Adjusting to Thailand!

A short 3 months ago I settled into Phichit, Thailand and started preparing to become a teacher. In my head this was going to be an easy job, something I've done before in Bali and China, but boy was I WRONG. Being a paid teacher is more than playing games and practicing speaking like I did when volunteering. I have to actually teach groups of kids math, science, language arts, and writing. On top of that we have homework and exams. I'm a legit teacher this time and give all the props in the world to every elementary school teacher out there!

It took me 8-10 hours a day for 4 straight days to produce a curriculum for my ten classes and my lessons for the first week. Make it known this was the hottest time of year and we do NOT have A/C. I felt like dying and had never experienced so much sweat in my entire existence! I know I sound dramatic, but that's probably just a mix of me telling the truth and well... being dramatic. HA! Not only was I constantly working, but I hadn't been around a single person that spoke English all week. Life was weird, hot, and exhausting. I felt way in over my head and wondered multiple times a day what the hell I got myself into.

Things took a turn for the better when the other Americans arrived. I was able to talk to people; they understood my struggles and to them I was some type of goddess for not whining about the heat. It was like in my four days of loneliness I'd developed some immunity to the humidity and forgotten how bad things were just four days ago. Looking back now I can't believe the insane adjustments I've made in my daily routine and habits in the short few months I've lived here.

Thailand living is VERY different from that of America. My family lost it when I told them my bathroom was outside. That's not even the thing that was hard to adjust to, I just pretend I'm camping and have to take a little stroll with all the bugs before I can use the restroom. FYI- we're going to get very close over time cause I'm not shy, but this next part might be kind of personal to some so sorry not sorry it's just the truth. The hard part for me was the no toilet paper allowed in the toilet and using a spray hose to clean off. I never knew what a habit it was to like wipe and drop it in the toilet until I couldn't do that anymore! The big challenge tho was getting used to having a spout shoot water up me to clean after using the restroom. Apart from the various species of insects and reptiles surrounding me ALWAYS, no matter where I am, the squirter was the biggest difference I had to overcome when using Thai bathrooms. Though I will say I've adjusted to a point that when I went to Vietnam and we didn't have a squirter thing I was thrown off guard and kind of sad.

I've also had to adjust to wearing only flip-flops cause every building you enter requires you to remove shoes. Don't get me wrong I love the barefoot life, but its next to impossible to ever feel clean in this country. We shower two times a day but when a/c doesn't exist, and you can't wear shoes it's like what even is the point. HA! Those combined with the fact our washer sucks and drying things outside in this humidity makes for our clothes never being clean either. Basically I'm going to feel like a filthy animal until I get back to America.

At this point I've whined about the teaching and the living so I'm sure you're wondering why I'm here and if I even like it? The answer is I'm stuck here but I love it and could totally live here forever. The food is AMAZING! The children are adorable. The people are the kindest around. Their driving is a bit crazy, but they don't honk their horns like Americans and have patience for days. The scenery is breathtaking! I can go north to the mountains or south to the beaches, don't need much more than that. Honestly, I've actually started looking into options that involve staying in Thailand, but not teaching in little ol' Phichit. The world is my oyster, I've got nothing to lose and a whole world to seek. Only time will tell where this girl goes so thanks for reading and stay tuned 'til next time!