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“Jai-yaen-yaen”

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Excuse the Instagram screen shot, but this is the only picture I have that captures the essential moment of the week: MEETING MY HOST FAMILY! The morning we were leaving the hotel, everyone was excited. We were finally going to be able to put our Thai to use. I rehearsed my lines over and over (in Thai) “My name is Emily, I am from America, I have three sisters, my dog’s name is Tilly, I like spicy food...” my teacher (aajan) told me I was ready. I felt ready, too. We ate our last meal at the hotel (which was the hotel’s attempt at mashed potatoes special for us), loaded our stuff on the bus, and headed to meet our families at the Don Chedi hub. When the busses pulled in, my heart skipped a beat. Alright Em, phase 2 of training, here we go. We got out, sat down across the aisle from the host families, and endured an excruciatingly long opening ceremony. No one was paying attention to the speakers because we were just too excited to see who got who. When it was finally over, nam...
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Bike Day: “Leaning in”

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In the past week, Group 131 has been working diligently under the theme “you can do hard things.” It seems like an obvious statement at first, but once you repeat it in your head when you’ve been put to the test, it energizes you. I want to explain how it helped me today. Most people know that I’ve never been a strong biker. I start off alright, but if I hit an obstacle or an unexpected bump I get what some refer to as “muppet arms,” flail about, and crash to the ground. So today, when we were expected to bike 10 kilometers in Don Chedi, our new home in 3 days, I was nervous. The morning started out alright, I got my bike (which is beautiful!), adjusted the seat, and did some practice loops in the driveway with my team. I was starting to relax when I saw the person in front of me had stopped, and I plowed into them, causing me to fall off my bike. I was horrified, but got up and made jokes so people wouldn’t worry. My hands were all cut up. I thought “God if I can’t do this how ...
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The Thought of Forever (or Five Minutes)

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2019  ---->                                                        2020 New Years Day. I stepped off the plane and wearily made my way off of the plane from Chiang Mai. I hadn't slept at all the night before, due to the New Year's Eve festivities, and was eager to return to my own bed. But I still had a ways to go: from Bangkok, a four hour bus ride, followed by a half hour van ride, followed by a twenty minute taxi ride with a cranky driver was between me and rest. Out of the boarding bridge, the vast windows of Suvarnabhumi airport reveal its geometric garden planted just outside. Its bushes grow in the shape of lotuses, its grass trimmed in a lighter kelly green. It is encircled by the shark-fin arches of the terminal. It's sort of an ironic sight: amidst the chaos of angry metal, flight delays, and crying babies, the garden...
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