Thai Times: See You Again

"The Crew"

Somehow, my time in Ayutthaya has come to an end. It's hard for me to express all that I've learned and how I have grown in my 8 months living in this wonderful city. It is such a unique part of my life: when will I ever again live in a guesthouse where I can call down the hall to get someone's attention, rally up my friends for a BBQ mere hours in advance, or dodge elephants while running through temple ruins? My 8 months here have been incredible due to the beautiful environment, supportive friends, friendly coworkers, and the ubiquitous warm smile that Thailand is known for.

who needs a trash can?

My past year, incredible growth, and countless memories are too hard to put into words, and in my last few weeks here I have even come to appreciate the things that I could hardly stand a couple of months ago. I embrace the free trash-throwing and unknowingness of when I will come across a wonderful or horrid smell, happily wave at anyone who states the obvious that I am farang, and even find the cuteness in the mangiest and scariest looking dogs. The lack of information allows me to use my imagination, and wait in anticipation until I find the answer at the last second.

wearing the Northern Thai scarves Mon gave us after
he drove 6 hours to bid us farewell

But it's the people here who have really done it. My 8 friends, or as we call ourselves, "the crew," have been the lifeblood of my time here. From long weekends on paradise islands, to all getting sick together, to barbecuing in the rain with weird hats, to cramming as many of us into a tuk tuk as possible, the experiences we have shared are more than I could have ever imagined. Apart from my friends, the people of Ayutthaya have been incredible as well. My favorite food vendors, namely the Salad Ladies, who know my family and apologize profusely if they don't have my salads, and the roti couple, Nat and Nung, who have made us lunch and accompanied us to moo kata. Of course my coworkers, who have disciplined children, understood our frustration at the lack of communication, always have known when to offer smile when we're ready to ring a student's neck, and the most touching, when our friend from last term took the day off work to drive 6 hours to say goodbye to us. And even though I give them grief: the students. Especially this past week, for telling me how I actually did make a little bit of a difference in their education, the never-ending hilarity, keeping me on my toes, understanding when I couldn't take any more of their shenanigans, and always offering me a smile.

Ayutthaya will always have a special place in my heart and I will never forget that anything can be fixed with a deep breath, a mai pen lie attitude, and, of course, a smile.