A Vacation to Remember

After I left Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, I had the opportunity to do some traveling around Southeast Asia before returning back to America for the first time in a year and a half.  I worked my ass off for the past year and saved and saved because I knew I wanted to reward myself for a magical job well done visit all I could before life happens again.
I had (sort of) planned for a month and a half of travel throughout 4/5 different countries: (Northern) Vietnam, Myanmar,

The beginning of my trek struggles.  

Thailand, and Indonesia before returning back to the land of Starbucks, best friends and spin classes.
Luckily, I was able to visit and stay with my mom for a couple of days in Hanoi before I headed up North for a trek to the top of Indochina- Mt. Fanispan or as I call it, "Mt. Fancy Pants." Sapa, known for it's cool climate, mountainous views and high elevation, was without a doubt one of the most beautimus and difficult hikes I've been on.  Teaching overload had clearly taken a toll on me, so I wasn't in any shape to be climbing a steep mountain for 2 days, covering 32k.  But, when else would I have the chance to do something this badass and live to complain about it?

One of the ladies who helped me on my trek made this for me.

A few days before I arrived, Sapa had gotten snow and rain, so needless to say, it was a wee bit muddy.  Instead of using hiking boots (or in my case my runners), we rented rain boots to help us sludge through the muddy terrain.

Top of Sapa.  Started from the bottom, now I'm here

There were these women who carried their goodies to sell and would hike from village to village on a daily basis with ease.  Walking through streams and muddy bamboo forests, these amazing women saved my ass from tumbling down and breaking my face open.  By the end of Day 1, I believe we had hiked 18 kilometers (sorry my American dearies, I've converted to the metric system, deal with it).
That night our mini tour group stayed at a homestay to sleep and save our energy as we still had another 14k left.
 I can think of all the excuses and complaints I made along this treacherous trek, but it was all worth it when I saw this view.  It's truly amazing how much beauty nature holds.  Sapa, still remains underdeveloped.  It is with hope, Sapa still remains this untouched with it's green scenery.
After 2 days, 32 kilometers and super high elevation, I was quite proud of my accomplishment-this wasn't your grandma's marathon.
 To say I was feeling a bit stiff on the bus ride back to Hanoi would be a complete understatement.  All I hoped was my poor blistered feet would be healed in time for the rest of my adventures.

Influences from Korea, China, India and Thailand.

A few days after lagging in Bangkok, awaiting for our Myanmar visa to be authorized, having a reunion with my favourite ginger, and relearning my Thai, my friend Val and I were off on an adventure of a lifetime visiting the once Burma, now wonderful Myanmar, which remains one of my favorite countries I've ever been too. 
Myanmar is one of the countries highest in gold production, beautiful pagodas with influences from many different types of both Hinduism and Buddhism, depending on the region of Myanmar you're in. 
My first stop in Myanmar was Yangon, home of the Shwedagon Pagoda,114 acres belonging to the pagoda, biggest in Myanmar and run completely by volunteers.

the Elephant pagoda for those born on a Wednesday.

It's so difficult to put in nutshell, just how beautiful and remarkable the Shwedagon Pagoda, as well as Yangon was.

Yangon holds many stories and beliefs. One of my favorites, was a legend corresponding with an animal statue and the day of the week in which you were born. I was born on a Wednesday, making my animal the elephant-which is only fitting for everyone who knows how much I cherish elephants.

One of my favorite things to do in another country is to check out the night market scene and get lost in all the food and glory. A complete 180 from all the sugar infused dinners HCMC had to offer, the food in Yangon was quite savory and decadent, and I still dream about this spicy, bbq chicken gloriousness the night market had.

Yangon was such a treat, especially because there's a law in which motorbikes aren't allowed in the city unless it's under special circumstances.  

Old Bagan City, Myanmar

Before I knew it, we were off again to another part of Myanmar, Bagan, home of the most pagodas-and great for pictures.
Bagan, Myanmar is a city of over 3,000 pagodas with influences from India and China.
Although I didn't visit all 3,000 pagodas, (that would be ridiculous), I we drove by countless pagodas under repair, in ruins, or simply unattainable due to our time restraints.
The mini history lessons and stories we were told by our tour guide were remarkable and incredible. Needless to say we were on information overload and after a while, the pagodas tend to all look the same and mesh together.  

After a full day of pagoda hopping and soaking in the wonderful culture and city of Bagan, we had the pleasure of sitting in the prime sunset pagoda in Bagan-Pya That Gyi.

