writer. traveller. life unraveller.
When I started living full time in Thailand’s northern urban darling, it was during COVID, and each soi I turned into held the same eerie hush. Shutters were closed over windows and “traffic” amounted to the echo of an odd car, motorbike, or tuktuk. I half expected to see tumbleweeds rolling down Thapae Road, to... Continue Reading →
I spotted this epigram of sorts, “Open to More”, printed on a shop sign when walking from the bus station upon arriving in Pokhara, Nepal back in March. I’d just finished a harrowing nine-hour bus journey from Kathmandu, and was making my way on foot to my guesthouse. Taxis were available, but my legs needed... Continue Reading →
The unconscious mind is quiet and murky. It hides things until we’re forced to find them, like a riptide, deceptively calm with nothing too frightening detectable on the surface. Every so often, it offers us a peek at bits and pieces of ourselves—the fragmented and forgotten things we’d rather ignore, like the contents of a... Continue Reading →
Not all risks involve bungee cords, LSD, Bitcoin—or even poles. Many risks are quiet and internal acts of courage that challenge who we think we are. Like ingrown hairs, they’re intimate—and invisible to (almost) everyone but ourselves. Small psychic risks are the little acts of courage we take to confront our own status quo. From... Continue Reading →
The Chiang Mai flood of 2024. That’s how we’ll refer to it years from now. It’s making history. And it’s also presenting a bizarre juxtaposition to which I have a good view from where I live. The Ping River broke its banks not once but twice in the past 10 days, flooding streets, homes, markets,... Continue Reading →
So long, Bert, my bicycle buddy. I’ve known this Dutch fella for a year now. We met in the Hideout, an awesome little breakfast/lunch spot in old Chiang Mai. I spotted him in cycling garb, ready to brave another fierce climb up the long, steep, and winding road of Chiang Mai’s resident mountain, Doi Suthep.... Continue Reading →
Today is a good day to meet my love. Sun comes flickering through leaves, clinging with their frail stems to quiet, crooked limbs. Some lose their tenacious grip and flutter furiously through air, as though cast out, finally released, useless and free. Curled up, crisp dry, and tinted by death. Joining their shadows on the... Continue Reading →
Aren't we all just trying to get closer to God? Everything we do, even the stuff that seems to go against God are all just methods, attempts, grasping for an infinite source of love. For Love. And the whole time it's already who we are. I am loving awareness. So are you. When you close... Continue Reading →
unlocking the door there's a secret inside, a well-known one despite all my attempts to uncover it the key sits in the lock hesitancy is a sweet, sacred moment urgency waits there's no rush in the one who wants to know the feeling of coming home to meet the one she's been looking her whole... Continue Reading →
Canadian Thanksgiving has somehow rolled around again… already. Somewhere between the roast turkey, stuffing, cranberries, and fall leaves (none of which I’m experiencing by the way), the real significance of this holiday is mostly lost. But for many, it’s simply a time to reflect and give thanks for all our blessings. I think most of... Continue Reading →
colleen thornton 