Spending The Holidays Abroad in Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand

It is a surreal feeling knowing that tomorrow is the first Christmas morning I won’t wake up in Colorado with my family and near my friends. I won’t wake up to snow, excited to spend time eating amazing food and open gifts from loved ones.

Instead, I will wake up in the middle of Thailand. I will be miles and miles away from anyone who even speaks a word of English. I will proceed to ride my motorbike through the rice fields and jungle of the city I live in. I will witness a typical day in the life of so many Thai people, harvesting rice…just trying to make a living…enough to survive. Then I will arrive at my school, welcomed by my 800 high-school students whose parents and siblings I just passed.

The thing is, each and every one of these Thai people will have a smile on their face, laughing and giggling about something, anything. Happy about life, happy about this, happy about that. I truly live in the land of Smiles. My decision to make this leap has changed my life in the greatest of ways. My perception of happiness, family, respect, and most of all life has been forever altered.

I genuinely could not imagine a better place to be celebrating the Holidays this year.

I want to take a moment to wish everyone around the world the Happiest of Holidays and Merry Christmas!!!! I miss you family and you friends so very much. My only wish this season is that I hope I can serve as some sort of inspiration to get out of the bubble so many of us find ourselves stuck in, routine after routine. Life is too short. There is a world of wonders out there you simply cannot afford to miss. Much love!