Deja Vu

The second week of classes has arrived! The first week was a strange mix of jet lag and deja vu, remembering my first classes when I was unnerved by thirty pairs of eyes on me, waiting for me to educate them. I'm teaching all new classes this semester, which is a nice change, and my students seem great. Of course, time will tell, but right now I am pretty pleased.

Being at home for the semester break was amazing and rejuvenating. I had a great time spending time with my parents, hanging out with my little sister and seeing good friends. It was such a blessing that I got to visit during my time here. And yes, it was a little hard to leave home, but I was ready to get back into a regular schedule, this time knowing what I was doing.

Two friends arrived for a visit to Chiang Mai last Friday: Katie, a dear friend and former housemate from Westmont; and Cindy, Katie's best friend from home. It was so fun to have them here and show them a little of my city. We went to Doi Suthep, a gorgeous temple in the jungle, and were spontaneously blessed with holy water by a monk. That was very moving and precious to me, and it reminded me of good times with my Buddhist monk students at Wat Suan Dok. Katie and Cindy also experienced elephant riding, white water rafting, the Night Bazaar and the Sunday Walking Street. Of course, I'm sure that the highlight for them was visiting one of my classes this morning! :) They left this morning for Bangkok and are touring more of Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia.

I can't believe that it is almost November already and that I will be in Thailand for less than four months now. Time has passed so quickly but the past four months has been a rich time of experiences, learning and growth.