“Back to Reality”

That’s what my mother said on the way back from the airport. I realized then what an oxymoronic phrase that is. The word reality in that phrase implies that where ever I was essentially wasn’t reality – or that where I was broke from my reality. Back, in that phrase, implies I must return to a state where I had been before. The phrase all together implies an inexorable movement to what was before and must be once again. And, that simply is wrong.

I’ve grown from my experience. I am a different person than I was before. Because of the growth I’ve incurred my perception and definition of reality have actually changed. To go “back to reality” would be to dismiss all that I’ve learned and become. The feelings are confusing when returning home. I feel that things should be different as I’m different. But, I see it as a challenge to live my life dignified with the new experience I’ve gained back in Minnesota. In fact, my time in Thailand felt more “real” than my time back home. I think it comes from the attitude I had while in Thailand. The sincere openness to new experiences, learning, and growth, brought on by traveling to a new place, should be carried to my everyday life with the same fervor.

I went to Thailand with a set of principles to guide my life and I came back with an affirmation that I’m on the right track. I found some of my own prospects of life align with some of the major principles in Buddhism, yet I arrived at them much differently. The kindness of the people I met along the way reminded me to have faith in humanity. The energy I maintained seemingly out of will by the prospect of adventure is something I ought to have no matter where I am. Back to reality is a phrase I will never use as I see it relates to a desire for consistency in an inconsistent environment. Oscar Wilde said, “consistency is the last refuge of the unimaginative.” Well, I won’t go back to an unimaginative reality, I’ll go to Minnesota with a realization of the perpetual state of growth and change we’re all destined to live within. I won’t go back to anywhere, I’ll go to there, wherever there is, with a smile.

These past few days I have been in the states, it has really opened my eyes to what I learned in Thailand; both personally and academically.

First off, I would like to say that I wouldn’t have changed how I spent this trip in anyway. It was a once in a lifetime experience and I made some pretty great friends on this trip. So thank you everybody, for making it so special. If it weren’t for you, it would have been completely different.
Secondly, I have noticed that I have become a changed person since I have gone and came back to the states. First off, I’m a lot more care and stress free. I can see this in a multitude of situations. Traffic; I have seen family and friends get angry because they reached a red light, or somebody cut them off. I look at them and just giggle inside and say “Chill, it’s not the end of the world, were not in that big of a rush.” I feel a lot more patient in these types of circumstances. Also, before Thailand I would sleep in and take a TON of naps. Since being in Thailand and we did SO much and accomplished so many things in one day, I have realized that I should get the adequate amount of sleep at night and get all I can from the day at hand. Why waste it away sleeping till 12? It really is a waste of a day when I do that. As said before, when in Thailand, I am so much more appreciative of my friends, family, and housing. I really am blessed, and that is just a personal lesson I learned. I can’t put it into words on how I learned it or where it came to stand, it just happened. I hope these life changing lessons really do stay with me and don’t fade over time.

After visiting Thailand and seeing their health care system, it makes me so angry; so aggravated. The health care system here in the United States should resemble Thailand’s is some sort of way. But it doesn’t! It is completely inefficient and ineffective! We pay so much for so little. This includes the quality of care, the actual care given, the length of stay and the type of care. We really need to get it together! My sister deals with seizures that aren’t linked to epilepsy; it has something to do with scar tissue on her brain. She has had brain surgery once to try to solve the problem, but it hasn’t worked. The medicine only gives her side effects and she’s a blossoming 20 year old woman. She is looking into another brain surgery, as the outcomes are higher. There’s one problem; her insurance might not cover it. I have been explaining the Bumrungrad International hospital to her and my mother and it might be an option to visit Thailand once again!

I had a great trip, and the memories will stay with me forever. Thanks again everybody for a once in a lifetime opportunity 🙂

Some advice to the next group conquering Thailand:
I went to Thailand over J-term 2012, it was a life changing experience. This is not an exaggeration or some trick to get you to think about going; it really opened my eyes. There’s a few things I want to let you know before you go. Please take them into consideration, as it was advice I had received or wish I had received prior to going.

1.Try Thai food before going and know one dish you like. The food in Thailand is very different that what most Americans are used to. By knowing you like one dish, it will open your eyes to other dishes as well. If your not sure that the food is right for you, some of the girls I traveled with brought peanut butter and that helped them a ton. Just be sure to pack it in your checked luggage (Right Acacia Marie?) And this is a once in a lifetime experience, so if your stomach can handle it, try crazy and exotic food! When is the next time you can try dried squid? 🙂

2. As soon as you get to the airport start connecting with others. Or even before; through facebook or email. I was blessed to go with an amazing group of people who all got along. It took us about a week to get to this point. So start getting to know each other asap! The relationships you build on this trip will become life long friends (or they did for the group that went in 2012).

