Day one in Thailand… and I learned the hard way that jet lag does not care about your plans.
After around 15–16 hours of travelling, I arrived back in Thailand buzzing with excitement, adrenaline, and that strange mix of exhaustion and anticipation you only get when something important is about to begin. I made the classic rookie mistake, I lay down “just for a bit” to rest… and immediately fell asleep.
Big mistake.
That short nap completely wiped out any chance of a normal night. Wide awake at 2am, staring at the ceiling, brain racing, body confused, and mind already planning everything that’s about to happen over the coming weeks. It’s funny how your body can be completely broken, yet your head is wide awake with ideas.
What people don’t often talk about is the preparation before the preparation. The mental shift. The adjustment. The moment where everything you’ve planned suddenly becomes very real. This isn’t just a trip, it’s the start of a journey that’s been building for a long time.
One of the best parts of day one was seeing family I haven’t seen in years. Those moments ground you instantly. No cameras. No plans. Just reconnecting, laughing, catching up, and realising how much time has passed, and how important this journey really is.
Eventually, after a long night of no sleep at all, my body gave up. I crashed hard and slept for around 14 hours straight. Completely out cold. No alarms, no dreams, just deep recovery. Probably exactly what I needed.
Day one wasn’t about markets, cooking, or cameras. It was about landing, reconnecting, adjusting, and letting the reality of this journey settle in.
The exploring starts properly now.
The food, the stories, the learning, all of that is coming.
This was just the warm-up.
Bill