After taking on Hawaii and Italy in the first two entries of “The White Lotus,” the anthology series’ creator Mike White believes his latest adventure in Thailand ups the ante.

“I do feel like the other seasons were a rehearsal for this one,” White said in a recent interview with Time. “There’s stuff that I’ve never directed before.”

White also shared that he drew on his own life and experiences to conceive Season 3. Initially, White wanted to shoot in Japan, but after HBO suggested Thailand, he took a trip to scout locations and ended up being hospitalized with a case of severe bronchitis. As dire as the circumstance was, White was still able to find inspiration through the haze.

“I didn’t sleep for like two nights,” he said, “and by the next morning I was like, ‘I think I have the plot.’ The season is pretty much what happened that night.