3. Travel light. There’s nothing worse than having a bunch of stuff to lug around from one hotel to the next. And there is a TON of markets over there and lots of shopping to do. So if you can, bring simple items that you can wear with different items. (Girls: maxi-skirts and sundresses will be your best friend) Dress modestly when going to lectures and field trips. Bring closed toed shoes. Bring clothes you’d want to go out in at night.

4. Go to the skybar in Bangkok. It’s where the hangover 2 took place and it’s a great opportunity to see the city at night. It’s very classy.

5. Be open to new ideas. Try new things. All in all, have fun and enjoy the ride. The three weeks will go by faster than you want them to.

Looking back over my notes I can’t help be see so many themes. While abroad as a group we often brought up the practicality of the people in Thailand. The systems, rules and overall way of life, could be categorized as simple. They do what’s needed to be done and worry about the rest when the rest presents itself. They believe in simple rules; do good and good will happen or concepts like have a social worker present when dealing with victims of the sex trafficking world because they’re trained in that area. All of these things seem simple and obvious but it’s a way of life that most of us here in the states couldn’t imagine living.

There, we met a man that was working on the problems of the river. The river was being used for commercial business from other countries but it’s a river that has been used for survival for the Thai’s. His job is to educate and come up with solutions as to how to gain control of the usage of the river so that the Thai people can maintain their way of life. The problem was big, but the way they’re going about fixing it is complex and simple at the same time. He educates the people on the situation and has meetings with all parties involved to come up with solutions. This is powerful. Not only is it a reminder of the power that the grassroots people have no matter the country, but the power of a good leader. He explained how they talk about the river, and it’s in such a practical way. They don’t talk about it in terms of science. They talk about it in terms of immediate consequences and life. The education piece is something that’s shared. As a group they educate each other on the usage of the river and they unite communities to figure out a way to solve the issue. Our presenter simply said “We talk about it in a way that makes sense, we don’t have conversations about distant consequences but we talk about the immediate…the fisherman would suffer meaning the food supply would go down…things that make sense to their lives”. If only we could communicate more effectively like our Thai counterparts, so many issues would be minimized, internalize, and solved, but apparently that’s too simple.

Hey guys, my name is Kiarra but everybody calls me Key. For 2011-2012 Winter term I was blessed to go to Thailand with an amazing group of people. As we all know, no matter how much you study in advance or research the best places to go while abroad, the abroad experience itself teaches those things all over again. With that in mind, my goal is not to try and teach or “warn” you of anything but to share my experience. The biggest advice I have is to go with an open mind, but not just an open mind towards the experience, but an open mind towards how others will experience you.

I am a 5’5 African American plus size woman and that’s something that I’ve never been ashamed of. Going on this trip, I never thought about how much my looks would play into my experience. Because of my confidence, I never stopped to think of how different I would look compared to the majority (if not all) the people I would see, but that’s where I made my mistake. Because I didn’t think about this before, once I got their and noticed the stares, it took me by surprise. In the beginning, I was very offended, and even angered at the way I was stared at every time I stepped off the bus or outside the hotel, but once I reflected on it, it made more sense. Yes, I still feel as though it was rude. The pointing and staring and secretly taking pictures are something that I can’t dismiss, but the reasoning was where my comfort lied. I looked at it as a way to teach. I saw myself as a learning tool and trail blazer. I believe it’s safe to say I was one of the first black people (most of) these people had ever seen, so I saw it as a way to break down barriers between the two culture groups. Unfortunately because of the language barrier, I wasn’t able to have conversations with them, but actions really do speak louder than words.

From my story I would like members of the next group to take away the power or need to reflect. Without reflecting on my feelings while abroad I would have probably became very angry and shut down from the group and experience but because I had a journal, I was able to get out all my feelings and read them later to reflect. I also want you guys to know that no one will experience Thailand like you, not even the people that you go with so don’t expect them to. Having a journal is really important. Not just a notebook that you would take notes in during lectures, but a journal that you can be blunt and honest with. Aside from that remember to have fun and that this is a once in a life time opportunity so live it up every day, or in the words of Alex, “Fire up!”