My Journal - Sept 23, 1993

September 23, 1993

Today we left Lopburi for Nam Nao National Park, we will be here for nine days. In Lopburi the whole group got back together and learned about TEFL Crossover (Teaching English as a Foreign Language). It was fun and boring, and I miss Lisa.

We spent the first day in the van, we left around 8:30 am and got to the park about 3:30 pm. This is our first forest.

When I left homestay, my mom gave me a package with a shirt, a little stuffed dog, some writing paper and a picture of the family. So, I have a picture of my brother after all. I sent them a post card in English, the next one will be in Thai.

We had a wonderful time in Koh Samet, it was beautiful and isolated. I will definitely plan to go back there. We took a case of tonic and a pound of limes and bought gin there. It was great, the first night we went swimming and the water was so warm. The second day we all woke early and went to breakfast, lots of farang food, yum! We got sunburned, sat on the porch, drank and talked; it was really fun. Lisa, Jeff and I get along very well. Dan came on Saturday evening, he didn’t get much vacation but, he is so enamored by Lisa, it was good for him to spend a little time with her, because she was not into it at all. Poor guy, I think they had a good talk about the whole situation. Koh Samet was a really great tiow. Thai people are so nice, I have to keep reminding myself that I am in a foreign country.

The three days in Lopburi for TEFL Crossover were fun. Katie, Michelle, & Annaka were really neat to be around, they all love what they are doing here in Thailand. I hope Lisa and I are put near each other’s sites. I cried this morning saying goodbye, silly because I need to be away and alone so I will study, but I will miss her.

Tera sent me a postcard of Mission Beach, she took some pictures of Tiffy after a bath. I hope she sends them; I miss that little dog so much it hurts. Everyone is calling me “Doolittle” now!