There are only 19 days till I take off from Chicago and go on my first ever solo backpacking trip! I cannot wait to visit Thailand and dive into the culture and all the fun things it has to offer.

With that said, I have booked my very first hostel of the trip (and that I’ve ever stayed in)! I’ll be staying the heart of Bangkok just off of Khao San Road. Khao San Road is known for its late night parties, street markets, amazing street food, and an assortment of food you’d probably never eat (pictured below).

I’ve actually already started chatting with people that will be in Thailand around the same time as me! Hostelworld has a chat feature that’s helped me already chat with some cool people and give suggestions on where to stay/what to do! Not sure if I’ll end up meeting anyone through this but definitely a cool function that I’ll try to use while I’m in Thailand as well!

This trip is quickly sneaking up on me, but I couldn’t be more ready and excited! I can’t wait to meet new people, experience solo traveling, and make some fantastic memories. The next post will most likely be me heading to Chicago, where I have a fun pre-Thailand adventure waiting for me!

– Elie