Final Thoughts (but not really!)

"What was he doing during the trip? What was he thinking about? As in the morning, he saw the trees pass by, the thatched roofs, the cultivated fields, and the dissolving views of the country which change at every turn of the road. Such scenes are sometimes sufficient for the soul, and almost do away with thought. To see a thousand objects for the first and for the last time, what

can be deeper and more melancholy? To travel is to be born and die every instant."

Victor Hugo – Les Miserables

How is it possible to have any sort of definitive final reflection on a journey like we have experienced this past year? Like the journey of life there is no final period, for the journey continues to continue. For this we are grateful. If the past few months were it, that would be a little depressing and hard to deal with. As a true third culture kid, I have a foot planted very firmly in Asia but my passport (actually my passports!) say I belong in the “West” – wherever that is?! However, living in Thailand for the past few months made me realize that a huge part of me, maybe most of me just wants to be there – there is a deep resonation that I belong there even though it doesn’t look like I belong. This is the wrestling of any TCK (third culture kid). If we feel like we don’t completely fit anywhere, perhaps it makes more sense to be in the place where it looks like we shouldn’t fit as opposed to being in the place where based on our language and communication ability and sometimes the shade of our skin, most people assume we fit and belong there.

All this to say, I was not excited to return when a big chunk of my heart was staying in this place and with people I love greatly. As the quote states above – travel, good travel is birth and death all at the same time. Yet the journey we have chosen continues. A week ago we were in North Carolina looking for a place to live, getting a feel for the place, and taking care of some of the details surrounding Andrea beginning school. God has clearly provided a place for us to live and we continue to see his graciousness and kindness to us as he did so clearly throughout our travels. Without a doubt we come back knowing so clearly that God is watching over us and caring for us. That was our experience leading up to, throughout and even now as we return from our travels these past months. Just this week I called Del's Feed Supply where we buy the food for the chickens and asked the woman that answered if she knew anyone who might want four lovely hens. She immediately said she would - so despite great sadness at having to give up 'the ladies' after thirteen years of chicken raising here in the US, we know they are going to a good home - and it was clear again that God was looking after and providing for us.

Before we left Bangkok, Iven (one of our friends there), knowing how we were feeling about our impending move back to the US encouraged us to enjoy the good things that the US has to offer. So we have enjoyed a few things like…drinking straight out of the faucet/tap, not sweating continuously, not getting eaten alive by mosquitoes, fast internet (it only takes a couple seconds to load pictures onto the blog now – in our apartment in Bangkok sometimes we would wait 15 minutes!)

So 9 months later if anyone is keeping track…

63 beds we slept in

27 flights
11 or 13 countries (depending on how you count)
2 24 hour train journeys
1 apartment in Bangkok for 3 months

Countless taxis,

images of beauty and devastation,

faces and stories that have marked us for life…

And really it’s about the people we have met. Yes we have seen wonderful views and vistas but like the saying says – it’s about the people. New friends – Claudio and Grazia, Damien, Kagiso, Lilian and Thomas, Dave and Bella, Michiel, Leonie and Ottilie, Eak, Pi Fai, Pi O, and old friends we were reunited with – The Williams, Hedi, Lotte, Roy and Bonita, Iven and Kashmira, The Nichols, Pi Toi and Pi Lee and their families and all our friends and neighbors in the Maehongson area – all of whom mean the world.

So people, places and a peace knowing that we are not left alone in the world to struggle by ourselves. These are the highlights of the past year for which we are so grateful. We will continue to use the blog for thoughts and updates, although we're not sure that it will be quite as exciting as the past ten months, but you never know! On Monday, August 3, we start driving a 24 foot truck 3000 miles across the country while towing a car for a week which will surely warrant a posting or two.

We will be sending friends an email with our

new address and phone numbers soon as well. If you have been a regular reader, thank you so much for staying connected with us. Double thanks to those that commented or emailed us!

Duncan and Andrea