In celebration of a double whammy weekend - The 4^th of July, and mommy and daddy’s engagement anniversary - my parents headed down south to Khao Lak for a relaxing beach getaway. This might be pretty obvious, but Independence Day isn’t quite the same when celebrated living abroad. In an effort to keep their mind off all the fun festivities that were going on 14 hours behind them back home, and to simply keep the all-American spirit alive, mommy and daddy decided what better than to head to the beach and start their own 4^th of July tradition. The ingredients of which included sun, sand, som tam (spicy papaya salad), and a steady flow of refreshing tropical cocktails.

Located on the azure waters of the Andaman Sea, the resort has a front-row-center seat for some of the most romantic sunsets a couple could ask for. With the Indian ocean, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, and other exotic locales just over the Western horizon, my parents enjoyed spending many lazy evenings watching the golden sun retire for the night.

This picture could be a postcard!

It's all about the personal touches...a warm welcome note and bottle of bubbly from the hotel G.M.

Don't let the bed towel elephants bite!

Unfortunately for me, I checked in to a different hotel than mommy and daddy. On the upside, occupancy was low at my pet motel so I was able to get some nice one-on-one time with my doggy sitters, and I also got upgraded to a corner suite at no additional charge. My high-tech room was even equipped with a web cam so mommy and daddy could periodically log in and see what I was up to.

Who's this bitch?!?!

Apparently mommy and daddy made friends with a hat (beach) dog. Not sure how I feel about this.

Watch your back sweetheart! I'll always be mommy and daddy's favorite hot dog!

Life's a beach :)

The idea behind mommy and daddy’s weekend getaway was to relax, recharge, and rejuvenate. Or, what I refer to as the three R’s of life. Much more important than that Reading, wRiting, and aRithmetic stuff. My parents weekend agenda included beach yoga, sunbathing, swimming in the pool, running on the beach, taking a dip in the ocean, sipping a mai tai, reading a book in a cozy cabana, taking another dip in the ocean, enjoying a lychee martini…you get the point!

Mommy's a lobster!

I love my family!

Mai tai or mojito...that's the question!!!

Once again, we live in THE LAND OF SMILES :)

The one-eyed stinker ;)

This guy's got mad skills!!!

Cheap Sangiovese = Pricey Sangiovese in Thailand (Standard price multiplied by four to account for the 400% import duties on wine!)

Som tam (spicy papaya salad) in the making!

Gai hor bai toey (deep fried marinated chicken wrapped in Pandan leaf)

Gaeng phed ped yang (roasted duck in red curry with pineapple)

Phad kra-proaw moo rue gai rue nuea (sauteed minced beef with hot Thai basil)

Bua loi (tapioca balls in warm coconut milk)

Kaeng buat fak thong (pumpkin custard with coconut ice cream)

It turns out their relaxation recipe was a complete success! A weekend at the beach was the perfect way to unwind from busy BKK city-life, rest up, and relieve some pent up stress. You know what they say…the wind in your hair, and sand between your toes, will make you forget all your worries and woes. Actually, I guess no one really says that, it’s more of a personal motto. A pretty darn good one, if ya ask me!