Thailand is real!

Wow! Thailand actually exists ! I couldn't be sure before, but now I am here. So if anyone was wondering if Thailand was an illusion.... You can take my word that it's not.
         I left my sweet Elysse's hobbit hole in Venice on Monday afternoon, she dropped me at LAX and with a big squeeze goodbye she was off. I stood like a child on the first day of kindergarten, waving as I watched her drive away.  Into the big airport queue frenzy! Standing in line for security I spot a young back packer with a curious item strapped to it. I say" is that a ukelele?" He says, "yes." I turn to show him mine strapped to my pack. We laugh and the line shuffles us away. He was going to Oman, so I rested easy that I won't have too compete with him in thailand.
       I'm getting nervous the line is moving slow, my flight is boarding and I'm not sure I'm going to make it on time.  Just then a guy starts escorting a bunch of people through that are late so I take the opportunity to jump in with them. I make it through security, well nearly, they always have to confiscate some precious item from me. This time its my dangerous tube of Auromere Ayurvedic toothpaste. I get to my gate just in time to fill my camelpak on my baxkpack, and get in line to board. As I stand in line i realize that my new water bladder is leaking all over me, awesome! I empty the water into a trashcan and board the plane, my right side a little soggy.
        I get to row 42, and find I'm seated next to two American boys. One of which is going to Bangkok, and also happens to be from Kansas City. It is such a small and miraculous world sometimes!  We all chat and make fine single serving friends of each other. The other boy is heading back to his teaching position in china.  I watch a Bollywood movie. Iblistento my iPod, I journal, I eat strange vegetarian airplane meals (surprisingly not that bad). I chat with boys, I drink little cups of water, I fall asleep watching avatar . Before I know it I am at the airport in Taipei Taiwan. It's cute and full of high end retail stores like coach and Cartier. Who shops in airports? Apparently people with more money than me.  There's a wall made out of live plants with internet stations. So like any good American I stop and check my facebook!  I eat an apple and board the next plane. This time I sit next to an obviously German couple who claim to be from boston. This flight is only three hours but seems longer than the 15 hour flight to Taipei.  Mmmmmhmmmmm.... Touchdown Bangkok! Immigration, passport stamp, customs, new sim card and I'm feeling like I'm in another country. Woops I booked my hotel on the wrong day, so I got to be an airport hobo for seven hours curling up behind a bank of telephones while I sporadically napped and charged my cell phone.  I breakfasted on sweet mango and sticky rice, I bought new toothpaste and people watched. Eventually I took the transfer over to my hotel.  A classy purple room greeted me, finally I could be alone! I spent the rest of the day in my underpants sleeping. I woke up at nine pm, to the sound of my ukelele crashing to the floor.... I guess this happens when you try to snuggle a Uke.  Luckily the uke was okay.
           I slept more and more and more I dreamt of large rats and friends eight thousand miles away
.  So now I am finally up and able to explore a bit. I took a walk this morning and saw a nice temple. I took in the sharp unfamiliar smells around me. New flowers, trees, scruffy dogs and Egyptian cats. So much to appreciate all so new and strange. I passed by a school building, I could hear the hustle, children singing, screaming , talking, got me thinking that's where I will be soon enough. Back in my room I refuge with my Ac, my iPhone, texting with my sister so I can pretend I'm not alone,  tomorrow I will take a bus to my volunteer school,  Anuban Tapaya near Aranya Prathet. I will post pictures to Facebook as I can't quite figure out how to do it on this blog from my iPhone.  From Thailand with love,
Gretchyn