I spent a year chasing some future version of myself that would finally feel “healed,” but instead, I burned out. After a few health setbacks, I was forced to pause. To be still. To ask myself: If setbacks are inevitable—whether in health, work, or love—what’s within my control? What can I build into my life, no matter the circumstances, that brings me joy and makes me feel most like myself?

It felt quite late when I landed in Thailand. I had been on a flight for two days, if you include the time travel. Bangkok was waking up for its evening shift when I left the airport. As we drove to the hotel, the sky was dark, the streets lined with vendors selling everything from the usual t-shirts to tourist souvenirs to household objects like batteries and pots and pans! The excitement was beyond real… Thailand was on my bucket list for so long. I was ready for anything.