Simply Mandi — Simply Mandi Bold, Brave, Authentic Thoughts

Aug 13

Aug 13 Why I Travel.

Last Saturday, I sat at the breakfast table telling Nat, the owner of my guest house, that I planned to go ice sating. The look on his face as I said this confused me. Without saying a word he got up from the table, ran to a closet, pulled out some old hockey skates and brought them into the dining room. Little did I know he used to skate and loved it! When the skating rink in Chiang Mai closed down, he’d often travel to Bangkok to visit his aunt and skate. Then she moved. Eventually, he stopped skating altogether.

Aug 13

Aug 13 Enough.

Mandi Casey

Journey, Faith

It’s always fascinating to me how the lessons I’ve learned along my travels continue to show up for me when I need them most. I guess that’s how life tends to work though, you simply have to be open and willing to receive the message.

Aug 13

Aug 13 Showing Compassion.

Mandi Casey

Journey, Transformation

The other day, I went with some friends for an hour-and-a-half Thai massage. It was one of many I’ve received since arriving in Thailand. And to be completely honest, I was a little upset because I got an older woman who didn’t put much pressure into her motions. If I didn’t know better, I’d have thought my niece was giving the massage. The gentler she was with me the more frustrated I became.

Aug 13

Aug 13 Okie Abroad. 60 Days.

Mandi Casey

Journey

Can you believe I’ve already been gone 60 days? Some days it feels as though I just left and other days it feels like I’ve been gone a lifetime. I know I haven’t updated as much as I’d planned. I’m out exploring rather than writing. So below is the quick and dirty version of my travels and plus a fun list of 60 lessons/thoughts/rants/observations from my first 60 days. Enjoy!

Aug 12

Aug 12 Perfectly Imperfect Greece.

Mandi Casey

Journey, Attitude + Gratitude

On Tuesday, I marked another item off my bucket list – Greece. For years I’ve longed to travel to this country full of history and culture – the first modern Olympic games, Greek gods and goddesses, mythology, ancient ruins, beautiful white houses with pretty blue-domed roofs and blue doors… wait, where are those white houses?

Aug 12

Aug 12 Guardian Angels.

Mandi Casey

Journey, Faith

Last Sunday evening, I went to mass at this beautiful cathedral in the heart of Barcelona. While I couldn’t understand a word of what was being said, it felt comfortable and familiar. As I kneeled to pray before the mass began, I cried. The previous week and all its changes had been overwhelming. While I’d been settling into my routine at the AirBNB, I was leaving the safety of what I’d found for a hostel the next morning. To say I was nervous is putting it mildly. So I did what I always do when my nerves get to me.