This trip was amazing! I haven't been home long enough to know the true impact it will have as I have not been able to fully digest all of the wonderful experiences. From the moment I landed to the moment I left there was a smile on my face. This trip made me feel the happiest I've been in a long time and that is due to the wonderful connections that were made. Everyone I met showed so much affection and warmth to me a complete stranger. While in Thailand I pick up a bunch of physical behaviors that seem very odd here. The hardest one to stop has been the bowing. I do it as a reflex when I greet someone or apologize to someone even as I am walking past people and make eye contact accidentally. The one change I have noticed in my behavior since being back in Minnesota is (even though I still have a creation level of sarcasm) I have been much more kind towards people.
When I look back at my first blog I have a completely different feeling about everything. I feel like I accomplished the two goals I set for myself. I have definitely brought back a sense of sa'nuk. Starfish is where I noticed how much of a grouch I can be. Letting those beautiful children change that was the best part of this trip. At the school being alone for a moment was not something they understood, I always had someone hanging on my hand or arm. I miss them so much, but I am so happy because I had the chance to get to know them. I wake up in the morning and different and I let that feeling radiates throughout my day. I have been smiling more and overall just been a bit more light hearted. I know at this point I'm not just coasting on sleep deprivation. These feelings are real.
I am going to travel. I will go back to Thailand and I will share it with the people I am closest to!
