Going Away Party

Last night our friends threw Tim (my wife's nickname is Tim) and I a going away party at a local restaurant.  We had about twenty friends to celebrate our leaving.  Some close friends who moved last year and now live in Indonesia even stopped by.  Tim even invited two strangers to stay who stopped by the restaurant to have dinner, not realizing that it was closed for a private party.

In addition to good food and some quality liquor (including some 21 year old Scotch), there was a three man band who played.  Everyone seemed to have a good time; some seemed to have a very good time after imbibing large quantities of alcohol.  The party planner was one such person, and after a certain point she has no memories of what happened.  Fortunately, she was among friends, so while we have already started teasing her about it, she remained free from harm or judgement.

Last night definitely helped me remember some of the good things about Thailand.  It is easy for me to get so caught up in wanting to move back that I forget to enjoy what I have here while it lasts.  I have made good friends here, and met some interesting people.  As we get closer to the date that we leave, I can't help but think about how I could have better used the time that I was here.

Last Day of School

Today was the kids last day of school for the year, and probably their last in Bangkok.  Aleena is having a farewell party here at the house, while Jacob and Nalin will undoubtedly be off playing with their friends.

This morning I went to school with Aleena to get photos of her with some of her teachers throughout the years.  Four of the five that she has had are still here, and we were able to find three of them.  Aleena was uncharacteristically quiet when we were visiting her pre-K and Kindergarten teachers.  I'm not sure if she is just a little sad, tired or both.

The coming transition is going to be tough for them for a while, but I think in the long run the move will be good for them.

Another New Beginning

Six years after packing our family up and moving from Cincinnati, Ohio to Bangkok, Thailand, my wife and I are moving back to the United States.  This is an end to one adventure, and a start to a completely new one.

In some ways this move will be easier than the move to Thailand, but in other ways much more challenging.  For our children, ages 13, 11 and 8, they are leaving the country where they have lived the majority (except in the case of the oldest) of their lives.  Our new home in Irvine, California is 1,880 miles away from Cincinnati and also different in culture and attitude.

This blog will be a window to our experience, to how we adapt to this new change.  I will contrast life in Thailand and even Cincinnati with our new experiences in Irvine.  Surprisingly, living in Thailand has actually taught me about what it means to be an American, and I will explore that.  I will also write about some of our other travels, past and current.

I will also use the blog to display some of my photography.  Taking photographs not only helped me pass the time in Thailand, but it gave me a purpose to our two year turned to six year journey.