With a packed pagoda full of tourists from here to Sunday, I allowed myself to get lost in the moment, have gratitude and simply be grateful for all the opportunities I have been allotted. After my meditative, namaste moment, we were up and off again- places to go, people to see.

Old Bagan sunset, Myanmar

Woke up at 5, left on a jet plane for Shun State, Myanmar to see some 2 million old caves filled with over 6,000 Buddhas. Pindaya cave filled with over 6,000 Buddhas, only 253 steps to the top of a 2 million year old cave.
After Sapa in Vietnam, climbing stairs was just a little hopscotch, like petting a kitten- it was easy.  

Some of the Buddha statues are bamboo with gold paint, some are metal, others are cement.
Usually, the older ones are made of cement and the newer statues are bamboo with gold paint because it's lighter and much more easily maintained.

one structure plated with many Buddhas

This gold statue of many Buddhas remains one of my favorites in the Pindaya cave. Surrounded my hundreds of
these little Buddha nuggets rests a giant Buddha sitting on the top of this structure.
Heho, located in Shun State is a magical place, laying right outside our next adventure: Inle Lake. After a quick rest and first taste of real drip coffee in forever with a delicious breakfast filled with all the Western fixings, we were ready to rally and get it together for the next adventure.

Inle Lake boats which took us around the lake.

Inle Lake fishermen

About an hour drive past a very rural Heho, where we hit "traffic"- herds of cows crossing the street, we finally entered Inle Lake. There's only so many times I can use the word "breathtaking" in this post, but it was truly breathtaking.
I had my first Nepali food, which blew my taste buds out of the water, that amazeballs.
The tour started us off in these cute little, single engined boats, taking us up and down the river, stopping occasionally at tourist traps, fishermen houses, and a few mini walking tours. Along the way we saw fishermen doing trapeze acts. Well, not literally, because that would be ridiculous, but the way they caught fish, had them balancing and posing in all sorts of ways which would've had anyone else falling head first into the water.

Now, of course, they knew we were in the next boat snapping pictures, but this was still extremely cool to see.

Inle Lake Fishermen

I vaguely remember the balancing act does indeed serve a purpose and it's keep an equal weight in their boats so they don't flip over.
As quickly as our trip started, it ended.
I left Val in Bangkok, hopped on a 5 hour bus ride to the middle of no where, and before I knew it, I was back in my old town, Chaiyaphum for a wonderful reunion and final goodbye of all the sorts.
A quick trip back to see old friends for a wonder reunion and reminiscing on the experiences which had my heart for a year was the perfect mini reset for my next leg of my trip: Indonesia.
After my 5 hour bus ride back to Bangkok to catch a flight to Bali, having not slept for almost 30 hours, I was running off of pure adrenaline, sugar, and excitement. A quick layover in Malaysia and some fried chicken later, I had finally landed in Bali, and was quickly greeted with hot, sticky humidity-my favourite. At this point, all I wanted to do was sleep and still had a 3 hour ride up to North Bali (the airport is in the South). Long story short, I didn't get murdered. My hotel had lost my reservation, didn't pick me up, so I ended up grabbing a ride with someone who knows the village I was heading to, blah, blah, blah blah, I know, don't get in cars with strangers, but it all ended up just fine.

By this point in my travels and after everything I had experienced over the year and a half abroad, sometimes you just gotta go with the flow and Hakuna Matata.

A few days relaxing and waking up before the sun came up to see dolphins playing (seriously, is this real life?!), I also had the chance to go Scuba diving, something I hadn't done since Koh Tao, Thailand- the previous year. So, on my 1 year anniversary of getting certified, I walked into the ocean with my one-eyed dive master named Pepe, and we dodged currents and plastic bags in search for the wonders of the magical ocean wonders. A small, non puncturing stabbing from a sword fish (one eyed Pepe got stabbed, not me) later, it was time to say goodbye to the North and head down South for one of the best yoga weeks I'll always remember. I had yoga scheduled for almost everyday I would be in the South for about 3 hours a day. It was a delight to get back into the flow of yoga and exercise- something I'd been lacking on since Sapa.

By this point, I had eaten something or drank the water and gotten the dreaded, but thankfully, mild, Bali belly. Basically, I had a parasite but, bloody Hell, a little bug was not going to stop me from my solo vacation- I had spent too much money on it already, it was NOT about to go to waste.

I made a friend. I shall call him Squishy.

Badung, the area I was in, was surrounded with grassy rice fields, on both ends of a narrow cobble stoned road, dead ended by beaches for

miles.

