Back in Seattle

I'm back in Seattle and jumped right into my life at home. Its funny how happy I am to be home but also how quickly I miss Southeast Asia. When I first came back it was a beautiful day and you could see all the mountains. People kept asking if SE Asia was more beautiful than home but I just said it was different and where we live is very beautiful in its own way. Well, I'll finish the story of my trip and the first couple days back home.

The night after my last blog I met up with Dharma for lunch and then hung around Khao San. We walked around and said hi to all the people Dharma has become friends with while there. It was really fun because he has met a lot more people on the road than me, we even ran into Shy who had missed his plane twice. Then at night we met up with Moo and had some drinks with some of Dharma's friends and some of Moo's friends that work in a travel agency on Khao San.

That night was really fun and I ended up becomeing really good friends with one of Moo's friends named Natt. We drank on Khao San then went to a club to dance. Moo left at about 1, and then I stayed dancing. At the end of the night it was just me and Natt. Meeting Natt changed the end of my trip because the next night I also hung out with her, and Moo, Dharma (it was his last night), and a couple of his friends. Some of us met up at 8 in front of Dharma's guest house.

At dinner I ran into a British friend of mine from Don Det who hung out with us for the night, and then while drinking at Chart on Khao San I ran into Clause from Cambodia. It was really fun to catch up with Clause at the end of our trip. Moo met up with Natt and Su (another friend from the travel agency) and then met us at 10:30 or so after closing the store. That night we all drank buckets because it was Dharma's last night and we all wanted to party. Moo got very drunk so Natt and I helped her back to her condo at the end of the night.

The next day I packed and then spent the last hours with Natt before I left for the airport. The flight was long but I slept most of the way due to the sleeping pills. There was a 10 hour lay over in South Korea and I just slept that whole time also. After the flight I was happy to be home but it was an amazing last few days and deffinately left me want to come back to Thailand sooner rather than later.

When arriving home somehow my Dad and I missed each other in the airport and then my Mom showed up randomly so I left with Mom. We tried calling Dad but he left his phone in the truck so Dad ended up waiting in the airport for 3 hours, leaving after he heard a page that I did for him in the bagage claim area. It was a strange way to come home but after all the confusion was over everything was great.

I found out that the very next day there was a barbeque and basket ball game at my old elementary school Summit. Then the next day there was a final performance in the theater in the school. This year is the last year of my elementary and middle school, I could have gone there for high school but I left. The Seattle School District closed the school this last year, so the 09 year is the last. I even went to the city hall meeting to try to keep the school open but we failed.

It was really fun to go to the school events and see all the old faces but I am still jet lagged so after the gatherings I would fall asleep until early in the morning. After the basket ball games I went to meet a close friend and ended up falling asleep at his friends house then went to his house and slept until 5 the next morning. Then I had more events for school to go to and a big reunion after the event that night.

Yesterday I recovered some more and began a garden project in the back yard with my parents. I'm beginning to get over the jet lag but am already leaving tomorrow for California for a music festival. A close friend of mine from College (Adam) is in a band and playing in a small festival in southern Cali. So another close friend (August) and I are going down there and going to see hot springs on the way down and back up. Adam may even come with August and I to a few hot springs after the festival and shows that we will go to with him.

Anyway, I'm hitting the ground running and living my life here and already beginning the fun of traveling in the western US. This will be my last blog until I leave on my next trip. I could continue to write about my life here in the US but I feel like that is my personal life. I have this blog to document my travels, keep my close friend and family informed about what I'm doing, and share my experiences and impressions of other countries and cultures. Now that I'm back home the main purpose of this blog is done but I will continue it next winter on this same website. I think I'll go to India and/or Nepal, probably leaving in December. Until then, peace and love to all!