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I only have a
few days left in Thailand before I must board another plane and
return to my home in the United States of America, but I can still
remember the day I arrived like it was yesterday. It’s said that
“time flies when you’re having fun”, and I’ll tell you, this year
has been one of the fastest ones in my life!
At
first everything was very confusing for me. I didn't speak the
language, know anyone, and was not used to a culture from what I'm
used to in the USA, but that all changed with time. I slowly started
to speak Thai a little better each day, and while my language skills
were improving, my circle of friends started to expand as well.
Thailand was beginning to feel like 'home' more and more each day.
The
foods I thought were strange and exotic upon my arrival now seemed
much more normal, in fact, many of them I ate almost everyday! For
example, the first time I was offered a rambutan ('ngoh' in Thai), I
didn't know how to eat it! My host father had to first show me how
to peel it! It was delicious too.
Rambutan is just one of the many Thai fruits that I have grown to
love since I have been here. Others include guave, mangosteen,
pineapple, rose apple, and .... well, the list just keeps going!
Thailand is a very beautiful country with many interesting places to
travel to. I've had the chance to travel all around Thailand, all
the way up to Chiang Rai in the far north visiting many historical
places in between. In the south I've been to many of the beautiful
beaches and islands such as Phuket, Krabi, Koh Samui and Koh
Phangngan, but my favourite beaches can be found in
Nakhonsithammarat. Places like Khanom and Sichon are very relaxing
and quiet, making them ideal for beach parties and barbeques with
friends.
Now
that I'm about to leave Thailand, everyone asks me, 'So, when are
you going to come back to Thailand?" Nobody bothers to ask me if
I will be coming back to this country because everyone can see that
I love Thailand very much, even to the point that I now consider it
as a second home for myself. Few people have two places on either
side of the world that they can call home. I'm very lucky to have
been welcomed by such kind, generous, caring and friendly people
this year.
Thank
you all to those who treated me with your caring and kind attitudes.
You've made my year an unforgettable experience that I will remember
for the rest of my life. Thailand truly was an experience that I
never wanted to end.
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