Thailand--Where Dreams Come True

In Thailand, dreams come true.

No, I'm not talking about the dreams that lead men to the seedier parts of Bangkok (thoughI've heard those dreams come true as well.)

I'm talking about those dreams innate in every person. Those dreams everyone carries around in their heart of hearts--to be a Broadway performer and a dominant basketball player. Anyone who says they never had these dreams is lying. Well okay, fine...not everyone has those dreams. In fact, not too many people have these dreams. But I do! And, in these past three months, I have made them happen.

Granted singing the Hokie Pokie in a classroom in rural Thailand isn't exactly like singing "On My Own" on the Broadhurst but after seeing the reaction of the Thai kids to the Hokie Pokie, damnit if they are not comparable!

And while I will never be Greg Oden, Kobe, or Shaq, the sheer manner by which I dominated the basketball court yesterday afternoon puts me right up there with the greats. Who cares that I played against 12 year old girls who have never played basketball before and only gave it a shot because the foreigner was playing? Did anyone give Jordan a hard time for playing against mere mortals? I think not.

So yes, I am a gifted performer and yes, I'm dominant in the basketball court. I can now check those two things off my life's to-do-list. And after two more years, I'm confident that I will check even more items from the list. Why? I'm in Thailand baby! Where dreams come true!


*On a more serious note, I did dream about doing something meaningful and exciting after college graduation--something that would allow me to travel and learn more about the world. My experiences thus far in Thailand as a Peace Corps Volunteer have satisfied that dream and then some.