I'm pretty much a mermaid, so of course I wanted to see if I could still surf. Now, the last time I surfed was a good 6 or 7 years ago. Shocking news, turns out, you can forget how to surf. I ended up drinking my weight in salt water- it was awesome.

One of my favourite moments was when I went scuba diving at the USAT Liberty Shipwreck in Bali. The USAT Liberty Shipwreck is a sunken ship used by the States during WWII, which is now one of the more popular scuba destinations in Bali. Not only was I able to swim through the wreck and squeeze myself through a little badass tunnel, I saw magical fish, unreal coral, and a black tip shark. I will continue to be surprised by the wonders of the ocean, it's a whole other world. The Scuba bug is infectious and addicting. I'm not talking about my mini parasite, but the addiction one gets from diving and seeing different parts of the ocean blue. I went diving one last time on another part of the island and before I knew it, I had to leave Bali.

I was in Bali for 10 days and although I wished I had traveled to different parts of Indonesia and had longer to spend, my bank account was crying and I was ready to start heading home.
I ended up having a day (12 hour) layover in Seoul, South Korea, which was amazing. America, get your shit together because this country is amazing. Korea, like many other countries, offer free tours around the city depending on how long your layover is. The airport conducts these in groups and they offer free, in transit visas to those with long ass layovers.

Gyeongbokgung Pagoda

I got to visit two pagodas, eat lunch, get transported back to the airport, and still have another 5 hours to kill.
Gyeongbokgung had some of the most beautiful structure and views, it seriously looked like a postcard, I mean seriously, how amazing is this?!

I was not, however, used to how cold it was. Coming from hot humidity to 2 degrees Centigrade (about 34F), I was a popsicle.
My wish is to go back to South Korea one day when I have more time to explore the beautiful country. One day, one day.
By this point I was antsy and excited to go back to America, see all that had change and see all my friends.
Entering America, customs, and reunions later, I was quickly faced with reverse culture shock. I had been so used to hearing minimal English, different languages and lack of personal space. Panic attacks with the amount of food choices in English, and the cost of everything was definitely a reality check. I kept myself busy with reunions, doctor appointments, reuniting with my love for spin classes and preparing for my upcoming Peace Corps departure (oh yeah, for those who don't know, I'm leaving again, this time for Madagascar).

A month and a half in Portland went by at lightning speed, seriously, faster than Superman. As I prepare to leave Portland to travel around the country for the next month before leaving America again for a few years, I am once again, overcome with emotions. It was amazing and remarkable to have the opportunity and privilege to see each and everyone of my Portland babes. Writing this, I'm starting to feel all the feels all over again.

I will most likely be starting a new blog for the Peace Corps, so stay tuned. It'll be a WordPress blog this time around, and it's not ready yet, so be patient. Plus, it takes me forever and a day to sit still and write this flip book of adventures, so there's that.

The Story of Saigon (and others)

When I left Thailand for Vietnam, I never would've imagined how much I would change in just 6 months.  I've been slacking, to say the least, on my blogs, because of not only sheer laziness, but also the amount of teaching I've done.  They work you hard here, 5am mornings until 5pm nights definitely took a toll on me.
Back in mid-August 2015, I packed up my life and moved to another country, once again, without knowing what would unfold.  I didn't know much of the company I would be with, and thought, if it didn't work out, teaching jobs are a dime a dozen and it's nothing I haven't already been through before.  When I arrived, I was greeted by someone from my company who put me up in a dodgy little hotel and was told another teacher would be arriving shortly and be staying in the next room.  A few hours later, I heard a little tap tap tap on my door and open the door to this tall, South African ginger, Jennifer.  Over the next few days we quickly bonded as the two solo teachers, dodging in and out Saigon traffic and apartment hunting- which gave us the best views in Saigon, seriously.

Myself and Liz- another teacher awesome friend

Even after driving motorbikes in Thailand, nothing compares to the traffic of Saigon.  I had this (stupid) idea in my head I would be able to walk around, or be close enough to my school where I could take the public bus.  I quickly found out I would be teaching at more than one school, one about a 20-25 minute drive and the other a half hour away, depending on traffic.  I can still remember how scared and shaky I felt the first couple times I went out on my bike, and of course now, I can weave in and out like a ninja.
There are so many motorbikes and so much traffic, I've learned the best thing is to just go with the flow, disregard traffic laws, traffic lights and sidewalks are arbitrary and a suggestion.




