Same Same, But Different

One of the many things we enjoyed about Thai culture was the expression "Same Same". At first we thought it was only our guide who said it, but then we started noticing other people saying it as well. It's fun and catchy, way more fun to say than simply "the same" or "me too". Of course it caught on easily for us - what we felt like doing, eating, how we were feeling... often "same same", but sometimes "different".. like us!

Spending 12 dedicated days together on a wild adventure gave us an opportunity to get to know each other on another level. There are indeed many ways that we are same same, in fact on one occasion an American woman who we met at our hotel in Chiang Mai asked if we are twins! We share the same wavy frizzy hair that goes crazy in hot weather so we had matching buns every day. We both love being on the water, in boats and on SUPs, and discovered we have the same bizarre fear of underwater rocks. As for swimming, Jennifer prefers a swimming pool while I prefer the ocean. Luckily we were able to do both. We both get pure enjoyment from a good cup of tea, and we both know how to make a cup of tea that's as good as a warm hug.

These similarities were not new discoveries for us of course (except for the rocks), but it was nice to spend time together, taking our time enjoying the things we have in common, and understanding each other on a deeper level. More importantly than where we're same same was learning to understand and appreciate the ways we are different because how boring would the world be if we were all same same all the time! I think when we can lean into our differences with others rather than avoid them, embracing and valuing those differences, we can learn so much more about other people, ourselves and overall perspectives on life. After all, that is what we were there to do - spend time together while experiencing a new culture in a very different part of the world where we could see a different point of view.

On our flight to Krabi I read in the latest issue of National Geographic Traveler: "Travel is a curious sort of alchemy that turns questions into quests, ideas into experiences, and meanderings into meanings. By immersing us into the unknown, travel helps us distill truths from the world around us - the places we go, the people we meet, the things we see and eat. [It is] about embracing a spirit of exploration and infusing our lives with the lessons we discover along the way."

We explored unknowns, talked to locals and tourists, asked lots of questions, ate new foods, fed and bathed elephants, and generally greeted each day with open minds and open hearts, all the while our worlds were becoming larger and our bond becoming deeper. Perhaps the greatest lesson we discovered along the way was that as sisters we're the perfect balance of same same, but different.

❤❤