Refreshed and Renewed

So I've done a terrible job of keeping up with my blog. I do apologize for that. Sometimes, I just get so caught up in living life, I forget to write about it too. I'm really going to try to do better starting today because I believe it is important to my readers. Each of you deserve to be a part of my story. I've been back in Thailand for a week now after spending almost 2 months in Texas. It was an amazing trip filled with such amazing people, opportunities, and food! The trip was just what I needed to boost my spirits and be refreshed and renewed for further ministry in Thailand. I was overwhelmed with love and appreciation for what I do. I loved doing life with many different people from family, old friends, to even new friends. I loved attending different churches, conferences, and spiritual formation events. Most of all, I loved being in community with everyone. I started my time back in Thailand with a Halloween camp right after arriving back. I had 4 students attend and they were so excited to see me. One couldn't wait to tell me how much he had missed me!

For today's blog subject, I thought I'd touch on similarities and differences between my life in Thailand and my time spent in Texas. First obvious thing is food: I loved all the food in Texas and thoroughly enjoyed it. Unfortunately, it was very hard on me. I had issues with digestion, extreme bloating, and reflux/indigestion. These are not things I struggle with daily while in Thailand. Someone told me it was probably from the amount of processed foods I was eating in Texas. I'm back to eating Thai food now, spicy and all, and no more extreme bloating. Thankfully, I love Thai food, too! Second is driving: Of course, I had to adjust to switching everything from side of car to side of road I drive on. While in Texas, I had to remind myself to keep my body closest to the center line to remind me what side of the road I should be on. Now that I'm back in BKK, I keep turning on my windshield wipers instead of my blinker and grabbing my door looking for the gear shift. I definitely prefer driving in Texas. Way less motorcycles to dodge, folks follow traffic rules for the most part, wider lanes and parking spots, and far less traffic than in Bangkok! But I do prefer my car here in Bangkok as it drives smoother and has AC! I also had to remind myself to get out and pump my own gas in Texas. Thailand always has someone to pump the gas for you. Third, church. I loved getting to be a part of my church's services for a few weeks and also attending my dad's church. Always fun to hear my dad preach, as well as be a part of my church that I was so involved with for many years before moving to Thailand. I even loved having the opportunity to return to my childhood church, the church I grew up in, and share my story with them! I think they were still expecting that quiet gal that avoided public speaking as much as possible, but were pleasantly surprised that I can now speak freely in front of others. Here in BKK, I enjoy bouncing around different churches to see their worship styles. I enjoy going to Thai services, English services, and even blended services. I have not found one I feel called to join in regularly with. Fourth, community and kindness. I loved feeling a part of a bigger community. Y'all, Texas is just a more kind and friendly place. Even just walking around grocery stores, I was randomly greeted with friendly smiles or hellos from strangers and children. It felt so good. Something I never knew I missed until I was experiencing it again. Kindness matters. Smiles impact others' days. I loved being a part of that and feeling welcomed by complete strangers! Here in Thailand, most folks have their heads down taking care of business or looking at their phones. It's not often you're greeted with a smile outside of folks selling things (even then, it's hit or miss). I'm not saying it never happens. It does. Just not nearly as often as I experienced while in Texas! Fifth and final. Many ask about weather here. It's rained several days since I've been back. The news said winter is coming. That means the temps may be in the 80s instead of the 90s or 100s. But it can still be pretty hot with the high humidity. Some days have been nicer and a bit cooler with lower humidity, but many have been hot. I'm having to get used to staying without air during the day. I usually only use air in the evenings to sleep. During the days, I use the fan to keep the electricity bill down. The season breakdown looks like this: Hot season is from March to May. Rainy season is from June to October. And winter is from November to February. Most joke and say the seasons are hot, hotter, and hottest. In Texas, I experienced both hot and cold weather. The most noticeable thing was in Texas, it felt like the sun was setting my skin on fire. Here in Bangkok, I think there's too much polution to experience the sun like that. There are random days, but not daily like in Texas! I know I said that was the final, but last thought: beds are far more soft in Texas compared to the more firm, even hard beds here. That wraps up my first blog since being back in Thailand and maybe even this year! Stay tuned for more stories, musings, and experiences!