Sadly our year in Thailand is rapidly winding down. This weekend we begin a farewell tour of sorts: with my parents coming to town we are planning on visiting some of our favorite spots in the country before departing at the end of May. As we have reflected on this incredible year the three of us have made a mental list of some of the things that we will miss most. So in no particular order here are some of the things that we will be sorry to leave behind:
The liklihood of photo opportunities like this one will be gravely missed, as will the ubiquity of elephants.
I've gotten a lot of comments about this one (for instance my dad starts every Skype call with "Shaun, do they not have barbers in Thailand?"), but I will miss not having to cut my hair. I will also miss this shirt, which is actually quite stylish in Thailand (or so the lady at the market told me before I bought it).
This really doesn't show anything I'll miss, we're taking Maisy with us. I just wanted to throw this picture in.
The fruit. This lychee tree growing in our front yard has been the source of many delicious breakfasts as I run out the door to work.
My research. Pictured here is one of the villages that we visited as a part of the study that I am involved with this year.
The extra play time. I am a big fan of medical school, for this reason I decided to pursue a medical education. And yet I can't help but notice that we all have a little bit more free time in Thailand than we had while in school in Chicago.
The opportunity to pursue new hobbies: the greater portion of free time allowed us to each cultivate new talents. For Dianna this was yoga classes taught nightly at Chiang Mai University, for me it was playing the banjo (see below), and for Maisy it was weaving her way through all the other students in her Mom's yoga class during the several times that we went to observe Dianna in action.
Let the red-neck jokes begin...
The people and culture: we will definitely miss the distinct flavor that Thai culture added to our lives, like orange clad Buddhist monks out early in the morning collecting alms...
...or the people from the Northern Hilltribes gathering at some of the local temples...
...or our friend Nuk, who has answered a ridiculous number of ridiculous questions about things that we didn't understand when we arrived here (for example it was Nuk that taught us that it was okay for 12-year olds to be driving motorcycles on their own).
Last but not least we will miss these two guys. I know they already made their appearance in Dianna's post last week, and typically we try to restrict everyone's 15 minutes of fame to just one entry, but moves like these necessitate attention in multiple entries. It's hard to have a bad day when you have Thailand's two-man version of the Jackson five dancing from dawn until dusk (or whenever the beer runs out) just steps away from your front porch. For reasons that should now be obvious I refer to the gentleman on the right as Tito, and the one on the left as Jermaine.
The liklihood of photo opportunities like this one will be gravely missed, as will the ubiquity of elephants.
I've gotten a lot of comments about this one (for instance my dad starts every Skype call with "Shaun, do they not have barbers in Thailand?"), but I will miss not having to cut my hair. I will also miss this shirt, which is actually quite stylish in Thailand (or so the lady at the market told me before I bought it).
This really doesn't show anything I'll miss, we're taking Maisy with us. I just wanted to throw this picture in.
The fruit. This lychee tree growing in our front yard has been the source of many delicious breakfasts as I run out the door to work.
My research. Pictured here is one of the villages that we visited as a part of the study that I am involved with this year.
The extra play time. I am a big fan of medical school, for this reason I decided to pursue a medical education. And yet I can't help but notice that we all have a little bit more free time in Thailand than we had while in school in Chicago.
The opportunity to pursue new hobbies: the greater portion of free time allowed us to each cultivate new talents. For Dianna this was yoga classes taught nightly at Chiang Mai University, for me it was playing the banjo (see below), and for Maisy it was weaving her way through all the other students in her Mom's yoga class during the several times that we went to observe Dianna in action.
Let the red-neck jokes begin...
The people and culture: we will definitely miss the distinct flavor that Thai culture added to our lives, like orange clad Buddhist monks out early in the morning collecting alms...
...or the people from the Northern Hilltribes gathering at some of the local temples...
...or our friend Nuk, who has answered a ridiculous number of ridiculous questions about things that we didn't understand when we arrived here (for example it was Nuk that taught us that it was okay for 12-year olds to be driving motorcycles on their own).
Last but not least we will miss these two guys. I know they already made their appearance in Dianna's post last week, and typically we try to restrict everyone's 15 minutes of fame to just one entry, but moves like these necessitate attention in multiple entries. It's hard to have a bad day when you have Thailand's two-man version of the Jackson five dancing from dawn until dusk (or whenever the beer runs out) just steps away from your front porch. For reasons that should now be obvious I refer to the gentleman on the right as Tito, and the one on the left as Jermaine.
10 comments:
I cann't believe that you have been there almost a year. Time flys when your having fun. I was just getting involved in your adventure. I am going to miss all the fun pictures of the friendly elephants. I will miss seeing you guys too!!!!!
What an amazing experience! I've enjoyed reading about all your adventures. Have fun during your last few weeks there!
Looks like you guys have had so much fun, quite an adventure!! Enjoy your last few weeks there. We'll be happy to see you guys when you return!
What a great experience for your cute little family!! We have loved reading your blog!
I can't get over how much you guys have seen in the past year! Thanks for sharing it all with us on your great blog. We're gonna miss hearing about all of your adventures overseas, but are so anxious to have you closer! Have fun going back to your favorites with Dennis and Camille! See ya in a few weeks!
I am sure there is something to be said for not having to have your hair cut, BUT maybe you should think about doing it before you leave because that was one of Ryan's favorite things to do there is get his hair cut and a professional shave. He loved it. Something about it relaxed him, so maybe you might want to experience it or maybe he overrated it. Who knows?
wow I can't believe you've been there almost a year now! I agree with your dad though....where are the barbers? :) Love the elephant picture!
What an amazing time! I'm sure it will be hard to see it end. I'm sure many more adventures await you. You should come to Disneyland and the beach and visit us some time when you get back. And who knows, maybe baby #2 will be on the way soon. ?
Hey if you're ever strolling through Salt Lake when you return to the states, let us know...Grant would love to meet Maisy!
What fun memories and adventures you were able to make! Thank you for sharing them! Live it up while you still can. ;)
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