Spain (and a splash of Portugal)

I am coming to the end of this adventure.  I have only 2 more weeks in Europe/ Great Britain.  Time has flown by and I have not shared a single bit of what has been happening on this blog.  My first 5.3 weeks were spent in Salamanca, studying Español.  Salamanca is about 2.5 hours west of Madrid, semi close to the Portugal boarder. Salamanca is nicknamed the golden city because everything is sandstone.  It has an antique feel to it when you are walking through the streets. During the weekends when I was not studying I would try to visit surrounding areas.  On my first trip, I went to Valladolid.  It was about an hour train ride away from Salamanca, but looked completely different.  Valladolid had a more modern feel than Salamanca and had a beautiful Campo Grande, which was a park that housed trees, flowers, and peacocks.  It is interesting to realize how little greenery was around in Salamanca.  It was nice to see some nature.

Another weekend I went to a town called Zamora, which is smaller than Salamanca.  It was an interesting place because there were remains of a castle from Roman times which you were able to walk around.  It was also in Zamora where I experienced tinto de verano.  Tinto de verano is this amazing refreshing drink.  It includes red wine, refresco (I think something like Sprite), ice and then lemons.  Tinto de verano roughly translates to red of summer which is a good way to describe this drink because it was very refreshing especially in the heat.

The next weekend I took a trip with the school that I was studying at.  We went to Porto, Portugal.  I woke up at 5:30 am (and if you know me, you know this is a miracle) and took a 4+ hour bus ride to see Porto.  I loved Porto: the colors, the history, the people.  One thing I did not love about Porto was the stairs and the hills. We toured a palace where they conducted stock business and climbed a tower to see all of Porto.  We finished our trip with a boat tour.  The trip was awesome overall, and I got to say I went to Portugal for the day.

My final weekend in Salamanca, I decided just to stay in Salamanca and enjoy the town. My last two weeks were unbearably hot.  It got in the 100s and I had no AC or a fan.  That was something I came to realize on this trip was how wasteful Americans are. But in the moment of trying to sleep in 90 degree heat I wished to be a wasteful American with AC.  I made it through the heat and had something to look forward to, the rest of my journey would be much cooler.

My next stop on this adventure was Bilbao, Spain.  It was a five-hour train ride from Salamanca.  Bilbao is in the Basque Country of Spain.  It is an interesting place because even though it is in Spain, they do not really speak Spanish in that area, as I found out when talking to my cab driver. Basque Country is also fighting for its independence from Spain to become its own country.  I was able to figure my way around and got to see some cool things, such as the Guggenheim (which is an art museum that is in certain cities around the world).  It was also my first time staying in a hostel, somehow I lucked out and had the room to myself.  After a few days in Bilbao I was moving up to my third country on this journey, France.  I took the train from Bilbao to Bordeaux, France (I’ll talk of my French adventure in my next blog).

One of the things that I have come to enjoy most about traveling is meeting people from everywhere and who experience life in a different way than I do.  I am not very good at going up to someone and just starting a conversation with them, so it was nice to get to know some people through my classes.  Some people would be there for a week and then others, like one guy, that was studying for 9 months.  My final week we had 5 students in my class.  A guy from China, a woman from Japan (but lives in Australia), a man from the Netherlands, and a girl from California. It kind of felt like a small UN having so many different nationalities in one room.  One of the things that fascinated me was, even though we speak different languages, we communicate through a language that none of us speak naturally.  I met other wonderful friendly people through the school and in the town.  I found the Spanish people to be so friendly and welcoming.

Currently, I am in Limoges, France and heading to Paris on Saturday.  I’ll post of my French adventures in my next blog as well as have one for London and Ireland.

The adventure continues.

I have decided to go back to blogging after the request of my many fans (aka my dad and grandmother).  So much has happened in my life since I last blogged from Thailand.  In spring of 2016, I began my graduate degree from ECU in the International Studies program.  Grad school is definitely different compared to undergrad there is so much more reading and writing.  I will (hopefully) graduate in December of 2017.

Last summer, I got the chance to travel to Guatemala and take some Spanish courses.  A requirement for my program is that you have to pass a language skills test to graduate, so that was one reason I went to Guatemala.  Guatemala was beautiful and such a great experience.  I climbed a volcano, went to a coffee plantation, went to a beautiful lake, took a cooking class and got to see the ancient ruins in Tikal.  Below are just a few pictures of Guatemala.

 

My Spanish skills improved in Guatemala, but I need to become more fluent so that is why I have decided to travel to Spain this summer.  I will be studying at a Spanish school in Salamanca, Spain.  After I finish up with my time here, I will travel to a few other countries.  I will post updates of my life throughout summer so this is one way you can keep up with my life! I am looking forward to what the next 2 months have to offer!

Sa wa dee ka

Sa wa dee ka is thai for hello and goodbye (if you are a man you would say sa wa dee kap).

