ICS Staff Retreat

Our entire staff, and their families, went on a 2 day retreat this past weekend at a hotel/golf/conference center outside of Bangkok.  It was so nice to get out of the city for a bit and see every shade of green imaginable.  At night, instead of the sounds of cars, there were crickets, and in the morning, the birds joined them.  I had the opportunity to go up a night early to help with set-up and enjoyed the peace and quiet before the hoards (okay, the ~315 other people) showed up.  I had some good conversations with friends and was able to connect with a few new people, which was, I suppose, the whole point. 

I've been able to listen to more Thai over the past few days than I usually do and I've really enjoyed that.  I'm able to pick out words here and there and can occasionally even guess at the topic of conversation.  Really hoping to get some classes going soon.  I've been in Thailand for about 6 or 7 weeks now and am really feeling the transition.  My body is a little under the weather, my irritation level occasionally soars, and some of those doubts creep in of whether or not I'm really going to fit here. Don't get that confused with fit in.  As a foreigner I'll never fit in, and that's fine, but we each need to fine a place, wherever we are, that we can fit.  And this is the point in the process where one starts to wonder.  It's nice to have the perspective of already having walked through several big transitions like this one to identify those phases and feelings and not get too worried over them. 

Back to work tomorrow morning- first progress period ends later this week and I can't believe how fast the time is flying by.  Love you all!!!

Beautiful rainbow on the way to the retreat.

Contraptions like this are a common sight on the streets here.

Grounds of the hotel/golf/conference center where we stayed

We visited a waterfall near the hotel before heading home