Letter to me

When I had lived in Thailand for less than a year CIEE, the program I went through, held a writing competition.  I submitted my story about spending Songkran with Bri.

You can read the story here.

I didn't win, but when you google me, it is still the first link that appears.

Now, there is another competition.

I had ignored all of the emails from CIEE until yesterday, for some bizarre reason, and today is the deadline.  The competition is to write a letter to your former self, giving advice regarding the time spent teaching abroad.  I couldn't pass it up.  As soon as I read the requirements my head began racing.

Here is my submission:

Dear Meaghan,

First of all, you are awesome!  Going to Thailand?!  Good for you.  Your two friends backed out, but believe it or not, it was for the better.  You’ll learn so much alone.  Secondly, while it will be a pain, you’ll be grateful you cleaned out your room before you left.  Mom will appreciate it too. 

Onto the nitty gritty stuff.

The first few days are going to be rough.  It is hot.  Hotter than you could  have imagined.  And the dress code is far more conservative than seems appropriate for the temperature.  Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it.  In two years you will catch a chill when it dips below 75 degrees.  Oh, yes, you will stay for longer than you planned.  The family will understand.  It will be worth every second of it.  

You will quickly find your stride in the classroom.  The culture is far more challenging.  And the language?  Are you kidding me?  But, believe me when I say, it will all get easier.  Your best friends will be Thai people.  And you will speak Thai.  I promise.

Always wear your helmet on motorbikes.  When Paul pressures you to buy a humongous helmet with a jaw protector, listen to him, it’ll save your life.  Yes, you will be in a motorbike accident.  You will be driving.  And you will have a passenger.  You’ll spend some time in the hospital, but both of you will be okay.  You will have scars.  The accident will be a blessing in disguise.  Because of it, you will be home to see your grandfather just before he dies. 

Befriend the students.  You’ll learn so much from them.  They will be your best language teachers.  They won’t mind if you mispronounce words.  They will teach you Thai the same way you teach them English.  You’ll have a moment when you realize that you are doing a good job.  Keep up the good work.

Play kickball.  The entire school will fall in love with it!  It does wonders for the English Program... and for you.

Travel.  I cannot stress this enough.  The six-hour bus ride sounds long?  Deal with it.  The beaches are incredible.  Your time in Thailand is limited.

Leave when you know the time is right.  Not only won’t it be easy, but it’s going to be really, really hard.  You will cry.  Your friends will cry.  But you will see Thailand in your dreams for months to come.  The decision is the right one.  The trip home will seem like the longest 30 hours of you life.  Your mom and sister will be at the airport, and you’ll cry again.  It’s sad.  But it was so, so happy.  And it is something that no one will ever be able to take away from you.

Good luck.  You’ll do wonderfully.  

PS- Look in the mirror when you arrive at the airport in Bangkok- mascara and tears don’t mix well.

PPS- You’ll get an awesome job in four months!

And here is what I would have added, had it been appropriate, and had I been given more words to play with:

You will love drinking whiskey.  Whiskey and soda water, mmmMmmm, it tastes good just to think about.  You will also drink beer with ice cubes.  But, don't you dare pull that move back in the States.

Befriend the teachers.  And be careful.  Two teachers will betray you.  It will hurt more than you have ever been hurt.  You'll consider leaving Thailand, but won't, and it is the right decision.  After a very long time the three of you will be cordial, and that will be the extent of it.  It's okay, you are stronger because of it.

Beer Olympics is an amazing idea.  Your costume is quite impressive.  You won't win, but it will be one of your favorite nights of all time.

Christmas eve of 2009 will start a lifelong friendship.  He will change you.  You will change him.  You will both cry when you say goodbye.  Don't fret, you'll see him in the US.

And The American After School Program?  It's a pretty genius idea, if I do say so myself.  Run with it.

Moving back to the US will be harder than going to Thailand.  New York City will be scary.  Not finding a job will be even scarier.  Everything will work out.  Just give it time, and enjoy the ride.

Love, meaghan
 

I don't get it...

This is what $8 of the most delicious cookies you will ever eat in your life looks like.

And this is what $10 in baked goods from Babycakes looks like.

(Okay, the photos aren't so great... and my mom and I couldn't wait for the photo to start eating the cookies from Levain Bakery!)

Unimpressed?  So was I.  And I don't get it.

