4 1/2 Months

P.S. (prescript) There are 30 new pictures with comments below this blog-- some on the next page. Be sure to check 'em out.

That's all that's left. It's hard to believe. We are (I am?) at that point in this whole experience where I've passed the hard part-- being six months in with the newness wearing off and the homesickness pangs setting in. It seems that every day things feel more and more like home here. Not that they could ever replace home home. But I have become a new person. I have learned so many things so far that I haven't sorted out quite yet. Oh sure... I could tell you little things here and there that I've learned, but I haven't wrapped my head around all of it yet. Now, here I am talking like this is my last week here. I know there are still many more lessons to learn, but that's what makes this experience so amazing. I will share with you sometime in the future some of the things I've learned, some of the ways I've changed, and how I'm a different person when I get it straightened out in my head more. For now, let me share with you 10 things I will miss about Thailand and 10 things I already miss about Home.

10 Things I Will Miss About Thailand

1. The beautiful, smiling faces of all the people-- especially the teachers, staff, and students at CAA

2. Going to the market and picking up fresh and delicious fruit (and eating it of course)

3. Driving our little moped/motorbike everywhere we go

4. Sauce, our adopted dog

5. Being respected by the students in a way you'd never see in America

6. The amount of time that everyone sets aside each day to play and eat and socialize

7. The "mai ben rai" philosophy (it means "nevermind" and is the epitome of understanding, forgiveness, grace, and patience)

8. The amount of money I have to pay for just about anything here.

9. Showing farang around Chiang Mai and adventuring with them (despite my lack of skin darkness, my lack of Thai speaking, and my general Western-thinking brain, I feel like less of a farang and more of a Thai already)

10. Being able to read more and not being able to watch TV as much (seriously, what a waste of time! --TV, I mean... That being said, I do wish I could watch the Olympics)

10 Things I Already Miss About Home

1. My friends and family

2. Taco Bell

3. Snow

4. Walla Walla in the spring and fall

5. Being able to speak to people in my own language and have them understand

6. Sermons I can understand

7. Driving miss Jenny (my car)

8. Bozeman in the winter and summer

9. Honestly, I'm having a hard time coming up with any more. I'm sure there are some, but really... I have most everything I need here.

10. It's just the people I miss the most. Eventually, I would learn to speak Thai, and I wouldn't have to worry anymore about #s 5-6. I don't like driving all that much here anyway, and while the seasons here are different, they really aren't too bad to get used to. So, what else is there that I miss? I guess it's just Taco Bell. And I'm getting fatter just fine here without the good ol' TB (not tuberculosis) anyway.

So, that's all this time around. Look forward to a few more "10 Things" lists in the near future. They're kind of fun to write.