulously.


• Expored the city of Jackson in its enitrety.


• Hiked to the top of Jackson Peak


• Drove accross Yellowstone and saw the Old Faithful geyser erupt


• Spent the night in Cooke City Montana and enjoyed not having cell reception


• Got up super early and spotted grizzlies, black bears, wolves, eagles, moose, elk, deer, and bison at the North East entrance of Yellowstone


• Rode the Tram up Rendezvous Peak, made a Pui-sized snowman with 6 ft. snow drifts that fell on Sept. 6th.


• Drove down to Star Valley and played golf with my family. My dad made the best chicken either of us have ever had.


• Drove accross the state of Wyoming and stayed with a good friends in Laramie.


• Spent a day scrambing around Vedawoo climbing area. Summited a rock thingy.


• Went to a University of Wyoming football game. We lost 51-6.


• Did shots of Jager at the Library, the quintessential college dive bar.


• Walked around the campus and showed Pui where I went to school.


• Drove to Boulder, CO. Our friend from Thailand put us up. Made a Thai dinner for he and his family.


• Summited Green Mountain in Boulder. Bouldered around on one of the Flat Irons.


• Went climbing at the Boulder Rock Club.


• Visited the American Alpine Museum in Golden, CO.


• Drove to Denver and got a plane to New York. Had an awesome exploring the city for the next 5 days.


• Walked from 125th street on the Upper West Side all the way to Washington Square Park, zig zagging accross the city (I don't reccomend this unles you want your fiance to get really mad at you)


• Watched some pigeons crap in Pui's hair three times in 5 minutes (I got hit once). Uncontrollable laughter ensued.


• Went to an Off Broadway show :: Fuerzabruta: LOOK UP (it was killer)


• Introduced Pui to all my old favorite restauarants all over the city. I had a few 5000+ calorie days.


• Walked accross the Brooklyn Bridge


• Took the Staten Island ferry and explored Staten Island for 2+ hours.


• Went up and explored the Cloisters at the top of the island.





• Went to a Yankees game and got on the Jumbotron. The yankees lost like 10-3.


• Went and visited a friend in Brooklyn and went climbing at the climbing gym with him (where we also met the 17 and under female national champion - she is 11)


• Spent the better part of an afternoon drinking champagne and eating chocolate fondue.


• Hopped on a plane to San Francisco.


• Walked around a large expanse of the city, including Fisherman's Wharf, accross the Golden Gate bridge, the Castro, the Mission, etc.


• Met several good friends from Thailand who showed us some great sites: including Gierradeli Chocolate Factory, Twin Peaks late night (outlook of the whole city), 3 naked dudes walking down Castro street.


• Checked out Alcatraz



• Took a ferry to Sausalito and had way to much drink at a brewpub, watched a beautiful sunset riding the ferry back.


• Lost my wallet.


• Hopped on a plane to Las Vegas.


• Met a friend from high school who took us to what may be the best Thai restaurant either Pui or I have ever eaten at (this includes any Thai Restaurant in Thailand).


• Walked the strip. Twice.


• Ate at Denny's.


• Went to a Cirque Du Soliel at the MGM called KA.


• Did some 'light' gambling.


• Flew back to Denver and drove to Lyons (north of Boulder). Stayed with more friends from thailand.


• Drove back to Boulder and breakfast with Denali's family.


• Drove to Estes Park to check out the hotel they filmed 'The Shining' in.


• Drove to Wild Iris climbing area in Lander and scrambled around for the afternoon.


• Made a Thai dinner for my Mom and Dad which I think they really liked.


• Got Pui to the airport with no time to spare.

I want to thank all of our friends who were so kind to take us in, take us out, and have us over. Both Pui and I had one of the best months of our lives in no small part to everyone's generosity. I'll soon be putting together our wedding website and hopefully I can get everyone that we enjoyed hanging out with so much to come see us in Thailand in 2011.