After 19 years, I finally went back to Ko Lipe, the Thai island I spent close to a month on in 2006. Back then, it was one of those super off-the-beaten-path destinations that few but the most intrepid travelers visited, where electricity only ran a few hours a day, basic bungalows right on the beach cost something like $2 USD, and there really was a last boat for the season. There was much to do here but that was the point. You hung out on the beach, read a book, went snorkeling, went back to the beach, drank beers at the one beach bar on the island, rotated meals between the five restaurants there, and went to bed early. It was paradise – and a place a lot of people got stuck. Days easily turned into weeks here. If you asked me what the highlight of all my travels was, I would be the time I spent on Ko Lipe . I made incredible friends, lounged around, got to know the locals, learned a bit of Thai, and, overall, lived that idyllic backpacker life we all dream about.…