The Afterward

I've lost track of time a little bit....life has been INSANE since Keara and I left Chiang Mai early Saturday morning.

Our plans to travel down to Koh Samet took a turn for the crazy as soon as we landed in Bangkok. Basically we were led around like livestock onto buses, motorcycles, boats. for the rest of the day, hauling around our 40-pound suitcases and stuffed-to-the-brim backpacks. We were exhausted by the time we finally made it to this little island, but once we saw that white-sand beach our troubles floated away...

Sunday we spent the entire day at the beach. We examined marine life in tide pools, swam in the warm sea, bummed on the beach...but in the afternoon we realized that we'd been a little crisped... so we walked back to our hotel to shower and change and then headed back to the beach for dinner and a show.

There are these crazy fire-dancers that perform every night here, and Keara and I had front-row seats. The things they were doing with ball/sticks of fire were unbelievable...I have videos but I don't want to upload them right now.

Toward the middle of the show we realized that we were smeared in whatever fuel they were using to keep their sticks burning, and then one of the guys threw his baton into the air, but he must have slipped because it landed RIGHT in front of me instead of in his hand. I was terrified. I was sure that I was going to burst into flames at any second. But the guy just swept the stick up, smiled and winked at me, and continued on with the show as if he hadn't just put my life in jeopardy. 

It wasn't until we got back to the hotel that we realized the extent of our sunburns. Oh my ouch. I have never been this burnt in my entire life. We were supposed to leave the island today and go back to Bangkok, but we chose to stay here and chill in the hotel room because it hurts too bad to even put our backpacks on.

Wish us luck on the adventure home!

The Last Days

That's a camel, in case you were wondering.

Noi let me drive her motorcycle. We both lived.

Last ride in the back of the truck. :(

Beautiful sunset just for me.

Katoon

It's amazing that my time here is at an end. I remember that first night, when I thought that I would never make it through three whole months here. But now I would do anything for three more.

There are so many people I've met, things I've done, and lessons I've learned. Before I came to this country I thought I knew what life was about, but Thailand taught me better. I cannot even begin to explain the love that I feel for my friends and family here, for the vast green rice paddies and bulging storm clouds, for the chaotic traffic, the hot sticky air, the food that gives me hiccups because it's so spicy.

I came to this country with a development perspective. I was going to work at an HIV/AIDS NGO helping AIDS victims with an "income generation project." I was going to give them all these great ideas and help them improve their lives.

But I've decided that working under the development perspective is a hindrance. It's relationships that really matter...it's absorbing a culture and coming to love it despite its faults. It's understanding that this is real life for some people, and they don't get to go back to America and show their pictures to everyone and talk about how great Thailand is.

These are my true friends. They aren't victims or patients or even co-workers. They're people and they're trying to make the most out of what they have, just like everyone else in the world. I care deeply about them and they've taught me much more than I could ever teach them.


Today, after I said my final goodbyes to everyone at the center, Olay took me on her motorcycle to the main road to catch a rot leung home. I stood with her on the side of the road for a long time, holding little Katoon on my hip. I belonged in that place, in that moment, and when I handed Katoon back to Olay and hugged them both goodbye,  I think I handed over a little piece of my heart as well.