When Nicole and Laura Beth were in town, Nicole recommended we take a trip to BabyCakes.  It is a vegan and gluten free bakery.  I was a little confused by the recommendation, but Laura Beth jumped at the offer and it is just around the block from my apartment, so I went along for the ride.  Now if Laura Beth or Nicole followed a vegan or a gluten-free diet I may have understood the excitement, but neither does, and I did my best to hide my confusion behind my smile.

All three of us chose different items from the display case and paid a near fortune for our treats.  I chose a cupcake and a cookie sandwich.  As I continue to plan for my "someday bakery" I try to eat a variety of things, at each bakery I go to.  The cupcake was an obvious choice.  And without any plain cookies to choose from, I was forced to buy the cookie-wich.

The three of us took our desserts out of the shop and started walking back to my apartment.  On the walk Nicole mentioned that a friend of ours from high school had asked her to make vegan scones, and she had yet to perfect the recipe.  I immediately responded with what I thought was a completely logical next question: "is Katherine a vegan?"  Nicole's response had me even more confused in this already tricky world of eating.  Nicole said, "no."

I couldn't contain my confusion any longer.  It was as though they were all tuned into something that I had missed.  What memo went out to all young girls saying that eating vegan and gluten-free stuff is cool and better than just eating normal food?

I asked, "if she isn't a vegan, then why does she want vegan scones?"
"Because she wants to try them.  Someday she wants to open a holistic cafe, and she asked me to try to make them."
"Ohhh- kay."

I shut my mouth on the subject and we chatted about other things on the way home.

When we got back to the apartment and settled in after our long day of sightseeing we broke into our bake goods.

They were fine.

And for anyone who is vegan or eats gluten-free, then they are probably really good!  But, I still don't get it.

When Nicole watched me take a bite she waited.... waited.... waited and then asked, "so?  What do you think?!"

I was completely honest.

"It's fine.  Well, okay, it's good for what it is.  But, I just don't get it.  If neither of you follows a vegan diet or needs to follow a gluten-free diet, why do you both like these so much?"

Laura Beth responded by saying, "because it's healthier!"

Hold the phone.

Our conversation ended there.

Healthier?  Just because there isn't gluten does not mean it is healthy.  And just because there isn't butter in it does not make it calorie-free!  Baked goods are a science, requiring precise measurements of fat, flour, sugar, liquid, salt, leavening agents, and in most cases, eggs.  Not using butter does not make the baked good less fattening, it just has a different kind of fat!  And "gluten-free" does not mean "flour-free," but "different kind of flour!"

Here is an excerpt from an article I found on gluten-free foods.

Don’t assume it’s healthier. If you’re shelling out extra dough to get gluten-free processed foods without a diagnosis of celiac disease, you might be wasting your money. They are more expensive than standard foods, and as Sandquist says, there isn’t any scientific proof that they’re healthier for the general population. Gluten-free diets tend to contain more fruits and vegetables than the average American diet does, says Sandquist, so that may be why some people report feeling better after cutting back on gluten-containing foods.

So, what is it with these bizarre ideas with food?  There is nothing wrong with having a cupcake for dessert.  And if that cupcake is gluten-free or vegan does not mean you can eat more of them, or eat them more often!  Since when are eggs and gluten unhealthy?!

I'm sorry, but I just don't understand.  Therefore, I'm sticking with the most delicious baked goods I can get my hands on, butter and all.  Heck, if I'm going to consume those calories, they are going to be worth it!

"One place where we are all the same..."

While Laura Beth and Nicole were in town, Laura Beth expressed interest in going to the 9/11 Memorial. I have always wanted to go, and I was excited that she was on board.

I quickly got our free tickets online, printed them, and we were set.  For some reason I thought it would have been more challenging to get tickets, but I was wrong.  It was a breeze.  

We had some time to waste in the area before our tickets were valid, so we wandered.  In Battery Park we found these awesome street performers.  They were a group of high school students who donated all of the money they raised to the 9/11 Memorial.  The three of us ended watching them for a while...

When our time arrived, we wove through the zig zagging lines outside, then inside, and then outside again.  We went through security and everyone around us became quieter and quieter.

When we finally rounded the corner and saw the memorial, it was filled with people, but extremely quiet.  The three of us followed the cues of everyone else and quietly walked in toward the south pool.  While we watched the water cascading down into nothingness Laura Beth said something that has really stuck with me.  She said, "this is the one place where we are all the same."  I think she put it perfectly.  The three of us had walked by plenty of monuments and memorials throughout the city.  And yes, plenty of people were stopped to take pictures, but they didn't mean much to us.  The 9/11 Memorial, on the other hand, is the one place where we are all the same.  

