The days, mixed with sunshine and rain, took a steady pace in Thailand. In less than a week, I fell in love with its wild beauty, adventurous spirit, and kind locals.

My 22-year-old niece, Makayla, and I became fresh-faced island girls who wore swimsuits from sunup until sundown as we explored Phuket in June.

I felt free among the Thai people.

The word “Thai” actually means “free”—and Thailand means “land of the free,” according to the Royal Thai Embassy website, thaiembdc.org.

The adventure began on June 15 when Makayla boarded a plane in Oklahoma City. She landed in Doha, Qatar, where I live and work, 16 hours later.

We reunited at Hamad International Airport and hugged for the first time since Christmas. Together, we flew 7 hours from Doha to Phuket.

Outside the Phuket International Airport, over a dozen taxi drivers were lined up, and each driver held up a sign. We spotted a sign with “VICKY SMITH” printed in permanent ink.

We greeted our friendly taxi driver, Sun, who piled our luggage into the trunk and then climbed into the driver’s seat on the right side of the car.

On our way to the hotel, we rode up and around mountains layered with green trees and tropical plants. Clouds hovered over the tops of mountains in the distance. Rain drops—which I see maybe once or twice a year in Qatar—sprinkled across the windshield.

Within the hour, we reached our hotel, Wyndham Grand Phuket Kalim Bay, at the top of a mountain overlooking the Andaman Sea.

Despite her throbbing eardrums, Makayla was still up for a swim—so after checking in, we changed into our bikinis and headed to the rooftop infinity pool.

As we swam, the waves crashed onto the rocks hundreds of feet below us. The buildings of Phuket shone from across the ocean as the evening turned into night.

Hungry after swimming, we ordered bacon cheeseburgers via room service and fell asleep in our conjoined twin-sized beds 10,000 miles away from Oklahoma.

Before 8:30 a.m. the next day, my hair was drenched with sweat after running a 5K—and I needed coffee. Makayla and I met for a breakfast of vanilla lattes, mini pancakes, and bacon on the hotel restaurant balcony before taking a shuttle bus to Patong Beach.

We skipped lying in the sunshine and headed straight for the waves. We laughed as the strong waves whipped our hair into our faces and plunged our bodies toward shore. Around us were bright green mountains, blue skies with fluffy white clouds, parasailers, jet skis, and people lounging in lawn chairs.

Motorcycles and mini buses of all colors parallel parked on the street next to the beach. Thai locals, along with tourists of different nationalities, wearing shorts and flip flops, walked from one street to another to explore the vendors. Store owners waved us down to go see their sundresses, hats, magnets, knock-off designer purses, sunglasses, hoodies, jewelry, and decorative coconut bowls. The smells of Thai, Italian, American, and other cuisines filled the air as we casually strolled by food trucks.

Makayla bought a banana purse, and I purchased a Thailand hat from a local woman named Bell. After a few hours of shopping, we rode back to our hotel to freshen up before returning after dark.

The famous Bangla Street is essentially a microcosm of Times Square with flashy lights and free-spirited strangers wearing wardrobes of all sorts. Mini buses slowly rode down the streets with a male voice repeatedly announcing, “Tonight! Tonight! Muay Thai, Thailand’s most devastating sport! See Muay Thai, see Thailand!

We didn’t see a round of Muay Thai, but we did see a surprise fireworks show through some trees.

The next morning, I slept in, while Makayla read a book on the balcony. After a workout and a pancake breakfast, we rode a taxi to Old Phuket Town, where tall, pastel-painted buildings lined the narrow streets.

Tourists and locals alike walked from one quaint shop to another. Every view was picturesque, from the plants dangling from hanging baskets on storefronts to the sun peeking over the buildings.

We meandered around Old Town for a couple hours before taking another taxi to The Big Buddha. When we arrived, the sun was setting. Pinks and purples painted the sky as we captured photos of The Big Buddha.  

By the time we returned to the taxi, the pastels in the sky had transformed into a bold, fiery orange that eventually faded into the black of night.

On June 18th, we went island hopping, my favorite of our adventures, with Love Andaman Company. After an hour ride on a speed boat, Makayla and I jumped off the side of the boat and splashed into the seemingly bottomless ocean.

I floated above and dove under the water before resurfacing to see the islands around us. We spent the afternoon exploring the wonders of Thailand—from Phi Phi Leh and Maya Bay to Viking Cave and Monkey Island, where little monkeys dangled from tree branches.

For the first time, I went snorkeling in open waters. Makayla and I saw a sea snake a few yards beneath our bare feet.

After reaching Ton Sai Bay, we ate Thai food at TonSai Seafood, a beach-side restaurant, and visited the island shops. I bought a tie-dye Thailand tank top that I still wear to the gym at least once a week in Qatar.

That night, after a long day at sea, we sat in our conjoined twin-sized beds and ate ice cream.

The next day was Makayla’s favorite—by far. Ever since she was a little girl, Makayla has been fascinated by elephants.

She did extensive research online to find the most ethical elephant sanctuary in Thailand. We decided on Elephant Wildlife Sanctuary Phuket, where we fed and bathed elephants.

First, we used axes to chop sugarcane into bite-sized pieces, which we hand-fed to the elephants. Then, we watched a baby elephant gulp down a bottle of soy milk in three seconds. Finally, we massaged the elephants with mud and bathed them in a pond chin-deep to me.

After a couple hours, we waved goodbye to the trainers and elephants—and then we took much-needed showers when we returned to our hotel.

On June 20, our last day in Thailand, we swam in the pool in the rain, stopped by Big One Tattoo for matching ear piercings, and ate stuffed-crust pizza at The Pizza Company before packing up and riding to the airport.

After landing in Doha, where we reunited just days before, we hugged goodbye.

Makayla headed to her connecting flight, and I walked toward the “arrivals” section.

Suddenly, life was as it was before Thailand, but I was not the same.

I’d found a new love, a place I’ll never forget.

Trip Dates: June 15-21, 2022; Article Posted: July 30, 2022