Neung bpee

Thursday, 6 Sep 2007 | Journal

This morning one year (neung bpee) ago, I landed in Bangkok with my suitcases full of clothes and no ticket home. Actually, I had no home to return to anymore. Thailand was going to be my home for a while, I had no idea what the future held for me at that time.

The year that followed splits up into two parts, first six months of doing no working and then six months of doing nothing but working. I remember the first few weeks were quite difficult for me. I was still dealing with having said goodbye to so many loved ones. This ended when I moved into my own place after a short vacation during which I think I let go. I ‘set up shop’ in my own place and settled in for some well deserved relaxing. Boredom kicked in after a few months, so I decided to look for and found a job. The biggest surprise was landing a job in Thailand, which I really never expected to happen. After starting work, Thailand really did become a home for me. I think strengthened by the frequent travel abroad, coming back to Thailand every time underlined this was really my home. And although I’m still relatively new here, I feel this has really become my new home.

In actuality, I’ve lived in Asia for only one year now. But I’ve seen so many incredible things, met so many interesting people, did things I never did before and thought thoughts I never thought before. My life has changed dramatically and in my opinion for the better. Arriving here a year ago seems like a lifetime away.