A Blonde With a Backpack

By the title of this post, you may think I have included the wonderful things I've acquired in Thailand that I will be taking home to America. However, this post is about something entirely opposite of things. Yes, I have acquired beautiful wooden spoons, handmade dresses, and cute drawings from my students. However, the "things" I will treasure most from Thailand are not things at all; they are emotions , ideals , and values . I'm going to try my very best to explain these intangible "things" to you all. 1. Family . I love my family; always have and always will. However, the draw of family is huge here. Most young Thai people do not move out of their parent's house until they marry. Even after they are married, they typically still live very close to their families. Everyone is involved in everyone's life in the family and raising children is truly, truly a family effort. 2. Adopting the  ไม่เป็นไร (English letters= main bpen lai) li...

I did it. I've put a date and time on it, and I officially have a departure ticket home in April.   As of today, I only have ONE month left of school with my amazing students. My feelings? All over the board. I'm very excited, overwhelmed, very sad, but most of all...I'm scared. Scared of leaving this place I love so much. Scared to leave my wonderful class to whatever teacher comes next. Scared to restart. Scared to assimilate back. Scared of/for so many things. It seems strange, the feeling of being scared to go back home. I've never felt scared to leave somewhere or get on an airplane and leave before, until now. The life I've built here is entirely different than my life in America. Different food, different stores, different way of teaching, different clothes, different way of driving, different ways of travel, different language, different customs, and even different ways of cooking/eating. It feels strange to know that I will soon be an "out...

*Disclaimer: this post is again solely based on MY experiences and may not necessarily be the same as the experiences of others with healthcare in America or in Thailand.* Healthcare. Healthcare is another hot button topic. Healthcare costs can plunge an entire family into life-altering debt, but it can also save your life. Love it or hate it, it's a necessary part of life. I have experienced hospitals and interacted with both doctors and nurses in America and Thailand; here is my experience in both countries. Good Ol USA: Before I moved to Thailand, I tore multiple ligaments in my ankle and was not able to walk. I immediately went to the Emergency Room. MANY stacks of paperwork were filled out and I could not be seen by any medical professional without signing over consent and showing proof of identification. Three hours and one x-ray later, I was given a brace and crutches and told to go home, load up on ibuprofen, and rest. I only saw the doctor for 5 minutes an...

**Disclaimer: This is written about my personal experiences and observances about education in both countries. Although this is my perspective, it may not be the same for everyone.** Education. It's a big topic that can bring out many emotions and opinions in people. I love learning about education in different cities, states, and countries. Teaching here in Thailand has shown me an entire different approach and style of education/ learning. Again, this blog post is about my personal experiences teaching in America and in Thailand, not necessarily a blanket post about education in both countries. -Education is MUCH more test based here in Thailand. Students are often taught so with the goal of acing a test, not necessarily with the goal of language acquisition. -Rote learning. Many teachers here practice rote learning in most classes. While America is pushing for all project and evidence based learning, Thailand is not doing that quite as much. -Special education diag...