Experiencing Magic

Today was a magical day. I visited a small waterfall today. By small they mean it goes down the entire mountain but we stayed in the bottom quarter. The rocks became too large and dangerous for us to climb. My fellow teachers and their boyfriends and me squeezed in a truck and drove to the waterfall just twenty minutes outside of Uttaradit. We brought a picnic with us and sat out under the rocks. After eating, my fellow teacher told me it was time to cleanse our bodies. My first reaction was.....please do explain what this entails before I get myself in some very awkward situations, but it turned out to mean just standing under the waterfall. That was the best massaging shower ever. For once, I came home clean instead of sticky with sweat. Oh, and they said I looked like a mermaid, which was cute.

I can honestly say that I am happy here. Am I lonely at least twice each day, yes, of course. But this is where I am supposed to be. I knew over two years ago that teaching in Thailand was my next step and now I know that I am right where I am supposed to be. I resisted being placed by myself but I did not fight it, because I knew there was a reason I was placed here and I knew it would be good for me. And out of a good number of teachers, I think I am the happiest. One teacher has left and the other teachers that were placed by themselves were reassigned so I am the loner of the group. They are struggling with their classes, the language barrier, things like Thai tattoos (or motorcycle exhaust burns) and just being in Thailand in general. I am trying my best to support them but it is slightly interesting that I am the one that is the most okay with being here. I have made my peace and am determined to make the most of this time of my life. Already, this trip has brought me some clarity about my life and I cannot wait to see what else I will discover.

And honestly! I stood under a waterfall in Thailand. I laughed with my Thai friends as one of my teachers slid down a rock like a slip-n-slide and then when I fell down, butt first into a little puddle when we were climbing down the mountain. Yes, I do not understand 90% of the things they chatter about by themselves but I have learned to tune it out. It is just something that exists, there is no reason to be irritated or feel left out by it. They are so nice and considerate of me. And today my English lesson to them was naming bugs, like ants, mosquitoes, flies, bees, etc. It was amusing. I feel so good right now that I do not want to go to bed, though I know I need to soonish because I need to be up at 6am for my trip into Lampang. My friends better be prepared for tackle hugs. I really cannot wait to take my friends to the magical places I have found. One thing I can say. I want to go back to the US after this trip. I may do ESL teaching in the future but at least not next year.

I know I need to shower but I do not want to! My skin feels all clean and soft and even slightly perfumed and to get into my wimpy shower after the waterfall makes me sad. But I know I should, because "all natural waterfall" brings with it a lot of icky things. And I need to clean a few cuts and scrapes I got on my hands and knees from climbing. Don't worry, I am typing, which means I did not tumble down the mountain or fall down the waterfall. By the time this trip is over I should have gotten over my fear of heights just because I keep getting placed in situations that test it. Okay well enough for now. Just know that I am happy and at peace.