Lost all my writing one drunken night in Pai.  A result of seeing the inside of "the bucket" no doubt.  So I will try to summarize a month's worth of blog posts into one very long, but no so poetic, account of my time in Thailand. 

I have been volunteering with an organization called Wildflower Home, a home for single mothers about half an hour outside of Chiang Mai.  I initially spent my mornings in a nursery with about ten two year olds, but have recently been entertaining 8-10 yr olds with my lack of soccer playing, paper airplane building and kite flying skills.  Not to mention my inability to ride a bicycle, thought I recently made an attempt only to crash into a bush and emerge quite muddy.  During the afternoon I teach English to three women and one man, all from different countries and with varying levels of English.  In the late afternoon I am in the office.  I have written two grant proposals and a letter of inquiry and am now researching additional funding sources for Wildflower Home.  To learn more about Wildflower Home, check out their website here.

As far as the volunteer house goes, I live with six other girls, mostly around my age.  Two Americans, two Germans, an Irish girl and a Scottish girl, none of whom are the smoking and drinking type, but all are nice nonetheless.  Well, except for one who is slowly trying to kill me.  But that's another story.  I have hippos on my blanket, which is but a small comfort for my Humphrey missing heart.  And an abundance of lizards in the house constantly sends me into Fear and Loathing flashbacks.  My program provides me with two Thai meals per day.  But as much as I love my rice cooker, I could really go for a NY bagel, or a pizza, or  just some real cheese for that matter.  Food is generally good though.  And I love getting a huge plate of pad thai for 25 baht (about $.75). 

Bars are nice here.  Did everything from partying at a ritzy after hours nightclub to hanging out with some ladies of the night in the red light district.  Went to Pai last weekend and stayed up till 5 am drinking with travelers from around the world.  Drank too much Samsom and Gilbey's and decided to stick to my Singha in the future. 

So far I have ziplined through the jungle, gotten lost while driving a motorbike, visited waterfalls and hotsprings and received my fortune from a temple.  For my last weekend in Chiang Mai, I hope to have brunch with tigers, a massage at the women's prison and a meditation lesson from some monks.  Then I'm off to Bangkok on Monday. After the emotionally devastating realization that I have absolutely nothing to go back to, I decided to extend my trip here.  After Bankok, I will be headed to Cambodia.  And then on to the Philippines as planned and possibly a side trip to Hong Kong.

I won't attempt to describe my emotional well being in this post, but suffice it to say that my time here has been challenging, rewarding, exciting and heart breaking.  I will try not to lose all my writing in the future.  But no promises. 

Shoutouts

Ryan: I'm still waiting for my photographic scavenger hunt.  Also, what kind of bike am I riding in those pics.  And what's up with Vegas in December?
Miguel: I played MASH with an 11 year old girl the other day.  And just so you know, we'll be married and living in a house with four kids, a pet squirrel and a BMW.
Everyone: if you'd like a postcard from Thailand, send me your address ASAP.  And if you have any specific requests for gifts, let me know that too.