Jeff Emmett
“One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.”
- Henry Miller
This quote has held true for me throughout all my travels. There is something about exposure to different cultures and other ways of life that changes you, bringing wisdom you may otherwise never acquire. The best part about travel (other than the people you meet and the parties they throw, of course) is it gives you a chance to open your eyes, and see how society works in other places. You might be surprised!
It is difficult to sit at home and imagine life in other places,with stereotypes filling in the blanks where your real-world experience lacks, and until you get out there and check it out, you may be missing the best opportunity of your life! As an old wise dude once said, “The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” Alright, enough with the quotes already.
My first experience with real travel was an exchange program I attended in England for a semester during university. The amount of countries I was able to visit and friends I was able to meet from all over the world inspired a bad case of the travel bug. It got so bad that I couldn't even make it home by the end of the semester, I had to stick around in England and drink with my friends for the next three months! Unfortunately I had to return to Canada to finish my degree, but I promised myself it wouldn't be long before I hit the road again!
My intro to Free and Easy was not too long ago, in a place not too far away (duh, Thailand). I had been travelling around Europe for 7 months after graduating university, and although my plans only included a 6 week trip in Thailand before moving on to other parts of Asia and Australasia, the idea of putting on PANTS (and a jacket for goodness sakes!) for a Korean winter or putting up with the insane prices in Japan turned me right back around and landed me back in Thailand, where I could relax in my fisherman pants all day and sip $1 Chang beer on the beach! I travelled Laos and Cambodia for a few months before finally heading down to Australia and New Zealand to finish my intended travel plans. Even when I made to settle down and find a job in Australia, something was missing. I still felt the call to return to Thailand and live it
up like only Free and Easy knows how - so here I am!
It was not only the climate, the prices, and the adventure that called to me, but what drew me back the most was the feeling of family I had with every group I was fortunate enough to meet in Thailand. Travelling together for 40 days is a unique backpackers experience, giving travellers the opportunity to really get to know each other. This makes for better parties, more soul-searching chats, and best of all, it makes for life longfriends. I look forward to adding each of you to that last category!