While there is something about those unpredictable stolen moments where you stray off the beaten
path, I am definitely a person that likes to plan and strategize to try to get the most value for my time….because, after all, it is my most precious gift.
45 Meters high this Big Buddha statue is one of Phuket’s landmarks. There is an amazing view of Karon Beach on the way to Big Buddha.
My evolving relationship with time over the years is a true testament to time having a great way of showing us what really matters. I remember “lazy” summers as a preteen, impatiently dreaming of the life that I would one day live and complaining of boredom due to having too much time on my hands. Nowadays, this “adulting” thing has me believing that I can never get enough time, which has changed how I value the hours that are behind and in front of me. I often find myself saying that “I don’t have time for this or that”…but it is also that I am selective in how I use my most valuable resource.
While there is a small space in my life for spontaneity, years of experience has taught me that being spontaneous can take up more of my financial resources and time. I have also learned that no one values your time more than you. People will squander their own time and be okay with dumping something on you with no consideration about what other items you have on your timeline or do things according to
their own timeline with expectations for you to stop everything on your “to-do” list that you took the time to write for yourself to take the reins on something that they have dropped the ball on. Balancing it all can become stressful if you don’t communicate, set limits and make self-care a priority.
With self-care top of mind, I was excited for the opportunity to runaway to Phuket, Thailand where it felt like (if only for a few days) time stood still. I have mentioned many times here on the blog that water is a big part of self-care for me. As the biggest island in Thailand, I couldn’t wait to take advantage of Phuket’s amazing long stretches of white sand beaches that are strung together by dramatic rock formations and plunge into the clear waters of one of Asia’s top utopias. Opting to stay in a remote area of Phuket during the month of March, we managed to avoid Patong Beach’s huge backpacker scene. Traveling to the “Pearl of the Andaman” from NYC via Bangkok, jet lag was definitely a beast. I was surprised that it didn’t take long for me to toss phone aside and embrace the island’s laid back vibe……napping at beaches, swimming up to the pool bar for Chai Yens. $5 Thai massages and fresh fruit smoothies became my daily vibe. I will never forget how finding an oasis in Phuket reminded me how priceless time is.
“Time flies over us, but leaves its shadow behind.” – Nathaniel Hawthorne