The moment I arrived in Thailand it all felt surreal to me, and upon leaving this feeling transitioned to surreal my time in Thailand was abruptly coming to an end. In the beginning I would describe the trip by the larger milestones such as getting advanced scuba certified, going rock climbing, and learning about Thai culture, yet in hindsight I recognize all the tiny moments that made the trip so transformative.

Snapshots such as removing the commercial fishing net from the coral reefs focusing on our buoyancy with such care not to injure the coral, or getting elbow deep in mud to help plant mangrove trees through a rainstorm, or the laughs of the grade school students as they embraced the present.

No matter if I was covered in dirt from a soccer game with local kids or soaked from river water after bathing elephants, my smile never wavered. Moments like those are what last a lifetime. It is not the temporary sickness or the lost baggage, or missed flights that matter in the end, it is the feelings of pure happiness that only selflessness can offer.

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