October 25, 2020

It's been over a year since we returned to Maryland from our two years in Thailand. The transition has been difficult in unexpected ways. Life was good for me in the US prior to leaving but Thailand was amazing in so many profound ways. Moving to another country is a huge risk. You spend money to move. There are many things you don't know. I read a lot of articles, but had never set foot in Southeast Asia. Even with research you really don't know how YOU will like it. The difference can be the little things. Lizards on the wall can be unsettling. Outdoor kitchens in restaurants can also be a challenge. Riding a motorbike is risky and annoying during monsoon season.

The difficulty has been in getting exercise, having energy, motivation. I feel like I'm floundering and things take great effort. In essence I have changed. My changed self is confronting my old reality and I expect it to fit the same way. It's just not in sync anymore. Now compound that with COVID and wow! So I am approaching satisfaction with where I am in life now, but it's taken over a year. It's like reverse culture shock

The effort to travel to and from Asia to the east coast of the US is enormous. We took a train to Bangkok and a plane to NY. 35 hours of traveling including taxi to the bus station in Phuket, bus to train station in Surat Thani, overnight train to Bangkok, subway across Bangkok in rush hour, etc. There were a lot of segments that worked together almost perfectly. All the hours traveling definitely took a toll. When we returned and the virus hit we were satisfied to not make travel plans. We had enough of traveling for a while. We dearly miss our friends but our memories are mostly sweet.