Well my journey in Thailand has officially come to an end. It really feels like I just arrived last week, but time flies when you’re having fun. This week was full of goodbyes and many many selfies (pictures, but my students use the word selfie). I said goodbye to each class that I had this week (haven’t had a full week where I’ve seen every class since November, but that’s Thailand haha) hoping most of them understood that I was leaving (but I believe many did not). Many of the students, that understood that I was leaving, said that they were gonna miss me and asked me to come back.  Wednesday was my last day of teaching and Thursday and Friday were for exams. Friday, I made a speech in the morning saying goodbye to the students and as I looked at their faces I realized that these kids are special to me and I to them. They were my first and only students, and I, their first foreign English teacher. Though some of the students drove me crazy I truly enjoyed every minute I spent with them. Friday evening the teachers threw me a party which was full of food, whiskey, and karaoke (all the ingredients for a good party). I was given presents and everyone said they would miss me. I grew very close to many of the teachers and am sad to leave them. I got so lucky and blessed at my school. I will truly miss each person. Nikomphimaisuksa will always have a place in my heart.

As I think back to my time of deciding if I wanted to come to Thailand, I think of what I wanted to get out of this trip. I wanted to experience something new, which I did living in a new town and teaching 800 students. I wanted to meet people. I have met so many people on this journey and almost all have been so sweet and friendly. I walk down the street and say hi to the lady who I buy water and coke (Coca cola) from, I see the lady and her husband who own a restaurant down the street, I see the family I buy soup from, I see my icecream place, I have all these people I say hi to and know me, I may not know what they say and they may not have a clue what I am saying, but they always say hi and smile. I wanted to experience a new culture. Thailand’s culture is very different from America’s. I learned about customs, I saw temples, I went to a funeral, and I ate food so so much food. I wanted to ride an elephant. Unfortunately I did not complete this because I found out that it hurts the elephant and many elephants are mistreated, but I did get to see an elephant in the wild and I got hugged by one so that makes up for it. Finally, I wanted to make a difference. Now I don’t know if I made a big difference but I taught 800 students english and some actually were able to learn some. Not that I expect any of them to be able to speak english amazing, but they are able to say a few sentences which I consider a success. So I say this trip was everything I had hoped and more. I’m so glad I did this journey.

My next journey is to England where I will be reunited with one of my best friends, Mallory. I am so excited to see her! I’ll try to blog about our adventures, so don’t worry you’ll still have something to read.

Last week.

Wow, where has the time gone. My time in Thailand flew by. I cannot believe this is my last week it seems like last week I was traveling forever to get here. This week is going to be a bittersweet week. I am glad to be heading home, but this has also become my home. People in the town know me by name and I have the restaurants that I am a regular at. I will miss my kids so much. I was their first foreign english teacher and they were my first students. As much as they can drive me crazy there isn’t a day that has gone by that I have not smiled. Students and teachers are already telling me that they will miss me and I’m not looking forward to saying goodbye to everyone.

I got so blessed in my journey here. There were people who hated their schools and their students, but that was not me at all. I love my school, my fellow teachers, and my students. I have done things that I never thought I would do. I have seen amazing things, eaten delicious things, and met amazing people. As I reflect the past six months I can’t help but smile. This journey will always be in my heart and helped me grow as a person. I don’t think you could want anything more then that in an adventure. Thank you Thailand for the great memories. I’ll see you again!

V-Day in T- Land

Yes, you get lucky with two post today.

Valentine’s day is quite the celebration in Thailand. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but it turned out to be a great day. The big thing to do is to get covered in stickers. I had two students come up to me with sticker so I reached out to take them and they insisted to put them on my shirt. I then had more students come up to me and put more stickers on me. By the end of the day I had around a 60 stickers covering my shirt. I also took a ton of pictures with my students. I definitely felt the love from them which made it a wonderful day. The students also enjoyed the candy  I provided. They LOVE candy and will do anything for it, it is quite funny. Such a good day making great memories.

Happy Valentines day!

Food Friday!

I thought a fun topic to talk about, that I could talk a lot about, is food. Food in Thailand is amazing. They have a lot more to eat besides pad thai, and actually pad thai is kind of hard to find in my town. I think foreigners like it more than Thais. All the food is so tasty and flavorful. I’ve tried things I never thought I would try and I loved a lot of them. I have found a good thing to do is to not ask what you are eating because honestly you don’t want to know sometimes haha.

So the first dish I am going to talk about is what I had for dinner last night.

Kow Taew (don’t hold me to the spelling)

This dish is a noodle soup (I’ve become a pro with chopsticks and noodle soup). There are also pieces of pork and mystery meatballs that are actually very yummy (refer to sometimes its better to just eat it and not ask what it is). They also add veggies to the soup.

Spicy level: none. I actually add chiles to it to make it spicier.

Noodle: Thin rice noodle.

Broth: Watery with spices and vegetables.

Size: Large portion. I can’t eat it all.

Yummy level: 3/5 not my favorite but still a great meal.

Price: 40 baht which is about $1.25.

the end is near.

