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...

This past weekend, I was laying in the sun and reading on a warm afternoon. I grew tired and laid my book across my chest, crossed my arms over my body, and closed my eyes.  Doing so immediately reminded of all of the times my father used to do the same thing. He did so in Tahoe as we enjoyed the mountain air, in Hawaii on the beach, or simply in his backyard that was carefully cultivated by he and my mom. When my 20 year old self realized I had to say goodbye to my dad, I knew my life would change. I knew that the long months, that turned into years, in the hospital and hours of commutes to see him would be replaced by a longing to just hear his voice. I knew that when big events happened in my life; I'd miss his presence. I knew that when I talked about "my parents" I would now have to just say "my mom." I knew that someday when I date the person I'm meant to marry, my dad won't even know that person. I knew that a part of my life would change it ce...

A few days ago, I had my 3rd "I don't like Thailand" day. I feel pretty excited about the fact that in my year of my time here, this is only the 3rd time this has happened to me. I decided that I needed to sit down and write the post I've been thinking about sharing for quite some time. If you ask me on most days, I would tell you all about how much I LOVE living in Thailand. Even though today has been a frustrating day (more on that later), I'd love to share all the things I absolutely love about this place I've been lucky to call home. Things I love about Thailand: 1. Children are allowed to just be free . Children run around barefoot, play without yard duties at lunch, and walk themselves to after school tutoring. Children have far fewer tantrums here and are generally much happier. 2. The food! ! It's amazing, you gotta try it. 3. The fact that buying coffee normally comes with a hug and a smile . 4. Most of my meals come from the street and...

Recently, my roommate Emily and I took a little day trip to a 3D Art Museum. We absolutely loved it and we were both amazed at how an artist could conceive these works of art. This blog post will be mostly pictures as I feel they speak for themselves. Enjoy!

This past weekend, we had another 3 day weekend to celebrate the Queen of Thailand's birthday, so I took advantage of it and traveled to Cambodia for the weekend. Friday night I flew into the capital city of Phnom Penh. This city has has a rich history that is also incredibly dark.  In 1975, Pol Pot and his army of Khmer Rouge members overtook the city and pushed all 2.5 million residents into camps in the countryside. Pol Pot was determined to create a completely Communist society, devoid of banks, religious institutions, money, and education. He called this start of a "new society" Year Zero, as the start of a whole new societal make up. To really start anew, Pol Pot began to arrest intellectual, businessmen, monks, foreigners, and many other public servants. These people were rounded up, tortured for days on end, and forced to sign fake confessions of treason. This all happened at secret prisons across the country, including Tuol Sleng or S21, the site I visited. T...

Siem Reap was city number 2 on my Cambodia trip. Transportation was incredibly easy and cheap in Cambodia and I took a 5 hour air-conditioned minivan complete with cold water and wifi to Siem Reap. My time in Siem Reap was much less somber than my time in Phomn Penh, but I believe both cities were very meaningful in different ways. If you'd like to read about my time learning about eh Cambodian genocide, please see my post about Phomn Penh. Also, there are cows everywhere in Cambodia! They are all over the roads and caused many traffic delays during my van ride. I included a picture below of some of the cows perfectly lined up for a picture! The main reason I came to Siem Reap with my friends was to see the famous temple, Angkor Wat. This massive temple was originally constructed during the 12 century as a Hindu Temple, but over the years it has gradually been transitioned to a Buddhist temple. It is the largest religious monument in the world and is also a UNESCO World Herita...