In August of 1988 I decided it was time for me to take one year off, so I moved to Chiangmai, Thailand where I studied Thai, rented a charming house, and bought a 125 CC Honda Wing motorcycle. Together with Dao (my soon-to-be wife) we journeyed thousands of kilometers throughout Thailand into remote and barely accessible regions of the country, places that were just beginning to open up to the outside world. Many days were spent exploring unknown dirt paths that twisted and turned high into the mountains bordering Laos and Burma. Often we would encounter working elephants moving teak wood from the forests, colorful hilltribe villagers, and unusal individuals that seemed to come from a different place in time.

Most of these pictures were shot in the northern Thai provinces of Chiangmai, Chiangrai, Tak, and Nan. Others were taken on a motorcycle journey from Chiangmai to the southern island of Koh Samui. Our dog, Miss Booty Brown, sometimes accompanied us on our adventures, and you can see photos of her tucked into the front zipper of my jacket. This gallery brings back a lot of vivid memories of what was probably the most exciting and adventurous year of my life.