Teaching was a trip at first.  I taught 5 grades which ranged from above average levels to students who didn't even know their name.  Grades 6, 8, 9, 10 and 11- I still can't decide which is worse- being a teenager or teaching them.  My all time favorite class (grade 6) always started my week off with a burst of energy and excitement.  It's not because they were good students, they were rambunctious and completely insane, but always brought so much joy into their work and still had the adorable childhood innocence.

I was so lucky to have my parents visit me a month after I moved here and show them around my new stomping ground- quite a leap from Chaiyaphum, Thailand.  I hadn't yet played tourist and being able to spend time with them was definitely a highlight.  From seeing the Chu Chi tunnels, War Remnants Museum, Mekong Delta tour, to playing with a giant python was amazing.
They came when I had a long holiday weekend, which was perfect timing- I was able to spend as much time with them before I would see them again in December for another family Christmas.
I know it scares the absolute bejesus out of them knowing I'm always off galavanting and exploring new countries, so I think they felt more at ease knowing I was safe and surrounded by awesome friends and not secretly a drug lord involved in an underground mafia ring.

Flash forward a few months and work burnout later, it was finally December, two weeks of work, then two weeks of vacation- which meant a much needed pollution relief and time to travel and go on the quest for the perfect selfie stick and minion backpack- both of which I found easily, because Asia.

Glimpse of KL in all its glory.

Jennifer and I rocking out the selfie stick

The first stop on my magical holiday trip was 4 days in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia with the ginge.  Immediately, we were in culture shock.  Coming from a country which smells of durian and exhaust to going to a country that smells like Indian curry and cologne, was a trip- also, sidewalks intended for walking and not filled with motorbikes was a trip.  Holy cow, KL should just change it's name to mall central.  KL had the most amazing public transportation of light rails, trains, and buses.  I swear, at every light rail stop, there was a mall.  After walking around a few malls, exploring the city and stumbling upon a botanical garden, we finally found the Patrones Towers- one of the biggest tourist attractions in the city with apparently remarkable views.  After trying to barter with tower security (Jennifer and I tried on 2 different occasions), we decided the price wouldn't be worth the view- especially given it was rainy season, and a cloudy view would be a waste.  The next best thing: walking around the park near the Patrones towers and taking pictures there- so off we went.
We ate so much naan bread, breakfast, lunch, and dinner, it took us almost a month to recover from our naan-hangover-it was so worth it.  I still have dreams about the delicious in KL.  As our quick 4 day trip came to an end, I found it hard to leave as the ginge was off on her excursion to Singapore, and I to Taiwan.  

The infamous Patrones Towers

KLCC park (the Patrones Towers are directly behind me)

A long struggling story dealing with flights and airlines later, I finally found myself in the wonderful country of Taiwan. In another country with remarkable public transportation left me again, in culture shock. Immediately off the plane, I was being offered help from everyone around me- something I am not used to in Saigon, at all. There are buses that take you from the airport to main Taipei, and from there, you can take the underground rail to pretty much anywhere in Taipei. As I stand in the crowded main train terminal looking like a lost puppy, the nicest woman, who spoke no English, and only having the name of the stop I needed, pointed me in the right direction where I eventually landed in my hostel, greeted by another friend, whom I was traveling with. The perfect beginning to my Taipei trip- which turned out to be one of my favourite (surround yourself with Brits and South Africans enough and I start spelling like them) counties.


The next morning I found a free tour and begin exploring. I did almost no research before coming here and knew almost nothing about Taiwan's struggles and heartbreaking history in their short years as a country. From flip flopping between China's rule to Japan to back to China to an upcoming election, it's simply remarkable and inspiring to see how positive and kind they remain.

Peace Park in Taipei, Taiwan   

View of Plum Garden

A long day of touring, a dinner, sleep and morning tea later, once again, it was time to do more exploring.  This time to Plum Garden, a huge garden with in garden of sorts, just outside Taipei, in Xinbeitou, accessible by a few light rail rides away.  Hiking up a few hills and stairs later, left me completely speechless with all the beauty and a remarkable view. 

Immediately, I was intrigued by cute little statues around Plum Garden.  
These sculptures are inspired by Beitou's old witch legend and spiritual beliefs imagining whimsical beings dwell in the area in places invisible to the human eye- perhaps in the humid air or floating within the hot spring vapors. They are said to be playful and secretly watch out for the Beitou people everyday.
I could've spent all day in this garden, filled with hot springs and next to a National Park, both of which we ran out of time to see, as we were simply propelled by how fast our little legs could travel, and began to need fuel. One thing I'll say about the food- although delicious, they are one of the Asian countries that aren't big on spice-a major foreign concept to me.  

