When hate turns to love

I'll be the first to say I hated Bangkok my first time there. I thought it was to much, to many people, to many streets, to much traffic, and to many people scamming you.
Give it time and it grows on you, at least it did for me.  Through out my "adventure" I would return to Bangkok not once but three more times.  Each time loving it more than the last.  It does overwhelm every sense you have from the amount of people you see, the intense heat you feel from the sun (it's the hottest city in the world), the sound of traffic, and the smell and taste of street food. "It is a metropolis that never sleeps, always eats and specializes in a good time."
While in Bangkok and Thailand I learned many "life"  lessons:
From a monk I learned the value of sitting still and training my mind to be calm and peaceful (meditation).
After spending time in a country where public transport runs on its own schedule, food quality is uncertain, service is terrible, I don’t understand anyone, bathrooms are a health hazard, people are trying to scam you,  I’ve learned to just go with it.  No point in sweating the small stuff.
After meeting people from all over the world, I've learned that there's no right way or right
time or age to do things.  Learning to live my life on my terms and be pleased with it, regardless of the opinion of others, has been the most important "life" lesson I've learned.
On a lighter note I learned that everyday is a good day for a Thai massage and how to cross the street, in Thailand that is no easy feat. You have to be fearless and fast!!

“Why tell your grandkids you worked 9-5, five days a week for 40 years and quietly sat in traffic jams while people went to war, suffered disease and shot their own classmates? Tell them you refused to live in fear. Tell them you crossed the Amazon, saw the Lost Cities of Gold and met your soul mate in Casablanca. Travel to the ends of the earth. Go now and live adventures that will make your grandkids proud.”