It is no secret that I loved Seoul and Korea, I talk about how the transportation in Seoul is far superior to anything Bangkok has to offer fairly often, buy kimchi more than a white girl should and stalk various KPOP acts landing in the Kingdom. I do like many things about Thailand too, the grocery stores here are beyond amazing and I can get peanut butter cups whenever I crave, I can travel 2 hours and be at the best beaches in the world on a whim, and the subtle (and not so subtle) Buddhist way of life here makes me smile. I get to travel to major backpacker destinations for a long weekend and experience age old traditions as a native would. Life could be worse.

The hot, hazy month of April is upon us and with it comes the most important National holiday in Thailand, the biggest water fight organized and carried out by millions of adults. Songkran. I have heard many stories of these few days marking the Thai Buddhist New Year, and to be quite frank, I am little bit terrified. Drunken days with fully committed Thai people throwing buckets of ice water at you and dusting your body with a tingly powder... that really doesn't sound as much fun as it apparently is. I will be heading to the BKK airport soon to fly one hour north to the city of Chiang Mai, (tickets I purchased a while back at the Big Sale with Air Asia for only 3000 baht round trip) where jungles, cheap shopping, water guns, elephants and lots of cheap Thai whiskey await me! Chiang Mai is the second biggest city in Thailand, where I hope to one day live, and where the biggest celebrations are held for the Thai New Year. The whole country takes 3 days off and everything is closed while everyone parties it up! I have been looking forward to celebrating this holiday for months and with only 6 days off from work because of flood compensation, it will be a well deserved, crazy fun break!

Ok, THIS looks amazing!

It will be just what I need to get me out of this funk, as soon as life starts to be too boring I get the travel urge and it usually fixes everything.. I don't have to travel too far and it will be the perfect change of scenery I am craving, trees, clean air, cheap and yummy food... a much needed respite from the busy city.

While Thailand has many, new, somewhat scary things to offer me, there is nothing like the comfort of your some of your favorite pastimes to indulge on in the time being. Bangkok certainly has lot to offer in this area (although they need to get pancakes and breakfast down like this place in Seoul) and I can head to my neighborhood Villa Market to pick up pretty much any American treat I might long for or head into the city and BBQ my own authentic Korean dak galbi in Thailand and I remember what a global world I live in. I don't have to feel homesick because in reality I am home, I am with people that are just like me, with the same needs and desires to be met, breathing and living as one.

It doesn't matter where I live, what language I am trying to learn, what place I go home to, I always have the things I need, love and health and a promise to one day, fly away.