Getting ready to go to Edinburgh

Doing a little research on my adopted home for the next few months. The picture below is a book that a co-worker let me borrow. I'll let you know....
Life has been super crazy the past few days. Tons of stuff to do and a bazillion things running through my mind.
My goodbyes have started and that part isn't fun. I'm nervous about all the "unknowns" but I keep reminding myself that this is the adventure of a lifetime.
Off to finish packing.... Ugh!

The next adventure begins January 10, 2013

Sorry for the long delay since my last post. Thailand was amazing but I got super sick when I got home and was down for the count for two and a half weeks. By the time I was feeling better it was Mom's birthday, Taylor's dance recital (so cute!) and then the holidays. Awesome family time!
On to the next adventure... I'll be heading to Edinburgh, Scotland to work for 6 months. I'm super excited & very nervous but confident that I'll have a great adventure!
I'll miss my family, my besties, my co-workers, my gym buddies, my autocross family and many more but I have to take this once in a lifetime opportunity.
Let me know if you'd like to come for a visit (the flight is only 10 hours hahaha).

Bye bye Thailand

Time to go home..... We had time for breakfast, a few minutes to soak up some sun on the beach, and pack. I left my filthy dirty shoes in Thailand because they were gonzo after all the adventures and I needed room in my suitcase for souvenirs.
So sad to leave because I had such an awesome time but ready to go home to family & friends. Thailand was AMAZING! The sights, the beaches, the people, the culture, the food, the adventures and my travel companions. I plan to come back again and suggest anyone reading this puts an adventure to Thailand on your list of things to do. I would strongly recommend going with TBF Travel, they made this experience so memorable, easy and fun. This is their 10th year leading trips to Thailand and they do an amazing job. Things were planned so well and even when the rain derailed plans, they came up with wonderful alternatives.
I'm not looking forward to the three flights and about 15 hours total on airplanes to get home but can't wait to see everyone.

Last full day

The last full day on Ko Samui was a free day with no formal planned activities so the awesome group of ladies I've been hanging out with headed out for shopping for souvenirs and gifts to bring home. We had a late breakfast to let the people that went to the full moon party sleep in. At breakfast they shared their stories and pictures from the party.
The most common form of transportation on Ko Samui is called a rod song taew which is a tiny pick up truck with two benches in the back. Because of the rain they were covered (similar to a jeep with plastic) so the air flow while riding in the back was minimal so we usually chose to ride standing at the back.
We shopped & shopped and had good luck bartering and finding deals. A few of us enjoyed the Indian dinner so much from the night before that we went back for lunch. We rushed to squeeze in one more 2 hour Thai massage before leaving Thailand. We hurried back to the hotel to meet up with the group for our final dinner together.
After dinner our guide Dan led us to the local cabaret show featuring the "lady boys" I described in an earlier post. It was an experience, strange, odd & a little funny. One of those experiences you can say you did but don't really need to do again.

Weeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Zip lining is soooooo FUN! We woke up in the morning and it wasn't raining so we were super excited and headed out for zip lining. However, as soon as we got to the base camp area it started to rain. So we hung out under a tarp and waited out the rain. We caught a break in the rain and started the hike/jungle trek to the top. We were able to complete all the lines in a light rainfall which added to the adventure for sure. The waterfalls were full & raging and a sight to see from the tree tops. Because of the rain we were filthy dirty & covered in mud. Also because of the rain, I don't have any pictures. (Check back in a few days once we get all the pictures from Rosie's waterproof camera).
We stopped for lunch at a favorite place of Bill & Eat's called MK. It's a little like fondue, you have a big pot in the center of the table and you order meat, veggies, noodles, etc to throw in the pot to make your own soup. It was a great lunch after being wet & dirty from zip lining.
We headed back to the hotel for some of the group to clean up and head to the Full Moon Party. I decided not to go for a few reasons. So after cleaning up I met the rest of our group that didn't go to the full moon party at the hotel bar on the beach for a few tropical drinks before heading to the sort of downtown area near a lake were the Loi Krathong Festival was going on. Loi Krathong is Thailand's version of Thanksgiving. On the way there we saw many families piled on their mopeds with their beautifully had made Krathongs which are flower arrangements made to float. The families light the candle in the center, make a wish for the upcoming year and set the Krathong afloat in the lake.
After exploring the Loi Krathong celebration we headed for dinner. Lya & Tye were craving Indian food (which I've never had) so we joined them for dinner. Lya & Tye were so generous to let me taste all their food and I loved it all!