Beitou sculpture

Another day past and my Taipei trip was coming to a quick close, but I still had one more day for touring on my only planned excursion- a bike and walking tour around Taipei- of which I was extremely excited about. This is how eco friendly Taiepi is: they have rent a bikes around the city and they are so popular, you can buy a membership with public transport. Pure amazeballs.
Unlike Saigon, it was cold and wintery in Taipei, so much so, I had to buy a jacket. Of course, "cold" being about 22C (72F) which is at freezing temperature if you are used to a daily temp of at least 90.

It was a perfect "Portland" day, meaning cloudy, with a slight drizzle- and I enjoyed every second of it.
After biking a bit around New and Old Taipei, we parked our bikes and started an oh so steep hike up Elephant Mountain. As animalistic as this mountain sounds, there have never been, nor are there any elephants. From what I understood, it's just normal culture for Taiwanese to name the hiking trails after certain animals. This hike was basically a zillion tiny steps (not more between 3-5k) straight up into the sky. The trail was super clean, like everywhere in Taiepi. This hike took us up to the best view in all of Taipei, a very well deserved hike.

View from Elephant Mountain. 

As night came, we quickly rushed to catch a night bus to the airport for our very early morning flight back to HCMC where I would have a day before I jet-setted back on another flight- this time to see my brother and parents in Phu Quoc, Vietnam, an island, for Christmas.

On top of Elephant Mountain. Taipei 101 building is directly ahead known for it's observation deck.

After being reunited with all of Saigon's glory, I quickly threw crap into a backpack, which hilariously enough, ended up bringing more with me to the beach than I did to Malaysia and Taiwan, hopped on a plane and off to Phu Quoc I went. My favourite South African ginger came along with and we traded traveling stories on the short flight.

"Wait, let me get my selfie stick!"

Everyone who knows the Greenfield/Eejima family, knows we're all a bit cray, so I knew immediately when I saw my family, they'd be all decked out in Santa hats and excitement- they were. Not to worry, I brought my selfie stick to be sure to document our fabulousness.
After a quick lunch and a complicated situation with the hotel, we plopped ourselves on a beach to relax after our rough week of traveling.

 

Not only did we relax, we also wanted to see more of the island, so, being experienced

motorbike riders, Jennifer and I made sure the pack stayed impact. My brother and dad had only gone on one drive before our trip around the island. My mom rode on the back of my bike, which to her surprise I was a fabulous driver- no shame.
Luckily, we had a tour guide, so we didn't have to plan anything, just drive, relax, and enjoy the island vibe.
We drove threw some terrain- dirt roads, and over wobbly wooden bridges, all very bad ass.

definitely drove over this bridge

My mom likes to think she was also driving, but we are all looking very badass. 

A wonderful Christmas vacation with the family full of laughter, and surprisingly no drama, we were off again back to Saigon, this time with my baby brother in tow, his first time in HCMC to celebrate my birthday, New Years, extra travel, and to see me, of course.

Mekong Delta Tour

Off I took the not-so-little-baby brother on tourist attractions: Chu Chi tunnels, a Mekong Delta tour, museums, everything I did with my parents and then some. First stop was a Mekong Delta tour, which took us from a medium sized boat, to a short hike, to a tuk-tuk to the cutest little mini ride down a stream. Glad I brought my selfie stick, would've been hard to document all the important selfies.
The Mekong Delta connects all the way from Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Myanmar- it's huge, big on fishing and the obvious- tours.

The next adventure tour was to the Chu Chi tunnels: a way for the Vietnamese to convene, escape, and live during the Vietnam War era.

Chu Chi Tunnels 

We ended up taking a van to first a rice paper factory which was also a pig farm, got to play with piglets, and finally made our way to the tunnels which were about a 2 hour drive away from the city.
Although I had been here once before, it's always different to hear things a second time, if not for a reminder, but to relearn what I had tuned out.

New Years came and went, and it quickly became time for school to start back up and to go back to my teacher life. My brother left, and it finally hit me I only had 4 weeks left of my stay in Vietnam (as I had originally only

planned on staying here 6 months from the getgo).
Everything that mattered, worked out perfectly. Even though working here may not have been the highest of highlights due to simple teaching politics and overwork burnout, I have met some fabulous international friends who are as crazy (if not crazier) as I am, share my obsession for travel, delicious delivery takeout (ginge), witty banter and caffeine.
As I write this, on my last weekend in Saigon, clothes sprawled all over my floor as I'm still not yet packed, it still has not hit me that I will no be seeing some of my favourites everyday.

