Paraphrasing thus-far, won't do it justice

I just ate soup out of a bag in my bathroom because it came in a small bag sealed with a rubber band and if it went wrong I could have bugs everywhere.  A bathroom where if you sit on the toilet and turn on the shower you could take care of two birds with one stone.

(My view from the pooper; no, not currently poopin')

Yeah, that's how we'll start this.

I need to make a decision about a job soon and it may take me to a place I don't necessarily want to go, so let's relive this crazy travel dream real quick in the meantime.

On February 24, 2015 I had my last day of work and said goodbye to my favorite place I've lived.  Since then I've been to Cheyenne, WY to visit my longest of friends, Fort Collins, CO again to make sure I hit Chuck-E-Cheese one more time, Denver, CO to stay with great pals and hit over 9 breweries, San Diego, CA to see my brother and his gal (and to try and tire myself of hops, oh how I miss them), Tokyo for my favorite culture, Bangkok to see the big city, Koh Samui to live the island life (and to graduate my TEFL course), Bangkok again, and now moving around still hunting the job market.

I've traveled abroad before but this will be by far my longest trip and I have so many stories to tell.

Five days in Tokyo showed me one of the busiest cities in the world as well as one of the most gracious.  One lady left her spot in the sunshine at the park so she could personally walk us to the train station because she didn't speak enough English to tell us the way.  Japan embraced us with manners, tradition, and cherry blossoms to put icing on the cake that was the beauty of that nation.  It may be bustling but it is incredibly organized and the people are even more kind.





Bangkok is beautiful in its own way too but it was quite the culture shock from Tokyo.  Bustling and busy is an understatement.  The ways of manners are different than Tokyo but by no means are they rude, the Thai are simply more subtle and succinct.  My first stay in Bangkok, Derek, Tanya, and I never ate indoors.  The street food and markets are so amazing why would you?  That being said, stepping back into your hostel to feel some nice cool Aircon was a great welcome home.  We took river cruises, wandered temple areas, saw a Muay Thai Boxing match, explored parks, and walked 'til our feet ached.  Traveling with Derek and Tanya means you will fit in more in two weeks than you will in a year's time.

Picture with the victor!

 

  

Koh Samui - ah, I finally got to unpack my bags for 4 weeks and breathe for a bit.  Untrue.  Yes, the first couple days while Derek and Tanya were still there we partied down and said goodbye in the best of booze-filled ways, but then class started and despite me sending you the highlights, I worked my ass off.  We had teacher practicals in the second week and having never taught before, stepping up in front of the students wasn't easy.  We were being taught in the morning, teaching in the afternoon, and studying and lesson planning in the evening.  ... which made the weekends even better.  Work hard so you can play hard!  I saw fire dancing on the beach, held a monkey in my arms, danced on a foam filled stage, met a girl who inspired me to teach and keep smiling despite what she'd been through the last few days (I am still holding on to your lessons as I sometimes want to quit), went swimming under a red sunset, sat in multiple Reggae bars (they're the best), and had the company of the best bunch of travelers during my TEFL course that I could ask for.

I know I've already said this multiple times, but you are missed - big time.  Liné and Devin, you said it, we are good shit.  In fact, we are so damn good we couldn't say goodbye and partied so hard our last night two of you threw up in the minibus on the way to the ferry... to the bus, to the airport, to the taxi, to our hotel in Bangkok.  I'm trying to keep it together and all I can hear from the back is, "I can't believe how much I got on my leg!"  I forgot my luggage at the pier and the trek wasn't half over.  Oh man, was that a long day.

Now I'm off traipsing through Bangkok's outskirts, Chonburi, and Pattaya.  Time to take off the swim shorts, put on some trousers and get back to work.  I'll write again soon and the next one won't be such a recap and will have more great tales like the leg-puking.  I've left so much out, haven't mentioned half the people I've met, the amazing awe-inspiring sights I've seen, and I can't even touch how unique this has been.  Moral of the story - go travel, you won't regret a second you spend.