“DO THE THINGS THAT THE SMALL VOICE IN THE BACK OF YOUR HEAD TELLS YOU NOT TOO AND YOU’LL BE AMAZED WITH WHAT ACCOMPLISHMENTS YOU CAN REACH.”
HI, MY NAME IS PAYTON AND WELCOME TO MY TAKEOVER! INSTEAD OF DESCRIBING MYSELF, I WANT TO SHARE MY THREE GOLDEN RULES I CHOOSE TO LIVE MY LIFE BY.
NUMBER 1: YOU’RE PATH IS JUST THAT, YOU’RE PATH. DO NOT WORRY, CRITICIZE, DESPISE OR ENVY ANYONE ELSE’S JOURNEY IN LIFE BECAUSE IT OBVIOUSLY WAS NOT MEANT FOR YOU. YOUR PATH IN LIFE WILL BE AMAZING IF YOU ACTUALLY GO ALONG FOR THE RIDE.
NUMBER 2: GIVE POSITIVITY TO THIS WORLD. I’M A HUGE BELIEVER IN THE OLD SAYING “WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND”. IF YOU GIVE TO THIS WORLD, THE WORLD WILL GIVE BACK TO YOU.
NUMBER 3: I BELIEVE GREATNESS HAPPENS WHEN WE ARE PUSHED TO OUR LIMITS, DON’T EVER LET A LIMIT STOP YOU FROM BEING GREAT. DO THE THINGS THAT THE SMALL VOICE IN THE BACK OF YOUR HEAD TELLS YOU NOT TOO AND YOU’LL BE AMAZED WITH WHAT ACCOMPLISHMENTS YOU CAN REACH.
I AM CURRENTLY ON MY FIRST SOLO TRIP TO THAILAND FOR SIX WEEKS. I HAVE ALREADY SEEN THINGS AND LEARNED LESSONS THAT WILL LAST ME A LIFETIME. ONE OF MY FAVORITE PLACES I HAD THE CHANCE TO VISIT WAS THE VILLAGE OF THE KAREN HILL TREE TRIBE THAT LIVES IN THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS OF THAILAND.
THE KAREN WOMEN THAT NOW LIVE IN THE HILLS OF THAILAND CAME FROM THE MOUNTAINS OF MYANMAR. THE RINGS THEY WEAR WERE WORN AS PROTECTING AGAINST TIGERS BECAUSE TIGERS GO FOR THE THROAT WHEN TRYING TO KILL THEIR PREY. NOW THAT THEY ARE OUT OF DANGERS WAY THE NEXT GENERATION IS NOT REQUIRED TO WEAR THE RINGS, IT IS UP TO EACH LITTLE GIRL ON WHETHER SHE WILL CONTINUE THE TRADITION OR JOIN REGULAR SOCIETY AND GO TO SCHOOL. THE OTHER REASON THEY WERE THESE RINGS AROUND THEIR NECK IS THAT LONG NECKS ARE SEEN AS A SIGN OF BEAUTY, THEY ELONGATE THEIR NECKS BY PUSHING DOWN THEIR COLLAR BONE.
A LOT OF PEOPLE DON’T LIKE TO GO SEE THE KAREN WOMAN BECAUSE THEY BELIEVE THIS IS A HUMAN ZOO, BUT THE REALITY OF THINGS IS THAT THIS IS THE ONLY MEANS OF INCOME THAT THE KAREN WOMEN CAN MAKE. A PROFIT FROM EACH TICKET BOUGHT TO SEE THE WOMEN GOES BACK TO THEM AND THEY ARE ABLE TO MAKE MORE MONEY BY THE THINGS THEY MAKE FOR THEIR VISITORS. IT’S NOT THE EASIEST PLACE TO WALK INTO BUT AFTER SITTING AND TALKING WITH THE KAREN WOMEN YOU WILL UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE THIS HAS TO THEIR LIVELY HOOD.
I ALSO VISITED THE ELEPHANT NATURE PARK AND IT IS AN ELEPHANT RESCUE AND REHABILITATION CENTRE IN NORTHERN THAILAND WHERE YOU CAN VOLUNTEER AND VISIT TO HELP. THEY HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN DOZENS OF RESCUES, WHICH HAVE CREATED A THRIVING ELEPHANT HERD.
THE PARK PROVIDES A NATURAL ENVIRONMENT FOR ELEPHANTS, DOGS, CATS, BUFFALOES AND MANY OTHER ANIMALS UNDER THEIR CARE. I PARTICIPATED IN THE CARE FOR ELEPHANTS SINGLE DAY PROGRAM, THIS IS FOR THE ELEPHANTS THAT FIND IT VERY HARD TO MIX WITH OTHER ELEPHANTS. WITH NO RIDING THE ELEPHANTS ARE ABLE TO SETTLE INTO THEIR CARE, THEY BUILD TRUST AND LOVE AND THIS IS ACHIEVED BY HUMANS SHOWING THEM LOVE, RESPECT AND CARE IN A DIFFERENT WAY TO THEIR PAST LIVES IN RIDING CAMPS BY MAHOUTS, WHO HAVE KNOWN NO BETTER THAN TO TREAT THEM HARSHLY AND WITH FORCE.
THAT’S IT FOR ME THIS WEEK. HAPPY TRAVELS!
GET CONNECTED
YOU CAN FOLLOW PAYTON’S TRAVELS ON HER BLOG WWW.PAYTONHORACEK.COM. YOU CAN ALSO FIND HER ON INSTAGRAM HERE AND FACEBOOK HERE.
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