Myself, and the gingers: "Africa" and "Lizzard." I'm an honoury ginger, obvs. 

My future plans have yet to be decided, but as of right now, I plan on touring Sapa-Vietnam, Myanmar, and Bali before finally trekking on my year and a half trip back to the States, only to hopefully, be leaving again in June.


Life has a way of creeping up on you, and within this past year and a half, (even in the past 6 months), I have learned to never plan anything concrete, as life is constantly changing- but always for the better. Keep it real, Saigon.

Life's for the living, so live it, or you're better off dead

These past 10 months have been the most exhilarating, exciting, scariest, and emotional experiences of my life.  I have changed in ways I never thought possible, experienced the bests and worsts and have truly grown into a better person.  Thailand has been a rollercoaster of a ride.  It is with a heavy heart that I have decided to leave this place I have fallen in love with and have called home.  This decision did not come lightly, nor quickly, but opportunities have risen and it is with much emotion, my time here has come to an end.  I know I will be back to the land of smiles, but what is life without an adventure.  That being said, I start a new chapter in my life, moving to Ho Chi Minh City, old Saigon, Southern Vietnam.  I never thought I would move to Vietnam, but life has a way of surprising you.  This time last year, I was starting to get rid of all my belongings, fit my whole life into suitcases, and embark on whirlwind of a journey to Thailand, and I never would have imagined

just how life changing that would be.

Although I have chosen to leave 2 months shy of a year and before the term ends, the time has come for me to experience a new adventure.  Even though I am leaving, I will greatly miss my wonderful students past and present that have taught me to do 1000 things at one time all while pulling fighting kids off each other.  I have learned as much from them as they have from me, like I can be as obnoxious and eccentric as possible, belt out Disney songs, and rediscover how educational and awesome the Magic School Bus videos are.

These past two weeks have been the perfect send off starting with an unnecessary visa trip to Laos with another teacher where we were created with such hospitality, warmth, and kind-hearted human beings which I can't even begin to put into words. We had dinner at the cutest hippy restaurant which reminded me of something you'd find in Portland, brunch that looked like London, and chatted with the couple whose hotel we were staying at. Even though there was such a language barrier, we were still able to understand each other. 

Immediately after Laos, we got two days off school for Buddhist Lent day, so off to Koh Chang the foreign teachers went. 

It was rainy season, but that weekend (and this weekend) was, without a doubt, one of my favorite weekends in Thailand. 

A week of teaching my last week in Thailand, and I was on my way back to where it all started: Bangkok. Before I left Chaiyaphum, I was blessed enough to have one of my best friends, Anne, through me an amazing bbq dinner. I definitely felt so much love from and for everyone who has been a part of my Bon voyage, I will never forget any of it. 

A quick 5 hour bus ride and 45 minute cab ride later, I was back on Khao San Road, aka backpackers paradise. Two teachers from Anuban were able to join me in sending me out of Bangkok in style. 

The morning was a bit rough, but water, multiple naps, bargain shopping (like I need more crap), and my last Thai massage and I'm all set to start my new journey and create new memories. 

As I sit at this restaurant, typing this and enjoying one of my favorite Issan meals, I find myself reminiscing on bittersweet moments and everything in-between. 

In the past 10 months I have really learned some major resume building skills, get ready for the important things.  I have learned the true meaning of Mai Pen Lai (no worries) and can't even count how many times I use that phrase a day.  Thai time is a real thing and nothing ever really starts when it's supposed to, or even an hour after for that matter.  Motorbikes are fun, especially when they go fast.  Farong while driving is a thing, so if foreigners aren't wearing a helmet, it's only a matter of time before you get pulled over and fined.  Motorbike crashes are inevitable, but I have been one of the lucky ones to not have crashed.....yet.  Pad thai gets old really quickly and you soon accept the fact sometimes when you order food, you'll get something completely random.  Thai belly is not something to joke about.  Visa runs can either be super fun, or a drag, but either way, it's a way of getting out of school for a few days, so mai pen lai.  Squatty potties are nothing to fret about.  Disney movies on jump drives become your best friend because most of the time the Internet is dodgy.  Grilled chicken, sticky rice, and spicy papaya salad is the literally the best comfort food ever.  7-elevens here are like Starbucks in the States, they're everywhere and life savers, which brings me to the Toastie, Thailand's best late night snack from said 7-elevens.
 
Until next time, Thailand.