Finally getting around to it!

Blog #50: finale
It has only been four months.......
Time does get away - and I've felt the need to keep busy.
Boy, I found leaving Chiang Mai to be traumatic. Sad to say goodbye.....

I've "adapted" back to Aussie life very easily really, helped along by settling in back at work with very few changes, and being able to board with a good friend in the country town I work in (loving all the household creature comforts!). I love working in the Aussie environment again. It's been great catching up with so many people again, including my cousins for the first time in many years. My brother recently announced his engagement - seems to be a season of engagements, weddings and pregnancy announcements. Also 11 new bubs in the 12 months I'd been away, 9 being boys - crazy!

So back to me: spare time at bike classes, replaced for winter with a paying gig, pruning at a local vineyard. Not sure what the next "big" things would be in my life, and not applying the pressure either for the moment.

Get to remininsce about Thailand every time my work screen saver comes on, and the Chiang Mai poster has a pride of place on the wall. I've done a powerpoint presentation at a couple of churches now, have helped some friends learn some "survival Thai" for their 6 month volunteer stint ("put pasa thai nit noy"), did an official handover with the next FORRU Aussie volunteer, and had fun with some friends concocting an Asian feast. I'm loving the asian grocery stores at Cabramatta and can make a pass-able Pad Thai now. I'm very much looking forward to having a good friend from Thailand stay in Oz over Christmas. Don't quite have the energy yet to think about photo albums....

My main "perspective" on my year in Thailand is that I'm so grateful to have had the opportunity to be there for the year. I feel extremely blessed to have had the many meaningful and rewarding experiences that I did. I would love to continue an involvement in overseas work in the future in some form, and am very much looking forward to a ReachOut conference next month to start the "dreaming and scheming" phase again. Not too restless yet for overseas travel, but ask me again once I hit my 30's......

I'll be leaving this blog on the internet for now. Thanks for keeping tabs on me. If you've happened to randomly come across it and something has sparked an interest to find out more, look to your right for my email address. Meanwhile if you are planning a trip to Chiang Mai, are reminiscing like I have been, or are just interested in what Thai cities look like, head to this website for a look around: http://www.mapjack.com/ . I even found my house on it!

God's blessings,
Jen :)