My time at Wat Kui Buri is coming to an end with only one week left and it has been an beautiful adventure!

I am so grateful for the local staff at the Rescue center who kindly fed, loved, and made me laugh on an every day basis! In moments of weakness, when the realities of being in a foreign country got the best of me, this room was my sanctuary.

It served as a place to rest my head and a place to collect my thoughts. I am so grateful to have had a place to call my own- even if it was always meant to be temporary. On most days there was something sweet waiting for me by my door…

and I certainly will miss this bed…

It’s true I’ve been staying in the only place in Thailand with a real toilet and a laundry machine…damn these will be missed…

This pond found me. To say I spent “a lot” of time here is an understatement. I came here all the time for meditating, drawing, writing, or just sitting here. There was some sort of magic in the water (as well as a giant snake that greeted me on more than one occasion). The green surrounding the water transcended my idea of beauty – the pictures don’t do it justice at all. This is where I realized that stillness isn’t something sought and found… it is something that waits for you to invite it in—-

I am so grateful to this pond. It showed me the potential of my mind for the first time in my life— and what a time it was!

The universe must know how much traveling makes me miss my dog- so it made sure that the Wat was well equipped with about 10 dogs that look identical to my pup Boston! This is Bandit— by week one she pretty much accompanied me to the pond every day…

One Saturday morning, as I sat by the pond meditating, I heard voices in the distance and I found this…

So instinctively I threw my skirt off and dove right in…

Most mornings this is what breakfast looked like…

The kitchen always has some deliciousness brewing away… like lots of peanuts!

If there is one very important thing to say about being in Thailand… absolutely phenomenal food is happening here and I have been eating it! I’m amazed by how incredible the markets are — the amount of produce, fresh fruit and delicious treats — they are in the most discreet places ! I’ve gotta say there is definitely amazing street food here and this man made my mouth melt with something out of this world…

It took a of couple weeks, and one time getting sick, to figure out that with most traditional Thai dishes you’re bound to get one of two things: Very SPICY or Very SWEET.  I found out that sugar cane is one of Thailand’s cash crops- and it is in nearly everything they eat here. With that said,  I had to start cleansing my palette with some more manageable ingredients…

Three weeks ago I was invited to a daily aerobics class and have been going ever since. These 50 year old women crack me up with their booty shaking exercises & show choir arms!

The instructor is awesomely energetic and this class has been a wonderful addition to my daily routine!

The music is a mixture of Thai/American techno and I recently noticed the sexual nature of the lyrics, lol! I don’t think any of them have a clue but we definitely just danced to a song that said: “I want to sex you up and down” in it. Amazing.

For the last month and a half Mal stays with me on the weekends and the two of us have shared in some good times. I think we both very much need the comfort and companionship.  It is definitely a struggle to be so far from home but being able to laugh with someone is the perfect remedy. We share a genuine love for the children and it seems like wherever we are kids find us… its pretty awesome.

I have genuinely never felt as comfortable surrounded by a group of strangers than I have throughout my stay here. I’ve met such kind souls that have watched after me and being able to share space with them has been an absolute joy. I am sincerely grateful…

Let me introduce you to Pluem…

He is one of my students and he is the 4 year old little rascal that lives across the street from the center on the Wat. He is all character and a little bit of spunk!

True story: he has peed more than once while sitting on my lap, sometimes spits randomly, runs around naked, has random spasms of excitement, barges into my room, bangs on the bathroom door while I’m showering yelling my name— but, this dirty little boy has found his way into my heart.

I’ll admit this is a handful in a classroom setting but, at the center it is all fun, laughter, and love. Of the thousands of children I have worked with in my life, this kid has one of the most unique spirits I’ve ever encountered. He has an innate light in his heart, a laugh that is contagious and a smile that could make an atheist believe in God.

Of the many things I will miss about Wat Kui Buri… this little boy is top of the list. Our daily interaction has grown, as have our moments of connection. I genuinely feel bonded to this child. He has a natural love for reading and an energy inside of his soul that will only grow if the world he lives in allows him to shine. With most of my students I sense a deep longing for love and I have not hesitated in showing them that love in my own way. I desperately hope that this community will nurture and encourage this beautiful little being to grow perfectly into his potential. These are my hopes for every child.

When my volunteering comes to an end I usually always feel a bitter sweetness– in the saying goodbye. What I have grown to realize is that absolutely nothing here is permanent. We are all temporary and so is our time here- wherever we are– and that is why whatever we are doing right now is very important.

What we do with our temporary time here is the only thing that really matters…