What We'll Miss

Our last weekend in Dan Chang! I can't believe our time is almost up! Our experience has been amazing, horrible, life-changing, life-affirming, challenging, rewarding and chaotic. As our time in Dan Chang comes to a close, I keep noticing myself feeling more sentimental than I have the last couple of months. Actually, I feel like I am seeing this place in the eyes I had when we first got here, and not when we were in the thick of teaching and all the confusion and frustrations that came along with that. It is interesting to examine my thought processes throughout our time here, and how they have changed, remained the same, or come full circle. It sure has been a trip! And we are going to take away so much with us. I know as time goes by we will continue to remember our time here in a sweeter and sweeter way, and there are a number of things I am going to miss the moment we leave!
 First off, I am going to miss the amazing friends we have made here, they have saved our emotional lives on a number of occasions, and have been so incredibly loving, fun, and open. Tagan, James, Jessica, Katie, Matt, Sel, Caroline, Shannon, Rachel, Hannah, Alana, the Katies, Bradley, Bad, Mink, Sa, Tom, Dick, Sasi-we LOVE you guys, and have treasured the time that we have spent with you. Thank you SO MUCH for teaching us, listening to us, and going on adventures with us. I have not met such an incredible group of people for a long time. I could moosh-goosh about our new friends and how much they have contributed to our lives, but I fear I would be writing myself in circles. Suffice it to say that I am going to miss each one of those people immensely.

I am also going to miss our cats, Angel and Mr. T, and a number of dogs we see regularly, who we love, and who aren't doing very well. I know most people have gotten attached to an animal at some point, and unfortunately for me (in some ways) I have got it bad, and I get it all too easily. I hope that they will all be okay, that they are well fed and happy and all that. I hope that the dogs at the reservoir who we always feed and who looked especially skinny and scared the last time we visited them survive and enjoy their doggie lives. I hope that Angel and Mr. T get enough good food, and don't feel too abandoned by us. Each time we walk anywhere Angel follows us, so we have to go back, put her high in a tree, and run away so she won't follow us. Each time we come home she is there waiting for us, and runs along as we ride our bikes in. The other day we walked up the river a bit, and she followed us, and when we got in the water with our tubes, she was frantic, and she meowed so loudly, and pushed her little body through the bushes, occasionally popping up over the thick tall grass, to follow us along the river bank as we floated back down to our house. She was so scared we were going to leave! I feel so guilty about leaving her and Mr. T, but we really cannot bring them with us. I asked the people who own the place we have lived if we could leave the cats, and they said yes, and that they would be fed. I hope that they are! I know I will think of them all of the time, and miss having Angel sleep right next to me during the night. Ah, I am really going to miss them and hope they are okay!

I am also going to miss the students. I have really fallen in love with a number of them. Their energy, enthusiasm, happiness, and goofiness are all so wonderful to be around. I will miss getting hundreds of high-fives a day, and I will miss their hugs. I hope that they all do well in life and make the world a better place.

I have enjoyed our amazing home so much. Right by the river, full of trees and hammocks and outdoor tables, it has always been a peaceful, wonderful place to come home to. I will miss riding my bike everywhere, and the delicious Thai iced teas that I am pathetically addicted to. I will miss the noodles and the market (the vegetable side of it) and seeing my students around town, they are always SO excited to see us.

Okay, enough sentimentality for me, or I might start sobbing even more. Our experience here has been very difficult at times, but it has been very wonderful at times too. I am going to miss the wonderful parts so much, and will carry them in my heart as we move on to the next stage of our adventure.

Love to you all! Remember to appreciate the little things :)

Natalie