I’m sitting on my bed in my room at Aomdoi and I have never experienced a moment of bliss quite like this one. It’s raining outside and aside from being a huge fan of lightening, thunderstorms and quiet rainfall, the light rain is only adding to the magnificence of Thailand. All of the windows are open beyond the screen and all I hear is the rain in rhythm with the cicadas and crickets.

The people are so different here, everyone is so kind and their warm eyes greet you long before they bow down to a wai. As we left the Sripoom Guesthouse in Chiang Mai this afternoon, the cute couple that owned it was sitting around a table watching TV and eating longon. They remembered us from before and asked about our day and how our shopping went. They asked Jess if she found the wood carvings she had been searching for and when she responded no, the older gentleman immediately said that he would inquire about and let her know next weekend if she comes by. We chatted a little longer and they offered me some fruit with the biggest smile on their faces. As we got ready to leave they said thank you and take care and come back soon. The culture is so beautiful here, they are generous and kind and so giving even when they have so little. After we got back into town at Phrao, we rode home on motorbikes and the sun had just set; twilight in its entire splendor followed me home. I thought of Pau-Dang and Pau-Twan, the two gentlemen that work with us at the system and how they tirelessly stay with us helping all day even though they are just volunteers. I wonder what they are doing tonight, if they are spending time with their families or drinking with their friends in town. It’s timeless here, you don’t recognize where the time goes, although that might be because I don’t live here.

I feel cleaner when I’m surrounded by nature and so close to the mountains and the clouds. I love it. How simple, but hard their lives must be. I’ll always remember Thailand this way, rice patties illuminated by the sky and the rice farmers in the water toiling until the late hours of the day. I feel rejuvenated and hope I can take this feeling home with me for a little while.