First of all, Happy New Year! I've reached the halfway point in my exchange. You read that right. In fact, in just a few days, I will have been here five months with only four more to go. And, I will admit, I spent so much time counting down to the halfway point as if it were the most exciting event in the world... but, in fact, now that I have made it here, I now feel incredibly nervous, anxious, confused, and really just craving more snacks from 7-11. Although it is completely validated to have those feelings - and most of us exchange students do - I'm not sure why I'm feeling those things. I suppose it's because I realize that there remains many sights to see, foreign words to comprehend, conversations to be held, life lessons to learn, and battles to be conquered that I only have four months to complete. But, don't get me wrong, the past five months have been jampacked with extraordinary experiences. Even the bad times have strengthened my character and taught me crucial lessons about life... most of the time, even more so than the great experiences.
I do not recognize myself anymore, mostly physically (as Thailand has kicked my butt into shape). Mostly, I feel much more mature in my thinking than I did a few months ago. Something interesting I have been doing tonight is going back and reading past YES Abroad blogs, watching YouTube videos, and comparing my experiences to theirs now that I am here. I remember that pre-departure elation I possessed the entirety of Summer 2014, and how once you arrive on program, that feeling dissipates. I FELT those feelings again. It's a feeling quite difficult to explain. And, as I now chat with new YES Abroad applicants on Facebook, I realize my transformation is starting to come full circle here. I'm now sharing my experiences and advice with current applicants as current YES'ers and alumni did for me.
The next four months will be even better than the last five. January will be a quiet month; a month where I will enjoy the last few weeks of my Thai school experience, and continue flowing through life with my host family. In February, I will travel to Chiang Mai for the AFS enrichment camp where we will ride elephants, jungle trek, shop at the night bazaar, visit a local school, and connect with each other about our experiences. I haven't seen Sarah since the September camp, or Emily and Grace since we arrived! I will also travel to Bangkok directly after the camp for another doctor's appointment. I will have a Digital-Motion X-Ray to further check out my knee. Hopefully everything checks out! Although, I just got a new knee brace that I will have to wear for quite a long time. It's actually pretty comfortable, it just limits my motion a little bit! In March, I will travel to Koh Samui with other AFS students, staff, and actually my host parents and family who will be the local guides for the trip. Should be pretty relaxing to finally visit the beaches that the island is so famous for. I should also be attending a massage camp in Ayutthaya in either March or April. In April, I turn 18 and want to go to Bangkok to celebrate, but we'll see how that pans out. Me and the other YES Abroad students would like to plan a community service trip or two for March and April, so I am excited for those as well. I will be leaving my host family on May 6th for Bangkok, where I will be taking AP tests for a week before attending the end-of-stay camp with AFS and departing for the U.S.A. on May 13th... It's mind-blowing to know this is happening so soon.
I'm not sure how to end this post... I have conflicted emotions as stated earlier... but I guess I'll end by saying that I am extremely proud to have made it this far considering all of the circumstances. I made it past the hump of exchange - the holidays. I will always remember this experience.
Until next time,
Brandon, Paradon, Don, or "good-smell-handsome-boy" as that one teacher at school calls me.
No comments:
Post a Comment