One Year! หนึ่งปีแล้ว

I have officially been living in Thailand for one full year now! It is exciting to realize I've been here that long! In a lot of ways, it doesn't feel like it's been that long, but at the same time, it feels like it's already been forever if you think about everything I've learned and experienced this past year! I don't know how all of that life fits into one short year! There have been highs and there have been lows, but through it all, Christ has been my strength, courage, and comfort to keep on keeping on.

Here is this past year broken down into small sections of trials, successes, prayer requests, and prayers answered:
For many months, I prayed for a Thai friend that would help me practice speaking Thai as well as introduce me to many new things such as foods, places, culture, and customs. A friend that would help me adjust to the Thai way of life as well as us both enjoying each other's company. Never did I imagine making a friend that not only matched my prayer request, but also became a best friend to me; someone I could talk to about anything and everything without fear or embarrassment. God always goes above and beyond what we can imagine as long as we keep the faith and keep pressing on!

I prayed that I could adjust to and even enjoy Thai food. I had always been a picky eater before moving to Thailand so I worried that I would never quite fit in because I might not like the food. But again, God answers prayers. I kept trying new foods regardless of what they looked like and didn't turn down what was offered to me if I hadn't tried it before. Now I love Thai food! In fact, one of the things I miss most about Bangkok is the readily available and easily accessible Thai food around every corner. Here, without transportation, Thai food is not easily accessible. I went from tolerating papaya salad but not really liking it to craving it at times, even with the fermented fish sauce! I eat pig intestines, soup with blood, liver, and other random bits and pieces of I don't know what, and really enjoy most of it. Don't get me wrong. I still enjoy a good pizza or American dish sometimes, but now, I often dip it in chili sauce. I also really enjoy spicy food. If it doesn't make your eyes water, it's a little on the bland side!

Oh, how I prayed to survive language school! There were days when I thought I'd never learn Thai and never be able to communicate with anyone. There were days when I would go home and cry. There were days when I wouldn't make it home before the tears came and I would cry in class. It was such a frustrating experience for me because I am usually such a fast learner in other things. Nine months later, I left language school with many new friends and the ability to communicate, read, and write much better in the Thai language! Language school went from being a terrible experience for a few months to a place I considered my second home and enjoyed going to. The teachers were always so encouraging and became my community; my family in Thailand. I actually miss language school now that I'm not studying anymore! Or maybe I just miss my Thai family there.

I prayed to be able to communicate better with the folks at my Thai church in Bangkok, to become friends with people there. It was always so intimidating for me because they spoke Thai so quickly. And unlike the teachers at school, they spoke using many words I had not heard before. But after many months, my Thai improved and it became easier to catch more of what others were saying to me and I was able to respond better and quicker. Friendships finally formed.

Now, I am praying for my continued adjustment to life in Ranong. It hasn't been easy by any means. It's hard to leave a big city like Bangkok with so many things easily accessible and so many modes of public transportation. Now, I live outside of the city without transportation and it can sometimes feel very isolating. The nearest Big C is a 20 minute walk away so I do not like buying things when I go because carrying it back is always a chore. There are not many food options close by and I do not know a lot of food names so restaurant menus with no pictures and no English are very difficult for me. But I am making it. This too shall pass and things will get easier. I will begin to feel more at home as time passes. In fact, today I went on a grand adventure. I needed to get to Tesco Lotus to pay my wifi bill at True, but to walk takes 1 hour and 15 minutes. I started my journey and eventually asked a songthaew driver for a ride there. Little did I know, he misunderstood me even though I verified my destination with a picture. We went through town, picked up other riders, and then he finally figured out where I wanted to go. He let me out to catch another songthaew and did not charge me for my ride around town! I caught another one for the rest of the way for only 10 baht. Afterwards, a motorcycle with a sidecart took me home for 80 baht. It was a bit more, but at least I knew he understood where he was taking me and we didn't drive all around town! Little by little, I get better at getting around town independently. I tried calling for a motorcycle to come pick me up, but the driver was out of town. I still have a few more errands to take care of such as paying my water bill and picking up my motorbike license plate that are far from my home so we'll see if I can get those things done tomorrow and Wednesday. The thing I love about Ranong is I'm surrounded by mountains. I just love looking at the mountains from wherever I am.

Now, I am also praying for my ability to teach English well. Right now, I've had to teach a few times in short segments. The lower level classes are ok. I am a thinker so I like to have time to prepare myself, think about a plan, work the plan in my mind, adjust the plan, and then follow through with the plan. I am not a last minute type of teacher. I cannot teach on the spur of the moment or even with an hour of prep. Maybe once I've been teaching for a while and have developed a method. But now, I have no method. I have no experience. So I need time to prepare myself. Right now, it's a bit of a struggle. Especially teaching the older students. I have not studied grammar since like elementary or intermediate school. That was a very long time ago. It will take time for me to remember those things and be able to teach them well. Right now, I pretty much suck at it. Teaching has its challenges. My mind is constantly debating: what should I say, how should I say it, should I use a little Thai, are they understanding anything, how can I get them to talk more? Right now, I feel like a bit of a failure and that makes adjusting to a new environment difficult. I just don't know my place yet, where I belong, how I fit in here. Kind of similar to when I first started language school in Bangkok and felt like a failure all the time. It made life just a little harder to do day by day.