We took plenty of photos, visited the north pool, and peeked into the museum that is still under construction before leaving the memorial.     

This is a place that I highly recommend visiting.  I thought the tickets would be a pain, but I had never tried, and I was proven wrong.  So, jump online and get yourself some tickets, I promise, it will be well worth it.  Everyone should go, because as Laura Beth said, it "is the one place where we are all the same."

I Heart NY

Easter Sunday should have been a lazy day, but it wasn't.

Nicole ran around the house washing all of the sheets and towels from the weekend, before making the final bed and hitting the road around 4 pm.  Okay, it was a pretty lazy day for me.  Not for Nicole.

Nicole, Laura Beth and I were headed back to New York City to be tourists.

On the trip north we snacked on hard boiled eggs.  Heck, it was Easter Sunday!  We had to have hard boiled eggs.

And for Easter dinner, Nicole and I enjoyed Cold Stone Creamery.  Laura Beth went for a healthier option and ate a salad, but not us!

When we finally rolled into New York City around midnight, we were absolutely wiped.

As much as I have loved living in NYC and being a local for the first time, I also still have a ton of fun being a tourist!  With Nicole and Laura Beth in town, I had the perfect excuse to be a tourist!

Here's a little photo diary of our time in NYC together.

Laura Beth at The High Line.  The Statue of Liberty is in the background.

The Empire State Building!

Look who we went with!

On our VERY long walk, we had to stop for Spongbob ice creams.  Unfortunately, Laura's had some weird eyes...

"We only have this, this and this!"  Ask Kailey to do the impression of the ice cream man... hilarious!

And, of course we went to Shake Shack.

Sugar high.

Central Park

Wedding in Central Park

The outrageous line as we walked by Ellen's Stardust Diner.

Waiting for the show (with Nicole's sister).

Chicago!

More to come on our time in NYC!

Hairspray, Heels and Fake Eyelashes

I would like to say I woke up on Saturday morning ready to go, but I would be lying.

I woke up on Saturday with a little bit of a hangover.  Damon's got the best of me.

But, after Nicole laughed at me and took my picture, I shaped up and we shipped out.  We had a bridal brunch to get to!

We gathered our dresses, shoes, appropriate undergarments, makeup, hair products and anything and everything else we would need for the remainder of the day, and headed to The White Dog Inn.  The White Dog is an adorable inn in Mathews where we had brunch and then got ready for the wedding.  Also, Allie used to work at The White Dog during the summers.  

All of the bridesmaids enjoyed a delicious spread of food before spending hours upon hours being super girly and getting ready.

One of the flower girls decided to be a big helper girl and stick this branch of pearls in Tyler's hair.  Let's just say, it wasn't very helpful.  It was a little bit of a pain.  

The bridesmaids took photos outside while Allie finished getting ready.

The Maid of Honor with the steamer!

There was lots of hairspray, a few sets of fake eyelashes and eleven pairs of heels as we eventually marched out of The White Dog Inn and drove to the church.

We arrived to the church a bit early, in hopes of taking photos before any guests arrived.  We were not so lucky.  Instead, a few guests had already trickled in, and we had lost our window of opportunity for photos.  So, after the green girls teamworked like champs to get Allie into her dress, we waited.  And it wasn't long before Allie began pacing.

Look at those green bridesmaids working hard!

And look at the naughty blue bridesmaids chatting and taking photos!

And look at Nicole with the steamer!

She looks ready to me.  And stunningly beautiful!

Our bouquets

While it felt like an eternity at the time, it wasn't long before the ceremony had started and finished.  It was a beautiful ceremony, and a joy to be a part of.  It took place in a small church that was bursting at the seams with people, just as it should be.

We took a few more photos inside the church and out with the groomsmen before going to the reception!

Check out the tables

And then the party began...

The Unit (minus Lindsey...)

Nicole caught the bouquet!

The band was amazing and played until midnight when the bride and groom left for their honeymoon.  I was actually quite relieved when the reception ended, because I was exhausted!  I danced all night long.  Really.  I never sat down, or even stopped to chat.  I was a dancing machine.

Gosh, it was a great weekend.