The last week

The excitement I feel for this being the last week cannot be contained.

Our last Tuesday. Couldn't be happier...to be leaving.

Did the past 5 months fly by or is it just me?

Before this journey I took a lot of people, things, and my country for granted. I think I even took myself for granted. To be completely honest, I wasn't happy with who I was and what I was doing. I have pulled my morals back out of the closet and am wearing them again. Through traveling, reading, meeting people and having time to think about life I have come to a more peaceful, happier existence. I think some people never have to escape their daily routines and more power to them! But I did and that's why I'm here. I was scared to leave my family, friends and ex-sometimes and start a life in a different country but I did it. There are times when I'm riding my bike down the crowded streets and I just want to jump off and run down the streets dancing and singing because I am so over joyed that I live in THAILAND! I mean, what the heck?? And the best part about this experience is that I took the leap out of America and landed here, in the land of Thai. I feel really, really lucky to be living here and can't believe we actually saved enough money to finance the next 2 months of traveling by teaching these little muskrats.

I am anxious to see what will happen before I come home and can't wait to update this thing-a-ma-jig with all of our traveling stories. I talked to my sister this morning and she said one thing hasn't changed, "You still know how to tell stories that have no point or punchline." 1 point for Wink. Thank God this isn't a story, it's just a reflection. She also asked about my food blog...I have no excuse, besides this one: pure delirium.

I want anyone who reads this blog to know how thankful I am to receive e-mails, pictures, or the text from Stu telling me that Thai food was on Channel 36! Most hilarious text ever and how it even worked to send a text from America to Thailand is still baffling to me.

One more thing, I love the U.S.A.!!!!!!!!!

I've fallen in love!

I know it might seem a little sudden, but I've known him for years and years and all of you know him too. He is seen to some as a succulent taste of heaven, but to others he is the kiss of death. He is always just around the corner at the nearest grocery store or a short bike ride away at the local market. His name is: FOOD. And I have fallen hard. I've never appreciated him as much as I do these days. Yes, I know this seems strange to be writing about food but "normal" food is taken away, you start to crave it and savor every sweet or sour morsel that enters your mouth and slides down your throat only to warm your belly and make you smile.

That is how I feel about food in Thailand. I was talking about it with Kel and we're thinking it has something to do with missing home and finding something that takes its place. The sweetest concoction of: honey, bananas, apples, cinnamon and raisins make me think of a cinnamon roll from Bellevue Square. Sometimes it surprises me when I put a forkful of salad filled with lettuce, sweet potato, cucumber, lentils, carrots, pumpkin, corn and spicy mustard into my mouth and the combination drives my taste buds to a faraway land called Ecstasy. You have never tasted anything from a bakery until you've been to one in Thailand.

On Saturday night I had another meeting with my hot flame at an Italian restaurant where I scooped and savored Pistachio Gelato. I could have sat there for hours with my frosted spoon and crystal-like bowl of gelato but the bed was calling my name. I woke up nine hours later to another date with my new man at 'The Nice Kitchen,' we wandered on down the street right into this place called, "Da Bakery." My nose was led by the smell of freshly baked pastries called, 'Almond Delight,' and 'Da Best Cookies." Kel and I bought an Almond Delight and only talked in "Yumm's and Ohhhh's." Georgie bought a banana pound cake and it had us staring and drooling as she took her first bite into a thick and chewy banana oasis. She was even kind enough to give us a bite. As long as the walking continues and the water chugging doesn't come to a screeching halt my guilt for these indulgences lies far in the distance and I'm hoping that we don't meet any time soon. :)

JACK STEPHEN MAUSS!

A week in the life of the Teacha's

The day we claim our sanity back and say HALLELUJAH!

I hate to admit it

but I'm going to miss them...

Stack of birthday cards from 4 classes.

The Courtyard.

Confirmed

We booked our ticket home:

Tuesday, December 8th...

Get your party hats on

because two American girls

will be running through

the gates into your arms!

Just Keep Swimmin'

It's important to just keep going. Teaching, the heat, the language barrier, missing your family and friends and being a foreigner can just get you down sometimes. That's why I love the quote, "Just keep swimmin'" from the movie, 'Finding Nemo.' There's nothing else we can do but keep moving and try to keep in mind that something bright always comes out of something dark.

We had the day off on Wednesday due to the Queen's birthday/ Mother's Day in Thailand. We were lucky enough to hang out with the best teacher at our school, Jew. She invited us on a drive to see the village in which she grew up, meet her family and take a hike in the country. She treated us to so much awesome fruit and was a real trooper when we didn't really understand what she was trying to tell us. She was patient and kind and she is someone I will miss. A true treasure. Below are pictures from the past couple of weeks...

The view from 'The Chedi' hotel/bar/pool in Chiang Mai.

Georgie in front of the MASSIVE decorated stage for the Queen's birthday

(a.k.a. Mother's Day in Thailand)

I love the comment above.

On the wall in a coffee shop.

Drinking our imaginary tea at the tea house.

Pinky promising to stop eating.

On our way to see Harry Potter 6.

We have gotten cooler and cooler since we've been gone.

Oh no! We accidentally stumbled upon a buffet line at a bakery??? Worst combination ever!

Especially for the 3 of us who could not resist following suit!

LOOK OUT FOR THE FAT AMERICANS!!!

Jew's Doggie. I'm in love.

Jew and one of her many family member's we met that day.

Jew's gorgeous garden and guesthouse.

The guestroom Jew put us in to take a nap.

She gave us blankets to lay on the floor and treats that we devoured in 3 seconds.

It was hilarious.

We were hiking in the hills of Thailand,

riding in the car with Jew thinking that we were headed back to our place,

then she tells us we're going to her house to take a nap.

And after the nap we will walk through a couple wats and go eat dinner at a vegetarian restaurant.

We LOVE Jew.

Rice field workers in Jew's village.

How I feel after eating Thai food.

For those of you that don't know...

Buffalo was my first word.

Hey-Ya!

What the hell is she saying?

The head monk said we could ring

the gong so, why not?

Monks sweeping away the ants.

The aerobic's class that Jew attends when she has the energy after school.

They are watching a workout DVD in the back of a Wat.

In Jew's garden at her house.

Georgie and me getting pretty restless in the back of Jew's car.

This was our first and last break during our hour and a half hike!

Sweat drippin' down our backs, wearing these ridiculous hats,

not having a clue what the destination is

or how long it will take to get there and not one of us complained.

I feel pretty empowered traveling with these women.

At Jew's (on the far right) cousin's house.

I feel like a giant next to this 85 y/o woman filled with unimaginable knowledge about the world which I will never be able to hear about

because I do not speak her mother tongue.