Why Thailand? When I taught at Como Park, many of my students had lived in Thai refugee camps and their personal college application essays spoke of warm air, tropical fruit, and blue waters. I love warm destinations, the more heat - the better. I love water, I could float in waves and sleep on beaches for an infinite amount of days. I love food - but especially Thai food. And I love experiencing culture shock, uncomfortable, unfamiliar, culture shock. This is when I stretch and grow and learn. So - Thailand seemed like the perfect destination to meet my list of wants. In 2006, I went to Paris, in 2008, Kenya, in 2010, East Africa, in 2012, South, Central, East Africa. I'm hungry for travel, I made a goal after my last trip, that every two years I want to leave the country.
It wasn't easy. I worked really hard, really really hard! Making a goal is one thing, meeting it is another. On and off for almost a year, I worked four jobs, sometimes stretches of 7 days a week, double shifts on the weekends. Segway tours, City Pages, groundskeeper for my landlord's properties, teaching nearly full time morning and night. It was worth it.
I flew into Bangkok late on Monday night and will leave Thailand on January 2nd. More to come soon, I can't wait to give an update of my time in Bangkok thus far, it's been amazing and interesting.
I have to run now, off to meet up with a friend of a friend of a friend who lives here and is going to take me on a tour a couple of hours north. Peace, Chelsey
