i am not alone

so here i am, im in the small town of mae sot in north east Thailand. i have to admit i am pretty lame sitting in my room on the internet. but im taking it slow with myself just so i dont have a breakdown. i mean im ok, but really, whens the last time i have been on my own traveling? about 3 years ago when i left my home for seoul all on my own. i have traveled since then, but its all been with friends or to places where my friends are waiting. im certain i have friends waiting here -- i have to go meet them. but instead im chilling in my overpriced, too good for me, guesthouse room with english news blaring in the background, my belongings laying around me and here on the internet.

getting here was fairly easy actually. i barely slept last night as i uploaded pics, did laundry -- I used a dryer for the first time since being home!!! wow!!!! -- and repacked all my things. woke up after an hour of sleep at 6:30 to head to the bus station as i was told my bus can leave anywhere from 8 - 11. great.

i used the sky train to get to the bus station exit -- the skyrail is really easy to use! everything in english, places to get change, get your tickets from a machine -- sooooo easy but no nearly as extensive as seouls. :) once i got to mo chit station though the bus terminal was not there. so i had to get a taxi for 60baht to take me there. again, easy peasy. my bus ticket was about 350 baht and left at 9. so not too bad.

in the bus station there was a dunkin donuts. hehe....interestingly enough as i was sitting waiting for my bus all of a sudden at 8am the tvs all showed the thai flag and everyone stopped and stood up while they played the thai national anthem. i had read about that but finally saw it in action today. i stayed seated which i dont think was too disrespectful as i think one woman was sleeping through it and another teenage girl chatted on her cellphone.

the bus ride took about 7 hours and i slept like a baby. i was a little nervous as i was the only white kid on the bus and at the bus station. let me clarify, being white doesn't bother me, not speaking any of the language bothers me. i can recognize thank you but i havent had the guts to try it yet. ill ask some of my students to teach me. paid too much for a motorbike to carry me from the bus station to a guesthouse....which was full. so then i had to walk about 5 minutes to another guesthouse which is super nice. i took it becuase i hate carrying my stuff everywhere....but ive created a new rule for myself. i dont need to book all nights at once. if im lazy then i can book one night at the first place i find -- then go search for another spot.

as i later went to go search for an atm i found numerous cute little guesthouses. but i have to say mine is the nicest, and is full of white people -- as this whole city is. i saw 3 white families walking down one street! needless to say -- im not alone. but what am i more afraid of? foreigners? or natives?

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