My thirty day vacation came and went, most of it spent in Thailand although there was a brief two day excursion to Cambodia to see Angkor Wat. Otherwise I spent the majority of my vacation living out of a backpack in Thailand, with a tenuous internet connection and finals looming for sociology. In the end, I:
-Got a suntan
-Got robbed by a monkey
-Got a 94 in Sociology
-Slept overnight in a Buddhist monastery in Chiang Mai
-Lodged with two random Thai families, where I was treated royally
-Experienced the 16 hour train ride from Bangkok to Chiang Mai - never again.
There was more, but these are the highlights. In the end, I was travel-weary and ready to let my guard down back in Iraq (although this seems counter-intuitive) as there was the constant threat of being scammed in Thailand. Being foreign, an obvious traveler, and speaking little Thai will do that. I will certainly go back to Thailand one day, but it will be far, far in the future after I've recharged my batteries from an experience that I won't ever forget.
And now, I have been back in Iraq for nearly a week, attempting to shake the cobwebs loose, do my job well, and get re-acclimated to both the environment and hours. Furthermore, it's been a rude awakening in a sense to get back into the superhero routine in the gym - the barbell exclusive work out which I've tweaked with sprinting and intervals on the bike as well. After an entire month of no barbells I lost 5-10# for rep weight on nearly every exercise. On top of that, the post-workout soreness has decided to linger a bit longer these days - a reminder again of what a month of neglect feels like when re-awakened.
At this point I'd like to interrupt myself and let everyone know I made a new 8tracks playlist: Beats Over Baghdad. Enjoy!
No other noteworthy changes spring to mind. I feel relieved to have three months before me to build momentum in the gym, with work, and academically. I was drawing a great amount of meaning out of these endeavors prior to the vacation and establishing myself within them again has been great. It helps that I work with a lot of great people and for a great company. And for all of the challenges which are thrown my way, I appreciate them all, because they are making me better at what I do.
Some parting thoughts before I bring this entry to a close. First, life is changing rapidly for a lot of my close friends back in the states. I think of you all every day and miss you. Second, buddhism in Thailand is commonly perceived as a theological occurrence, with "the Buddha" being an actual deity that is prayed to for very worldly things such as a gold necklace, shoes, a motorcycle, and so on. There is also a tithing system in place at the larger temples and monasteries which strikes me as odd, though I suppose it should be of no concern to me. Third and finally, don't trust the guys with pet monkeys in Thailand. Those monkeys can and will steal your nice watch and leave you with nothing more than a low quality polaroid picture as a souvenir.
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