Transitioning to Tropical Paradise

I can't believe that our time in South East Asia is almost done.

We have attempted to learn new languages, understand different cultures and combine history with reality to get a better glimpse of this massive world we live in.
We only peeked at, scratched the surface, dipped our toes so to say, but it was a start and I don't think it has to take much to open your eyes if you are willing to learn.
We have lost ourselves in the beauty of a sunset, and found ourselves in the smile of a child waving hello as we cycled past.

After thousands of hellos or: sà wàt di ka, sab ai dee, sua s'dei, xin chao we are off to learn our last greeting, selamat pagi along with the typical goodbyes, thank you, that was delicious, and too expensive.... Do you have a special price, I will pay.......

And when no words could be found, the universal sign language and a smile went a long way.

From baht, kip, riel, dong to rupiah.... I have been a millionaire.  But in dong you can afford to be generous, or sound generous anyway.

I have attempted conversations with taxi drivers and fellow passengers on buses with my little Thaidictionary.  I have been corrected on my pronunciation a million times by my husband and daughter and I have had moments when I just didn't care, I just wanted to say it in English, forget the being culturally sensitive,

We have met amazing people and shared stories and moments with people from Israel, Souh Africa, England, Sweden, Bulgaria, Russia, Ireland, Denmark, Belgium, Switzerland, USA, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, France, Germany, Japan and China.  It was even more fun when they would pop up over and over again. City to city. Tour site to tour site.... Yep that was Max from Canada.

Oh, the places we have seen. From cities, to obscure villages. From fishing communities to urban suburbs. From mountain tops to ocean floors. Sunset views from the top of skyscrapers to sunrises from the top of a quiet temple. Aquamarine oceans, turquoise waters, smog filled skies and lush green rice fields.

We have gone diving, swimming, kayakying, floating, biking, snorkelling and hiking,  we have walked busy streets, side streets, back lanes and alleyways.

We have travelled on sailboats, ferries big and small, long boats, arroyos,  cruise boats and boats I can't remember the name of.

We took tours  and explored and discovered and learned on our own. We stayed on the beaten track and left the beaten track.

We have biked through rice fields, farms, busy traffic and quiet back roads along the Mekong River.

We have ridden in taxis, sangtos, Tuk Tuks, cyclos, minivans, buses, bicycles  and scooters. Navigating over bumps, squeezing alongside a bus while on a scooter  when the road is 3 feet wide gives some a rush.  I tend to drive a scooter like I ski.  With caution, a fear of being injured and not a lot of trust for the other drivers out there....

We have learned to cook in Thailand and Vietnam and eaten the local food as much as possible and tried all sorts of their specialities, only indulging in an occasional burger, fries or pizza.

We have had cock roaches and rats scurry through our rooms. Seen dragonflies, snakes, ants, beetles, geckos and gorgeous butterflies galore. We have petted tigers and elephants. Learned to speak
elephant, find the place they liked to be rubbed the most and bath them.

From museum to museum and temple to temple, I have grown richer in history and deeper in appreciation for the amazing love, grace and freedom that comes from knowing Jesus.

I have been inspired by those we have met along the way. Fellow travellers, hard working homestay owners and of course Marg, who serves the children and others with love, joy and passion.

It has been a full and rich trip.  Exhausting exhilarating, enlightening and so so enjoyable.

We are now finishing up our trip in Bali. Relaxing. A holiday from the travels. We are soaking up the sun and beauty of this tropical paradise with thankfulness,  

Thankfulness for this amazing experience we have had the opportunity to do.

Thankful for the safety and health and miraculous prayers  answered when needed.

Thankful for the family and friends who said go for it.

Thankful for Renee and Brad's team at work who carried a huge workload so we could take this adventure and still saying go for it!

Thankful beyond words to have spent so much time with my precious amazing beautiful girl Anna, who is the most easy going, easy to be with person I have encountered to date.

And immensely thankful for my husband, who navigates the logistics of travel with ease, remains confident when I am nervous, pushes me when I need to be pushed, gracious with his two girls and always has my back.

I am sure they would go on and on with thankfulness for my many great virtues, but it's not their blog and it would be wrong to put words in their mouth. Fun, wonderful, outgoing ever positive..... I'm sure that would be on their list though.....

Whatever the words, thankful we are!

Off to Bali.....

Home before  we know it......