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 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 →
Write the damn book, that memoir. What have you got to lose? A reputation I don’t care about. A story that’s not mine. An outcome that has already occurred. So, nothing. Except for those little things like time, energy, the will… well, I will do it because the impetus to write it––climb that hill in... 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 →
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 →
Years ago, when high up in the Himalayan mountains during a spiritual yoga retreat, I adopted a behaviour as a strategy for surviving marital separation. It’s called the Laughing Dying Cockroach. One lies flat on her back, kicking her arms and legs in the air while busting a most shameless gut-splitting laugh, using her anger,... Continue Reading →
Photo courtesy a beautiful man named Mik Rossi ❤️ How do you say goodbye to a year like 2020? With a lift of your hat and a sardonic smile concealing an under-your-breath growl––good riddance, through gnashed teeth perhaps? Everything happens for a reason, they say. Our biggest challenges are our greatest teachers, they also say.... Continue Reading →
It’s easy to pay lip-service to a word like gratitude, isn’t it? To find a hundred reasons every day to be grateful isn’t a difficult or time-consuming task. It merely requires us to look around at where we live and notice the comforts, the roof over our heads, the people in our lives that love... Continue Reading →
colleen thornton 