Leaving Home

Leaving home to teach English in Thailand always comes with mixed feelings. Phil is READY: he has been studying Thai for the past year and is hoping to practice his growing vocabulary on the unsuspecting Thai population. He loves the sunshine and warmth of Thailand, but most of all he loves our Thai students and the people we meet.

For me, it is not so clear-cut. I share his love of the Thai people and our enjoyment in teaching English to students who are friendly, helpful, and respectful and who love to laugh. But I miss the crisp, cold air of a Minnesota winter, the warmth of our wood-burning stove, the coziness of our home, the walking trails behind our home, and my writing cabin up north. I miss the rich, muted colors of a December landscape:

So I’ll be teaching for just the month of January and will return to Minneapolis on February 4. Phil will stay to teach during February, visit Koh Chang island again, and return in early March. I don’t like the separation but feel a need to support Neal this winter with child care. And sit by the wood stove during a snowstorm…

We passed through Seattle on our way to Thailand and were blessed to spend a day with our dear grandkids and family there:

Notice the afghan Helen is making, weaving by hand!

Our flight to Seoul was uneventful, and we were treated to the Prestige KAL lounge on arrival:

Then on to Bangkok (five more hours), where we breezed through immigration and customs and were greeted by Steve, head of Santisuk English School. We drove to the Mission House at midnight, surrounded by skyscrapers and flashes of light from fireworks going off all over the city (New Year’s Eve here). 

And walking into the Mission House again, it felt like we were home. A good feeling.