The rain didn't go away

If you come to Thailand (which I strongly recommend you do) expect that you will be wet (from heat, sweat, & humidity or rain) at least 90% of the time. When you come to Thailand, plan to change clothes 3-4 times per day and bring a waterproof camera. Due to the weight restrictions on luggage (50 lbs for international flights but only 45 lbs for domestic flights within Thailand) you'll need to do laundry. On Ko Samui Bill recommends Do-Do laundry. So of course we've all had fun with the name of the laundry service. One of the funny group theme conversations and catch phrases centers around endurance athletes (specifically triathletes) who have to pee or poop in their pants because you don't stop during a race to go to the bathroom. So if you're a triathlete or an honorary triathlete (as I've been named after all the crazy adventures & activities I've completed) and you do-do your pants, go to Do-Do Laundry.
Do not come to Thailand without a waterproof camera! Luckily Rosie has one and she has been named the designated photographer for all our adventures in Ko Samui because it has been raining the entire time we've been here. So I don't have pictures to upload of elephant trekking or zip lining. Check back after I get home, Rosie has promised to burn us each a CD with all the pictures.
If you are following my adventure online, do not refer back to the itinerary, everything is out of order due to the rain. So today is Tuesday. We started the day with a quick visit to Wat Kunaram (Buddhist temple) with the mummified remains of monk Phra Khru Samathakittikhun. There is an activity where you shake a cup with numbered sticks until one falls out. The number of your stick tells your fortune.
Next we headed for the main activity of the day, elephant trekking. So AWESOME! We started riding two people per elephant on a bench attached to the elephant's back and the guide riding on its neck, just behind its head & ears. Our guide had our elephant suck up water in its trunk and spray it on the people in front of us. Hilarious from where I was sitting. Not so funny if you are the one that got spit on by the elephant. Part way through the guide got down and let each of us have a turn sitting on the elephant's neck. Very fun, but you have nothing to hold onto so good balance is key.
Next there was a short hike up to a waterfall where they normally jump from rocks into a swimming hole. Due to all the rain, there was too much water and it was rushing fast so we admired Mother Nature and took some pictures (on Rosie's camera).
Our next stop was lunch at a tiny patio restaurant that had an amazing lookout over the beach. You could see Grandfather Rock from there but it was still too rainy, wet & slippery to go exploring. We enjoyed another wonderful Thai lunch family style chosen by Eat. We had a little time for some shopping on the street and then we loaded up to head back to the hotel.
We cleaned up and headed out for dinner and shopping. The group of ladies I've been hanging out with when we break from the larger group decided we wanted something other than Thai for dinner so we shopped & walked until we found a little Italian place. We ordered a few pizzas to share and had a nice dinner. Next we walked the main street of Ko Samui called Chaweng. We shopped for hours. Everyone wanted souvenirs from the trip and gifts to take home. It was a late night so I fell into bed the second we got back (sorry this post is almost a day late).

Rain rain go away

Cuz we want to play! That's our slogan for the day. We had to postpone and change plans due to the crazy storm hitting Ko Samui today. Instead of starting at 9am we delayed until 11am. Most of the group had already gathered at 9am so instead of going our separate ways for 2 hours we decided to head to the big open air lobby to play cards & games and enjoy the storm.
Everyone gathered at 11am and we headed out. We made a quick stop to buy rain ponchos for everyone and then went to Big Buddha Temple. We climbed the steps to the top (not too many) to see the huge gold big Buddha statue. For good luck and good fortune you can pick up a wooden club and walk around the perimeter hitting each bell. We went back down and received a blessing from the monk and he put woven string bracelets on each of us. It was raining so we didn't do a lot of extra exploring.
We loaded up and headed to Bill & Eat's favorite restaurant for Thai lunch family style. Eat orders all the food when we eat family style and she always picks amazing dishes. One of our group's favorites is morning glory. You eat the stalk & leaves, not the flower. We have a few vegetarians which I've nicknamed as a group "The Veggies" so we always make them sit together.
Since the other activities of the day were rained out, Bill & Eat scheduled 2 hour Thai massages for everyone. AMAZING! Best Thai massage we've had so far. We are hoping to go back again before we have to leave. All Thai people have a formal given first name and then a nickname. You may have noticed in Bill's emails he refers to his wife as Warowan or Eat, her nickname. The "lady" doing my massage was Nanny. I'll be sure to ask for her if we go back. Natalie's favorite massage lady at Railay Bay was Bomb.
Did you notice the quotes around "massage lady" in the last paragraph? Thai culture is very open to transgender or transsexual people and is the gender reassignment capital of the world (according to Bill). So you may see a beautiful woman who then talks to you and your head snaps while you do a double take. I had heard Nanny talk to one of the other people and heard her voice and knew she is what they call a "lady boy". This is a common term and not derogatory. When we were done I told Lori the person that did my massage was Nanny. She laughed and said "Nanny was a Manny". So there's your Thai cultural lesson for the day.
We missed seeing Grandmother & Grandfather rocks due to the rain and we missed playing at Choeng Mon beach. We were supposed to snorkel tomorrow but with the storm the visibility will be poor so Bill is rearranging the schedule. We think zip lining is tomorrow which is one of the things I am really looking forward to. I'm late to meet the group for dinner so I have to dash. We're staying in to eat at the hotel and play games until the storm passes.
Love to all from Thailand!

P.S. Dad, one of the pictures below is what Bill calls a "Thai gas station"