I have a calendar on my wall (which I made out of printer paper) on which I have a countdown. The countdown started May 21st, when I arrived in Thailand, and it ends March 19th, which is the last day I am willing to stay in Thailand. Many people have asked me why I have these 10 pages taped to my wall, with various reasons for asking. My friends at home ask because to them 300, 200, 100 days sounds like a lifetime, and they can't fathom why I would want to look at that every day. My fellow TTC teachers ask because they can't fathom why I would want to think about leaving.
I can see both sides. There are some days when the little red number in the corner of each day is this soul crushing monster that might as well have little horns and a tail. Then there are other days where it doesn't seem like there will be enough days within these 10 months for me to experience everything I want to see and do. But there has never been a day in which I don't appreciate being able to look at that little number. On the soul crushing days I can look past the day's number and look to the next week, or the end of the month and see that that number isn't so bad. On the good days I can look back at all the days that have past and remember everything I've already done, and then look forward to think about all the things I plan to do. And no matter what kind of day it is, I can look at March see that little, red number 1, and the day next to it (which I have very liberally decorated with oranges and yellows if the huge, red HOME didn't catch enough attention) and remember that this is all temporary. I will not be in Thailand forever. I do not have to be a teacher for the rest of my life. There will be an end to this. I only have a limited amount of time here, so I need to soak in every experience I can and try to find something to enjoy even on the bad days. Not everyone gets the opportunity to have an experience like this, and appreciation for even the little things that make Thailand special is key. I have been here 100 days. They have been full of new experiences (too many to count), laughter, and tears (a lot of these too). Let's see what I can do with my next 200.
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AuthorGeorgia girl teaching English in Thailand Archives
January 2017
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