So I have less than a month left. I still can’t believe that I will have been living in Thailand for 6 months. It doesn’t feel that long at all. I didn’t really know what to expect when I first came to Thailand I was just kind of looking for something new, an adventure. What an adventure it has been. I have done things I have never thought I would do. I’ve seen so many beautiful and unique places, and met some of the most wonderful people.

I think we travel to change our lives, experience something new. I wanted to make an impact on someone. But honestly, I’m the one who got the most out of this. I think this trip helped me find a part of myself I wouldn’t have found if I just continued my regular life at home. I have become a new independent person. That is why traveling is so important I think. It helps you find yourself and show you how great the world can truly be.

Hey I’m still alive!

So I’ve been slacking on my blog posts. I’m still alive and well, but not much has been happening in my life worth blogging about (just the usual work, sleep, sweat cause its 95 degrees here). But I decided I was long overdue for a blog (plus my dad pestering me about blogging).

I have really enjoyed my school  and my life in Phimai, but sometimes I wonder if I am truly making a difference. Some classes I love they are so easy and fun to be in and teach.  I also have those classes that I’m counting down the minutes until its over. I realize that both classes enrich my experience here. I need the fun classes to enjoy and have fun, and the more challenging classes are to help me grow as a teacher and a person. I can tell I’m not the same teacher or person that I was 3 months ago (not really sure if that’s a good thing or bad thing haha).

I have gotten close with one of the teachers at my school, Keaw. She teaches me Thai, I teach her English and we laugh a lot. I say we speak Tenglish (Thai/English). I was talking to her this morning, and she said she asked her students if they enjoyed having me as a teacher and learning with me. She said they said they really enjoyed having me and didn’t want me to go back to America. Her saying that the kids said that made my morning. Part of me was worried the kids didn’t enjoy having me and weren’t getting anything out of me being there. But just hearing that reinforced that I am supposed to be here.

Life is not always easy. It will never be truly easy. We will have difficult times and we will get past those difficult times, as I get through those difficult classes. Nothing last forever. I am so proud of myself that I did this opportunity and did something new. This experience will change my life forever. I only hope I impacted the kids’ lives in the way they did mine. Sure they aren’t always easy and can be difficult, but I smile and laugh everyday and that is all that really matters. For the next month I’ll enjoy every minute cause it’s gonna be over before I know, which is sad, but I’m also excited to go home and eat mexican food.

 

2015.

A new year always means for reflection. As I reflect on the past year I am amazed at what has happened. I have picked up my life and moved to a different country for 6 months not knowing a single soul. I have met people from all over the world and had great experiences. I’ve done things I never dreamed of doing and seen unbelievable things. I’m so glad that I did this. It not only has opened my eyes, but its changed who I am as a person. 2014 was an amazing year.

A new year also means for hopes and dreams in the coming year. My hopes and dreams for 2015 is that I continue to experience new things. I continue to meet interesting people who widen my views of the world. I hope I can see more of America. Most of all I hope to continue this exciting adventure in life.

I hope you have a wonderful new year and this coming year is everything you hope for!

Goodbye 2014, hello 2015!

Halfway in.

So time is flying by, no its legit flying by. I can’t believe I’ve already been here for 2 .5 months. It seems like it was last week I was flying  over. Before I know it it’s going to be time to head back to the USA.

So since I’m halfway done I thought I would share some things I have learned over the past 2.5 months.

– Thai people are just that friendly. I ask my self sometimes how can people be this nice but Thai people are genuinely nice and will help you do what they can. They always say hi whenever I walk down the street.

– You eat. A lot. Now being a southerner I thought we ate a lot of food, but that is not the case. I think Thai people have us beat. Many times a Thai person will greet me with’ have you eaten?’ and even if I have they will still offer me food. One of the most useful thai words I have learned is ’em’ which means full.

– It is hot. Very very hot. This isn’t even there hot season, but I still sweat as much if not more than I do in the summers back home. There isn’t any airconditioning in my school so it can get warm. Thankfully it has been cooling down and has gotten to a reasonable and very nice high 70s. I’m just thankful for the ac in my apartment.

– Charades is a worldwide game, and I am not very good. Since I speak very little Thai I have to use motions to generally ask for stuff. But I have learned that I am not very good at motions and leave the person even more puzzled haha. So that has definitely been an experience and now I feel for the people in America who don’t speak English. I feel your pain when you do motions for a mug and the people bring you mouthwash. Well maybe they were telling me something… hmm.

– How much I loved mexican food. They say you don’t know how much something means to you til it’s gone. Well mexican food is that for me. Hey mom and dad remember to bring me mexican food at the airport. Taco bell is acceptable at this point and margaritas are encouraged haha.

– I may becoming a morning person. Or a person who can get up at 6:30. I’m definitely not happy, but hey I’m moving and that counts for something right?! Even more to my horror I can’t even sleep past 8. Who am I??

Hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season! I’m getting in the Christmas season mood too as you can see below 🙂