Holy Adventure

And So It Begins...

Oh man, what a ride this has been. And it has barely even started. So let me catch you up on what went down. The night before I left I was all stressed out trying to get all my junk into 1 case that weighed less than 50 pounds. I had pretty much done all the packing beforehand, but the hard part was getting the last little bit in. Good thing my dad is the Super Packer, and so thankfully he was able to help me rearrange everything to fit. The next morning I got up bright and early so not only could we get to PDX in time for my flight to Seattle but so that I could take a long hot shower before I left (keep this detail in mind).

It was definitely sad saying goodbye to the parentals. But waiting for my flight, my whole trip didn't even seem real, so it was hard to really get in the moment and say goodbye. Once on this tiny puddle jumper I started to get a little anxious, and of course I was shaking my leg or pulling my bracelets. Anyways, whatever I was doing caught the attention of the guy next to me, and so we started up conversation about what I was going to do. Turns out he's some big oil dude and he has traveled the world, with crazy stories from places like Mongolia and Zambia. Well, since we were on such a tiny plane, everyone could hear our conversation, and seriously, the whole plane started swappin crazy international stories but all the while assuring me that everything would go well in Thailand. haha it was pretty funny. Oh and p.s., you can feel every single bump on those tiny planes...not too comfy.

Nothing too crazy happened in Seattle. I got some nasty overpriced airport food and then just sat around until it was time to board. I took Asiana Air, and I definitely would recommend it to anyone looking to cross the pacific. Pretty roomy for a plane and they fed us a gazillion times! Not that the food was anything great...they always had the option of seafood (which of course I avoided) but there was this smell that kind of seeped into everything.... On second thought, if you are ultra sensitive to smells maybe a different airline would be better...or just a different destination :) On the plane I was sitting next to this woman from the Philippines. She was super nice and friendly, I just thought it was hilarious how she had no problem laying her head on me. It kind of freaked me out at first, but I told myself at the start of my journey to just go with the flow, and so that's what I did. She eventually shifted (after a couple of hours) and then I had the priviledge of having her feet tucked under my legs. Ha! Gotta love travelling...

Landing in Korea was probably the coolest thing ever (well, up until that point). It was more of a giant mall than an airport. There were more shops than I could count. Plus they had performers there, as well as free cultural activities. I am actually looking forward to my giant layover there on my way home because  I definitely did not get enough time there.

So my flight from Seattle to Korea was 11 hours and then my flight from Korea to Bangkok was just over 5. Once I got buckled in on that second flight I was out like a light. I slept the whole way. Once I got to Bangkok things were a little crazy. For one, the Bangkok airport isn't as clear as Korea's (but then again the Seoul airport is just bomb.com) and two, I landed just before midnight so I was kind of a wlaking zombie. When I went to collect my suitcase it was ripped down the side. Not good. But I checked over everything and it didn't look like anything had fallen out. I even had an extra strap over my suitcase but that had fallen off (it came on the conveyor belt a couple minutes later). Basically my choice in suitcase was a very bad one. The handle doesn't work so you have to pull it by the top, and I am just the perfect height so when I pull it the suitcase hits me in the back of the knees. Therefore I probably looked ridiculous, inching my way along the Bangkok airport. And honestly, I felt ridiculous. It was hot and sticky, I had no idea where I was going. I couldn't find the lockers to store my baggage in (when I asked about them I just got looks that made me feel even more incompetant). There was absolutely no free wifi. So I situated myself on a hard chair with the intent of sleeping. Well from midnight to 5am that morning I got 2 hours. I could not sleep any longer than 5 so I got up, cleaned myself up a bit, did some money exchange and explored the airport a bit more. I felt better after that. And my adventures through BKK led me to a guy who did seran wrapping for luggage. Yay! Crisis adverted :) So my case got wrapped up and I was ready for Chiang Mai.

My flight to Chiang Mai was about an hour, so it was a piece of cake. Landing here was amazing. If you think the landing into PDX is cool because of all the trees, you should come here. I was just blown away how lush and green it is here, and that's coming from Miss Oregon and Miss Ireland. Once I picked up my bag Ralph (program director), Brynna (program faciliator) and her husband met me. There friend is a driver so he picked us up in his rot dang and whisked us away into the heart of Chiang Mai. A rot dang is a taxi service, but it's a truck, and everyone sits in the back. There's a top on the bed of the truck with handle bars on the roof of it for you to hang on. And hang on you must! Otherwise it would be easy to fall out the open back. Yikes. But what a crazy fun ride! Ralph took us to lunch, and man was it good.  Real Thai food is just something else. We also ordered lime juice, and in the hot, sticky weather, it was heaven. Mmm, I want some more just thinking about that!

After lunch we all set out for the orphanage, my new home for the next 3 months. It was a long drive in the rot dang. But there were some amazing views as we zipped our way through the windy mountain roads. It really is a paradise setting. Huge trees with vines all around. Green lush shrubbery. Tropical fruits everywhere. It just takes my breath away. Basically Ralph and company introduced me to some of the orphanage coordinators and then left. So I was shown my living area, the farm, and met some of the kids and volunteers. There are 2 German girls working here and sadly they are leaving in 10 days. But so far they have been a great help to me and I need to learn as much as I can from them before they leave. The kids are cute of course. They were super shy at first...well I guess they still are...so they wouldn't speak in English. But a couple have started to be brave and try out their English with the new American :) One little boy in particular, Bom Pooh (definitely not how you spell it, but how you pronunicate it), has taken it upon himself to make sure I get enough food and water, and has shown me around the farm. It is very sweet of him. Oh, and before I forget, this oprhanage is on a self-sustaining farm. They grow everything they need to eat and survive. So not only are vegetables growing, but dozens of herbs and spice plants, as well as lemons, pineapples, guavas, mangos, just to name a few! And fresh food really just tastes so much better.

Oh is one of the directors at the orphanage, and today she asked me to teach Mai, one of the Thai teachers English. So Mai and I made an agreement that I would help her learn English if she helped me with Thai. Neither of us speak a lick of the other's language, so it's interesting. But we spent the majority of today together, and we were able to make some surprising headway. But the majority of it is nonverbal communication...so we'll work on it the best we can :) We also shared a very personal moment as she told me the best way she could about the death of her husband. And it really just hit home for me that no matter how different we are, what languages we speak, where we live, we are all human and we all face the same emotions. Humbling stuff.

I also played a rousing game of badminton tonight with the kids. So fun. I also had the spiciest meal of my life tonight. With that said, it was one of the best. Sticky rice, lettuce, and some concoction of meat and herbs and spices. So good. I just hope my stomach/gut doesn't punish me for that later...

I don't have much battery left so I need to conclude this. Good news: I live in the jungle with lush trees everywhere so I don't really have to worry about getting burned alive. Bad news: I live in the jungle with swamps and lakes everywhere so I REALLY have to worry about getting eaten alive. Seriously, I have never encountered this many mosquitos. They are such a pain. But I'll deal. I am already adapting. For example, there were dozens of bugs, including many spiders crawling on me today and I just brushed them off without screaming. Aren't you proud? haha But I won't lie, there are some pretty scary-looking bugs out here...including this monstrous flying beetle thing that just hit my laptop and fell into my bag....perfect. Well, the wildlife just comes with the territory I guess. The monkeys in the trees are obnoxious, but everything else is paradise :)

I have more to say but the laptop is dying. Peace out girl scouts. Talk to you soon!