Ryu's Blog

Our family went to Bangkok for a one week trip. Since I lived there when I was young, I still have many friends in the city, and my nephew is studying there. My aim was simply to have a relaxed trip catching up with friends and family.

One predictable challenge in Thailand is overeating. The cost of living is lower, the food is good, and most of our meals were at restaurants with people we wanted to see. To avoid gaining too much weight, we brought our badminton gear and a basketball with us. That allowed us to stay active by playing sports, both on our own and with friends. Bangkok turned out to be convenient for this. Badminton courts were easy to book, and we found several basketball courts near where we stayed.

These activities cost almost nothing, but for one of my boys, they were the highlights of the trip. This reminded me that travel does not have to revolve around sightseeing. Bringing some of our normal routines with us, especially sports, made the trip healthier and more memorable. It allowed us to enjoy good food without feeling too guilty, while also creating simple moments of bonding through activities. I think this is something we will do more often in future trips.