Keep Your Eyes on the Moon and Your Feet Muddy: Caitlin's Visit

I remember how I did not want to get my hopes up. Not even when she said that because her date of departure for the Peace Corps had been changed, she would be able to visit. Not even when we spent time looking for good deals online. Not even when she finally purchased a ticket and not even as the date of her scheduled arrival was drawing close. Such thinking was pretty uncharacteristic for an absolute optimist like myself but because I knew how much I wanted this...how much a visit would mean...I tried not to get my hopes up lest anything happen. And something did happen...almost. A few weeks before she was supposed to arrive, there were a couple of tense events that sent ripples through the Thai political landscape. Looking back, I don't think the events were enough to disrupt her trip but at the time, I was worried. Of course, it didn't help that all volunteers were placed on alert and a travel ban to BKK was issued. Things seemed to calm down 2 weeks before she was to arrive and then I got the text message that the situation was getting a bit testy again and the travel ban would have to be reissued. Of course, at this point I had already made hotel reservations and was set to pick her up in BKK. This led to what I consider my most stressful week thus far in Thailand: a series of phone calls, and looking up things online, and checking with various people about the situation in BKK, etc. Eventually (as is usually the case) everything worked out. I was able to find a domestic flight for her to a closer province, found a reliable means of transportation from the international airport to the domestic one and found the strength to swallow the loss of an already paid for hotel room (volunteers don't make too much moolah)

And you know what?

It was ALL WORTH IT.

Caitlin's 2 week visit, while a short one, was filled with so much fun, love, laughter, and excitement that it easily trumped whatever stress I had felt prior to her visit. We got to spend a week in my village, working at my school together, sharing meals with the villagers, and basically just savoring our time together. There was never a dull moment. Our weekdays were filled working at my two schools, playing soccer in the streets with some of the kids in my village, running around and being silly with my students, and enjoying wonderful Thai food. On the weekend, we went on a double date of sorts with a co-teacher of mine and her boyfriend to Phra Chedi Chaimongkol and we spent some time exploring my province's main city, Roi-Et. We also got to spend half a week hanging out in BKK and I got to introduce her to some of my Peace Corps friends.

Best of all, we got to share 2 precious weeks together and we certainly made the most of it by seizing every moment (I'm blessed with a zillion wonderful memories of our time together)! Plus, it was really good for Caitlin to gain some insight into the life of a Peace Corps volunteer since she's taking off pretty soon for her own grand adventure (an adventure that I hope to partake in when I visit her in Uganda! Woohoo!) I think it was especially good for me as well because her visit allowed me to see my experience though a whole new lens. My appreciation for my village, my neighbors, my co-workers, and my life here in general just grew as I shared it all with Caitlin.

So to Caitlin, Thank you so much for visiting! In those two weeks, you added so much color to an already animated life. I look forward to sharing in your own adventure 8 months from now. I love you.

The pics:

Caitlin and I with my students

Dinner with some of my co-workers

Lunch with co-workers from school. Our social calendar was packed during Caitlin's visit.

In Roi-et. That's a big foot!

Hanging out by Bung Palanchaiand feeding the fishes

The teachers at my school all fell in love with Caitlin. This was during a little farewell they planned for her. As a farewell gift, they gave her a beautiful shawl made of Thai silk woven by the ladies of my village.

They then all took turns having their picture taken with her. This is Caitlin with my principal.

Caitlin and her cute boyfriend ;)

My principal and his wife took Caitlin and I to the bus station but not before giving her yet another gift. This time, the shawl was made by my principal's mother- in- law.