Tag: thailand

Sawadee Kha!

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My first days in Thailand have been more than I ever imagined! There is no way to prepare yourself for what it feels like to jump right into a culture that is so different from your own. Luckily, all our travel plans went smoothly from LAX to Seoul to Thailand. The only minor setback was the slight hangover Jackie and I woke up with from partying too hard in LA for “OUR last night in AMericaaaaaa!!” (Cheers, Repeat, Cheers, Repeat, you get the idea) Once we stepped onto the plane we knew we were in for a beautiful trip! Thai Airways was vibrant with pink and purple interior, yummy food, and flight attendants dressed in traditional Thai outfits! After some red wine, Ambien and lots of in flight movies, we made it safely. The language barrier at the airport was immediate and strange. Honestly, you learn the power of smiling, giggling and pointing VERY quickly! Our hotel for orientation is in the outskirts of Bangkok so it is a serious small town feel! These are the main points I’ve learned in my first four days of life in Thailand

1. 7/11 is God’s gift from above in Thailand.
2. You have never felt heat & sweat until you’ve been here
3. Thailand REALLY is the land of smiles
4. Nothing is surprising in Thailand
5. Mai pen rai “No worries”
6. Just point at something that looks good& eat it
7. Communication is so valuable but taking a break from being “plugged in” at all times makes you appreciate when you talk to loved ones EVEN more

Currently, we are on the bus back to our hotel after visiting The Royal Palace, a historic landmark in Bangkok. It was breathtakingly beautiful and the attention to detail blew me away. Despite the heat it was one of the most beautiful structures I have ever seen. I am infatuated with this land and every second I spend here I appreciate! I feel random waves of missing home & special people but I remind myself of how quickly this will be over & snap back to living in the moment. More to come soon, WIFI is like solid gold so I am currently saving drafts until I can get a chance to post them! Mai pen rai!

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Party in the USA

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The last few months have been quite the adventure themselves leading up to my Thailand adventure. I have been busy traveling visiting family, friends, and beautiful places all across the country. It is so amazing how many beautiful places are on the East Coast. These photos give you a taste of what I saw including Southern West Virginia, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Pittsburgh, Boston, NYC, Long Island, West Virginia, and Syracuse, NY. The fact that I am traveling into such an unfamiliar world has given me a fresh set of eyes for the world that surrounds me; especially the people. I know I will not be able to see them, drink a glass of wine with them, laugh with them or hug them for a whole year. It is honestly scary but I thank my lucky stars for Skype and all of the technology we have in society today to make things easier. I also appreciate the opportunity to go away because it reminds me how much I value these special people in my life and how lucky I am to be surrounded by such supportive, intelligent, loving, funny individuals. The joy that my family and friends get from watching me succeed makes my success and desire to conquer new continents vastly larger. I am so happy to have this outlet to stay connected to the people who matter the most to me because I presume the time difference and busy  life schedules will make communication challenging.

I leave for NYC this Friday for one final reunion with family, friends and my boyfriend. I am so excited but so overwhelmed to have to say goodbye to so many people I care about all at once. Then I am flying out to LA with Jackie to visit our friend from WVU and break up the long journey to Thailand. In TEN short days, I will be hopping aboard the 19 hour flight to Thailand! I have been looking forward to this trip since February! Now the nerves and an anxious giddy feeling is building up inside of me! I know how amazing this adventure is going to be; but truly as much as I can talk about how much it will change my life and how incredible it will be; I don’t know how it will change me as a person, what I will learn, who I will meet, what I will see or what I will feel. I sit here in the home I grew up in as I write this, safe and comfortable but yearning for more. Yearning to touch, to see, to feel, to dance, to shout, to climb mountains and ride elephants, teach children and let them teach me. I would start running to Thailand this very instant if I could, but for now I am soaking up the precious moments with those I love the most and will miss very much over the next year. The greatest gift these people have given me is the confidence in my self to embark on this journey, the love and support. I feel you cheering me on from all over and that is the only reason I am able to go confidently in the direction of my dreams.  Thank you so much. I will leave you with a quote about adventure that sums up my feelings at the moment,

” Every dreamer knows that it is entirely possible to be homesick for a place you’ve never been to,perhaps more homesick than for familiar ground”- Judith Thurman

Catch me if you can! CHEERS ❤ xoxo

Exploration Preparation

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Hi out there, digital world! My name is Susie and I am about to embark on an epic journey to Thailand to teach English for a year! I decided to start a blog to keep in touch with family, friends, and any interested humans. I have learned so much from reading other people’s blogs who have gone on similar journeys! I am 23 and I just graduated from WVU with my M.A. in Secondary Education & B.A. in English! I had an incredible time at WVU, joined Delta Gamma where I made some of the best friends a girl could ask for, got an enlightening and challenging education and met the best guy imaginable. It’s impossible to sum it all up here & now, but I am sure I will reminisce frequently. I came to WVU five years ago from my hometown of Syracuse, NY without knowing a soul, I felt simply drawn by the universe. It was the best decision I ever made.

I felt drawn by the universe to take this step and teach in Thailand for a year through the CIEE. Once I make up my mind, there is no stopping me. I recently got my official placement and found out I will teaching at Sanguan Ying School in Amphur Muang, Suphanburi, Thailand! I am so excited because my friend Jackie was placed at the same school & apartment building as me! Despite my extremely adventurous and independent side, it is so nice to have a friend to take on this adventure with for moral support, english speaking and a basically a travel partner in crime. You can expect to hear a lot about our adventures together!

Writing is one of my passions along with traveling, exercising, eating, laughing and learning. I love to learn everything I can about people, their pasts and especially their dreams for the future, places, history, culture, cooking, etc. My love for learning transfers to my love for teaching, especially teaching others to LOVE learning! Teaching comes natural to me(maybe the fact that my parents are both retired teachers) and it fulfills me in a way that nothing else can. I hope to inspire others to follow their passions and dreams and to explore, absorb and cherish the world around them. Whether you are moving 14,000 miles away or you are galavanting around the town you grew up in, EVERY day can be an adventure!:)

I am 44 days away from departure for Thailand and I am enjoying every second left in the United States with my boyfriend, friends and family (well, shortly once I am back in New York). When you realize you will be separated from the ones you love the most, it makes you appreciate them that much more. Please feel free to be a part of my journey; I will try to keep up with my blog as best as I can, being a first-timer and all. Tune in regularly or stumble upon my blog every once in while, whatever suits your desire! I promise to add tons of pictures once my trip takes off! Like literature,memoirs, good phone conversations, or late night heart to hearts over glasses of wine; blogs give you the chance to remove yourself from your current reality and take a glimpse at someone else’s. I hope you like what you see 😉