So, I’ve been home for over a week now since my trip to Thailand. Jet lag only lasted a few days and my sleep schedule is mostly back to normal. I even went back to work this week! Honestly, It wasn’t very hard for me to adjust back to my daily routines at home. In fact, it didn’t even feel like I had spent 3 amazing weeks with so many amazing people in multiple places in Thailand.

There was no more packing and repacking of my suitcase to travel to another city, or sweat that stuck to my body as soon as I walked out of my A/C’ed hotel room. No more Nina who laughed at my lame jokes and screamed when I said there was a bug on her. No more pad Thai and fried rice for most meals. Most importantly, no more yummy fruits for such low prices (I bought mangoes a few days after I got home; definitely not the same). Just me in the house that I’ve lived in for 21 years and the noises of my nieces and nephew watching Youtube on their tablets.

A few days ago I went through my pictures to decide which ones I wanted to use for my digital story (I thought it was due today). It was only then that I started to miss everything about Thailand. I started to recall little memories that I had forgotten for a week. The sound of the little creek that ran behind the house that I stayed in for two days in Mae Kampong Village. The dog that would fetch rocks and climbed steep hill sides to get them. The taste of cold water after a long and hot day full of activities. The excitement before devouring a Magnum ice cream bar that I got from Seven Eleven. I remembered the thrill of zip lining through the forest and the pain that I felt during that one station that everyone who zip lined will know what I’m talking about.

I remembered certain places and feelings that I wanted my friends and family to experience with me. When I went to the Grand Palace, I told myself that I would bring my boyfriend there because with his architectural background, he would be able to appreciate the beauty and uniqueness of the buildings. When I went to the Hmong Village, I wanted to bring my parents there with me. Because seeing them interact with other Hmong people and being able to show me a part of their life was special to them.

I loved my time in Thailand and I don’t regret any minute of it. I would most definitely go back again. I would travel to new places in Thailand and apply what I’ve learned through my past trip to my new experiences. I am so thankful to this experience and am proud of myself for actually following through with it. Thank you to all of the amazing new people that I got to meet, for contributing to my fulfilling experience in Thailand. You guys are the reason why my experience was great.

Thailand, I’ll see you again.

Mai