But it's the small victories that make life better and easier. For example, the first time I went to the Department of Transportation here in Ranong to see about getting a drivers license, I spoke only Thai with the man at the counter. He was very patient with me and never got frustrated with me when I asked him to repeat himself. I understood him and he understood me. It was one of those moments where I left feeling like I was on top of the world (even though I didn't actually get a drivers license) and could do anything! Another example: I saw a few street carts set up within a 10 minute walk from my house when I was being taken home one day. I decided to walk down there to see what they might be selling. It's always funny walking close to Thai speakers and hearing them talk about the farang (white skinned person) and wondering whether or not I speak Thai. Sometimes I think I should just say phuut Thai daay without waiting for them to ask, but I always wait. This day, this one lady was very interested and asked me in Thai if I could speak Thai. I told her yes and we chatted for a few minutes. Another lady nearby even started asking me questions. It was fun! I understood almost everything they said even though they weren't adjusting their speed to accommodate me. I bought a drink from her which was jujube juice and very delicious and I can't wait to go back to visit them again! Small victories. One day at a time. Now, if I could just get to the point where I can initiate conversation with others, that would be great. That's always been a struggle of mine, even in English. So you can imagine how much harder it is in a new language where your proficiency is lacking. But that is what I must do.

Jujube juice

Moving on. What does my everyday life look like here? I observe or help teach in classes Tuesdays-Saturdays. Tuesdays and Wednesdays are 3 hours at the same school. Thursdays include 2 hours at one school and 1 hour at another school. Fridays include 1 hour at one school, 2 hours at another school, and 1 hour at a village. Saturdays include 3 hours at the English center. Some schools are big, some are little. Some students like to learn and behave very well. Others are very active and would rather play more than learn. It's always interesting! Sundays and Mondays I usually clean house, clean outside, do laundry, and walk to the store.
As far as traveling goes, I've already had to leave Ranong once to extend my visa in Bangkok. I stayed there through the weekend in order to get a little friend therapy because it can get a little lonely in Ranong. I am super blessed that I have friends who want me to stay with them when I visit. My closest friend invited me to stay with her. And then one of my previous Thai teachers invited both of us to stay with her. It was fun spending time with them for sure. And, I mean, who doesn't need a three night slumber party with your closest friend from time to time?! Especially when it's been a month since you hung out and so much has happened in that time! We were also able to squeeze in a quick overnight trip to Pattaya and meet one of my previous classmates that now lives there. It was a super fun trip! Got to sit on the beach for a while, hang out with some cool people, and see the sights of night life there. My next trip is at the end of this month. I must return to get my new visa stamp and since the school term ends and is closed for the month of October, I will stay in Bangkok. During that time, I will travel to Chiang Mai for a TMS Asia team retreat for a few days. And then maybe to Khao Yai with the Muang Thai church for a few days of retreat. This will depend on whether or not I have someone to take care of Lucy. While in Bangkok, I plan to do some necessary shopping for things I don't know if Ranong has. One, because it's easy to get around in Bangkok and I can go to many places with great ease to shop. And two, because there are many more things and variety available in Bangkok. I also hope to get all of my finances figured out to purchase a car while in Bangkok. And get a regular drivers license. I can't get my motorcycle license until November because I have to test for it and it's on certain dates only. This is important because if you didn't know, I purchased a motorbike recently. It was meant to be an easy mode of transportation around Ranong before being able to puchase a car. Unfortunately, it looks like I'll have a car before I'm able to drive the motorbike! Oh well. The motorbike will still be used for travel within Ranong. It will be cheaper and easier to get around nearby places with the motorbike. I also hope to spend time with friends while in Bangkok. I never imagined finding a friend who would also like to go on visa runs with me. My closest friend and I will look at planning my out of country visa run for November together to see if she is able to join me or not. I hope she is able to join because that would make the trip more enjoyable for sure! So yes, oddly enough, these four months, August-December, include travel each month. November has to be a trip out of the country because I can only file for visa extensions every 3 months for one year. After that year, I have to leave the country and reapply. December/January will probably include a trip to Bangkok for Christmas/New Years break. I am not sure what the school calendar looks like for that time so I haven't made any plans yet. February requires another visa extension trip to Bangkok. Oy, it's going to pretty much be a revolving door of travel between Ranong and Bangkok with visa extensions and school breaks! Oh well. Good thing I like Bangkok!

This is my motorbike!

Also, here are a few pictures from when I went to the hot springs here in Ranong.

Other than that, there's not much more to say. Thank you for your prayers and interest in my daily life. I appreciate your friendship and support more than words can express. Without you, without your support, without your prayers, life here would be much more difficult! So thank you. I am grateful for each of you.

Lucy, my faithful companion, says hi too!