Life's been a flurry of activities since finals ended but I'd say it's been good insofar.

Returned from what felt like a really, really long trip to Thailand at the beginning of May, before my internship started. This year's Top of the Gulf was unlike the last, probably because we had to do all of the planning, coordination and running of the entire trip this time.

That. Was. Not. Easy.

I knew I wanted to cherish the more carefree days abroad and away from all the work waiting for me back in Singapore but more than half the time I was looking forward to going home. I was running about, flustered, trying to make sure things ran smoothly, ironing out the hiccups that happened, making sure everyone was having a good (?) time.

My personal goal for this regatta was for my crew to gain more experience on water and against the better boats from other countries. Winning matters so much to me (yes, I found my competitive streak ever since I joined the Club) but this time, winning can take the second stand (also because it was bloody difficult to get a podium finish anyway).

So by the time our regatta ended and we were headed to Bangkok, I was exhausted from sailing and running around, and all I wanted was to go home.

But Bangkok was rather enjoyable, although I would say four days there would be a tad too much if it wasn't spread over the weekend (Chatuchak!). Well it wasn't. We spent our time shopping (I had to cajole Vic into walking around Platinum with me until I ran out of cash), watching movies, cafe-hopping, more eating and getting massages.

I love the Club, however I would have to admit that travelling in a pack of 25 people is not the smartest, or the most feasible idea. It was the hardest to coordinate and we ended up having to split and go our own ways. The nights were fun though. We had team dinners and on the last night, we headed to Khao San for drinks before heading home the next day. The worst part of that was having to carry people onto cabs to get them back to our hostel safely. But I'm happy to say everyone was safe and sound and gulping bottles of water and in bed (or in random beds) by the next morning.

Although this trip was pretty difficult to organise (note: air tickets and baggage and group check-ins), I can safely say that the experiences I'd gained and to be able to rise through the challenges faced were things I've never been through before. I like being able to learn at every step of the way and I can't say that I'm not thankful for the opportunities given to me.