Dating a guy who lives in another country comes with a unique set of hurdles. Like meticulously planning weekly video calls to accommodate the time difference. Or having slow, simple conversations to ease the language barrier.

A month removed from my trip to Thailand, I'm still thinking about my time there. Mental images of orange sunsets flit in and out of my head. I daydream about the food. I think about Thai women cutting long noodles like ribbons before mixing them with wilted veggies and shrimp. I'd eat my bowl of pad thai on the beach. There, I'd listen to the waves and watch Thai men make beds of their longboats. I'd swat bugs from my legs and bury my feet in the cool part of the sand.

It's been almost a month since I returned from Thailand. I meant to write a post the moment my plane landed in the U.S. because I wanted it to reflect the buzzing excitement I felt after two weeks in the Land of Smiles. However, life had other plans for me, and those plans involved catching a virus, getting a double ear infection and developing laryngitis. I guess you could say I had a good excuse for delaying this post.

I write this two days before leaving on my first solo, international trip. I'm excited and a little nervous. As such, I haven't slept well this past week. I'm either buzzing with excitement, clicking among colorful photos of Thai jungles and bright beaches, or wringing my hands in nervous anticipation.