EEEtheWorld

The three hour bus ride from Pai to Chiang Mai is 736 turns of narrow winding cutbacks up and down the mountains. It’s so treacherous all 7 of us adventurers took Dramamine (motion sickness prevention tablets) prior to climbing into our private songataeow on the way there. The route to Pai was back and fourth and back and fourth across the cutbacks, but because it was dark we had no perspective of the mountain ridges we were bussing across. This drive today was spectacular!!! I wanted to shout eeeee the whole time and restrained from asking the driver sitting directly to my right to pull over several times to snap photos of the outrageous views of the jungle mountains. This is an example of the curves: (video) warning this may make you feel like you’re in a real life video game. The cliffs were thousands of feet down if we teetered too far beyond the rail which felt like inches from my door. My stomach was clenched as I constantly attempted to pop my ears. This experience was extraordinary and I’m so grateful this spontaneous early morning visit to the bus station resulted in my choice of the best front row seat ever!!

HallieLou

Eating, Educating, and Exploring my way through this world! View all posts by HallieLou

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Check out the recording here!

I endured the majority of summer escaping to this imagined moment in my mind. And now the moment is here- take off! I have made it to that very moment! Pinch! The pilot just announced they are closing the door to UA0081 ORD–>NRT. I’m settled into my seat 53A with no one next to me and the view of the world out the window to my right. I’m sitting on a pillow. the plane is huge and barely half full. The weather outside is rainy, cool and 38 degrees F which i believe is an OMEN that this is my  path- escaping this horrid Chicago weather to hotter, humid Jungle Climates of Chiang Rai. I have so few cares in the world right now. my to=do list priority is making it to my gate @ Tokyo-Naratia.  I should have about 2+ hours to find the gate in the same international terminal. So  I am taking in this peace and the strength  I have mustered to get myself to this chair. I am also extremely grateful for so many dear friends and family who’ve supported me through this time. There is a bit of tightness in my throat – that happy cry joy bittersweetness that bundles up inside of you. I’m so carefree and happy right now.

EEEEE the World!!!

Konichiwa le monde!

For this flight I plan to toast to my loved ones who got me to this point, then smile, pop an ambien and take next steps when I wake up! SO MUCH LOVE,

<3 Hallieeeeeeee

http://www.icloud.com/photostream/#A15nhQSTPRNtv

HallieLou

Eating, Educating, and Exploring my way through this world! View all posts by HallieLou

It’s an accomplished feeling to note that I have physically made it to the other side of the world– and it truly is — 12 hour time zones ahead. Half the time I am in the future impaired to back home. The flights have Been uneventful so far which when traveling long distances, 23 hours in air, with two connections, is a good thing. I had a window seat with no one next to me on my way to Tokyo-Naratia except for the still guy one seat over. No joke, The Japanese American guy next to me barely budged the entire flight. He slept facing straight upright with his eyes lightly shut whether I opened the shade or not. He did not even rustle to go to the bathroom. I hopped over the top of him when I had to wee.

This being trapped, I slept majority of the way with wake ups for meals. We had a chicken dinner dish with a role and butter and brown rice. I am eating every morsel because I have not been positive when or where my next meal is coming from. The next flight snack was a surprisingly non-mushy turkey sandwich accompanied by a petite pint of vanilla gelato. Scrumptious

HallieLou

Eating, Educating, and Exploring my way through this world! View all posts by HallieLou

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | RSS

cursive

Everyday is an adventure… Wherever you find yourself take note of your discoveries.

Click the video below to Start my new series of EEE’ing

Everyday is an adventure… Wherever you find yourself take note of your discoveries.

HallieLou

Eating, Educating, and Exploring my way through this world! View all posts by HallieLou

It’s peaceful as it pitter patters through the humid forest, splashing across tropical leaves, slipping down bamboo trunks.

It’s thunderous as it pours in sheets onto tin roofs.

The dance with the toqués.

The song with the frogs.

The dewy dangerous orchestra clamors loudly with the thunder light show above.

Drip, drop, drip, drop.

Pouring down on Thailand mountain top.

Rain in Thai….

HallieLou

Eating, Educating, and Exploring my way through this world! View all posts by HallieLou

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Gross! One of the most smelly, prehistoric, humongous fruits in Thailand is called a durian. It’s middle fruit is supposedly sweet, but the rest of it is so foul smelling it is forbidden to take onto public transportation. Regardless, I thought if anything can make something yummy, it’s ice cream. No. ThIs featured Asian flavor of the month is nasty. Ick to durian anything for me. At least now I know a food I can list that I do not like in addition to canned peas.

HallieLou

Eating, Educating, and Exploring my way through this world! View all posts by HallieLou

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

HallieLou

Eating, Educating, and Exploring my way through this world! View all posts by HallieLou

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

At Mirror Foundation I had a ball.

But now to move on I got my call.

I will miss all you heaps and the rice.

For making friends I now pay the price.

Sad to go to say goodbye.

And yes I’m not ashamed to cry.

Thailand is magical beautiful and green.

Pai, Chiang Mai, many places I’ve seen.

Hill-walks and smoothies and live in a dorm.

Share with 10 girls that is the norm. Teach hill tribe children.hospital and school.

The orphanage the best, children so cool.

My birthday homestay in the village Lahoo.

Waterfall, bamboo house and an outside loo.

The ice cream van music stuck in my head.

Movie nights and chatting, late night in bed.

It’s been fantastic and I’m so sad to go.

So hope one day some of you at my door you will show.

HallieLou

Eating, Educating, and Exploring my way through this world! View all posts by HallieLou

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Moments of EEEEE: Class was canceled a lot this week because everyone is needed for the rice harvest- including me. Fiona just wanted a picture of the villagers shucking the rice but before I realized it, she was 100 yards into the field.

The dragonflies in the field

The feeling of wind in my hair driving to Huey Mai sai, with the hills, and the

HallieLou

Eating, Educating, and Exploring my way through this world! View all posts by HallieLou

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

This past year, some acquaintances perhaps thought I was running away from heartbreak when I announced I’m leaving Chicago and relocating to teach English in Thailand.

(True I needed some time to reclaim my individuality, but that can be done anywhere).

Some executives may think I’m just a classic millennial searching for ultimate self-actualization too early in life and taking the easy way out by not working or making money and just having fun volunteering.

(Newsflash it’s a blast but challenging in its own right, and I own my decisions just like you do).

When I chose to say sianara to normalcy and societal expectations, I was screaming EEEEE and have dedicated my life to ways in which EEEEE comes most naturally…

Which is to be a giver rather than a taker and to explore uncharted new territory with other adventurous souls.

Keep calm and EEE on,

Hallieeeeeeee

PS: What’s your EEE today?

HallieLou

Eating, Educating, and Exploring my way through this world! View all posts by HallieLou

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.