Monday, October 11, 2010, at 12:30pm

I'm leaving, on the next plane
I don't know when I'll be back again
Kiss me and smile for me
Tell me that you'll wait for me
Hold me, like you know I'll never go
Even though you know I will
I'm a travelling [wo]man moving through places, space, and time got a lot of things I got to do but God willing I'm coming back to you, my baby-boo.
I'm a travelling [wo]man

-Mos Def, Travelin' Man

Question: Is it crazy to feel a connection with a place I've only known through pictures on the internet, Americanized (and apparently A LOT milder) renditions of Thai cuisine, and whatever I may have learned in school?

At 12:30pm on October 11, 2010, (in less than a month from now) I will be sitting on a plane, flying into the future to Bangkok and will arrive at 11:30pm on October 12. Weird, yet exciting. I can't believe it's almost here. Holy GEEEZ! I can't beeelieeeeeve it!

Ok anyway, the five months that follow October 11, will be dedicated to teaching English to nursing students in Muang, Phetchaburi, and traveling on the weekends. The month and a half following those five months will be dedicated to exploration-whatever I want to do and whenever I want to do it. The entire 6 and a half month journey will be dedicated to ME.

Let me explain.

Whenever I tell people about my decision to live, teach, and travel, they usually respond by asking "Why Thailand? Why don't you go to Korea, China, or someplace in South America?"I never knew how to answer these questions and I thought I needed some profound romanticized explanation as to why I chose to go to Thailand to teach English. I mean, I wish I could tell you that this trip is the beginning of my life long mission to eradicate sex trafficking or to end violence against women; but it's not. Nor will I tell you that this is the journey where I will discover my spiritual self through hours and hours of meditation. Really, I do wish I had the answer to resolving those issues and I'm sure there will be a lot of self discovery in the next 7 months; but I don't have a long spiel to impress you. What I can share with you are two of the most honest and simplest answers: I chose to go to Thailand because 1) I want to and 2) because I can.

I've been fixated on Going to Thailand for as long as I can remember; I'm not entirely sure why though. Maybe it's because I love Thai food? If I could only tell you how many times I've eaten and how much money I've spent at Krua Thai (Monterey, CA), Sanam (Hollywood, CA), and Thai Patio (Hollywood, CA). It's like the saying goes, "the way to my heart is through my stomach," there's definitely some truth to that. (Random Fact: if I could only eat one type of food for the rest of my life, it would definitely be Thai). Or maybe because I live right in the heart of Thai Town? Living here for so long, it only makes sense to see the real deal. Or maybe it's a combination of both. I don't know.

What I do know is that this is perfect time for me to go. I've been saving for about a year and a half. No responsibilities. No debt. No commitments. Just me, my dreams, and I--perfect. These 7 months are going to be about me, what I want to do, and what I want to see. Life, thus far, has been so comfortable and structured, therefore, limiting. I want to feel uncomfortable and get lost somewhere. I want to be alone and try to figure how to get from point A to point B.

So, question: Is it crazy to feel a connection with a place I've only known through pictures on the internet, Americanized (and apparently A LOT milder) renditions of Thai cuisine, and whatever I may have learned in school?

Answer: It doesn't matter. I connect, therefore I will go.

Remember, y'all:
If you can dream it, you can do it.

Updates:

So right now, I'm waiting on a few documents so I can apply for my Multiple-Entry, Non-Immigrant ‘B’ visa for Thailand. This visa allows me to work in Thailand; I think it's every 90 days that I'll have to leave the country and renew it? Not sure, but I'll figure it out.

I'm arriving a day early in Thailand, which will give me some time to explore the area before the week long orientation begins. woo hoo!

I've been frequenting REIs around LA and just bought a day pack for the trip (thanks to Toddeezy & Dano the Mano); it's pretty sweet. I'm planning to take as little as possible; anything I can do without, I'm leaving behind. Oh! I was also able to fit into and buy 2 pairs of kids pants for the price of one pair of adults pants. AWESOMEEE! :)

I'll be up north in Monterey, San Francisco, and the East Bay from September 26-October 3. If you're up there, save a day for me! I'd love to see you before I journey off to the other side of the world. :)

Again, I'm leaving on October 11. Let's make a play date!