My Thai Times

Sunday, May 07, 2006

"Why on earth do you want to go to Thailand?"

It has been interesting fielding the reactions of my friends and family when they hear that I am choosing to leave the glorious U.S. of A. to live in Thailand. The most commonly asked question: “Why would you go and do a thing like that?”
Well, why not?
For the past few years, I have toyed with the idea of living and teaching abroad. I love America (my older sister says I’ll love it even more after living elsewhere) but there is a gnawing curiosity to step out of my comfort zone. For 29 of my 31 years of life I have lived within a 150 mile stretch of land from Richmond to Norfolk. I’ve traveled some but that isn’t the same as living in another country. I want to stretch my knowledge and flexibility, realize that the things I take for granted—air conditioning, toilet paper, finding my size shoes, French fries—are not universal. I want to see how the Thai people treat each other, what they value, witness their work ethic, see why students still respect their teachers. I want to be able to come back and say with confidence that the American way is not always the best way.
In short, I want to experience. Is that such a foreign concept?
The second most commonly asked question: “Aren’t you scared?”
Not yet.

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