Goodbye Korat

Quote of the day: "Its time to move on...time to get going. What lies ahead I have no way of knowing. But under my feet babe, grass is growing. It's time to move on, time to get going"-Tom Petty

I have moved so many times in my life, yet the one thing that has not gotten any easier is saying goodbye to the places that I have temporarily called home. We only spent 6 months in Korat, but our time in this city will forever leave an impact on who I am and who I will become. I will look back on my 6 months here with a heavy heart and there will undoubtedly be many things I will miss. Korat has really felt like home and it truly is a wonderful representation of experiencing Thailand. The real Thailand, away from the tourists and the destruction that they bring to authentic life. I feel we got very lucky ending up in such a large, hospitable, and genuine city. We both found jobs and succeeded beyond what I had ever imagined. We formed strong bonds and forged new friendships that will hopefully last for our lifetimes. As excited as I am to move to Krabi, it truly was hard to walk away from the life we built here in the gateway to Northeastern Thailand. Korat is a city I could see myself living in for many years. It has a strong sense of community. It's cheap and there is a ton of work here, we could keep living like kings and queens all while saving a decent amount of money in our bank accounts. Why walk away from that? The main drawback for me is location, it's just too far to get to a beach or go on a cool quick weekend trip. The city is also quite dull during the day. Lately it's been so hot, there has been no real incentive to leave our air conditioned apartment until the sun goes down. And I work too much. There's so much work here it's hard for me to turn it down. But I didn't come to Thailand to jump right back into the daily grind, and unfortunately that's what I've been feeling lately. Krabi offers a fresh start, and an area with so much to experience and offer. I am excited to start fresh and hopefully slow down a bit.
During my last week in Korat I felt rushed to cram in eating all my favorite meals, doing all my favorite things, and seeing all my favorite people. There were so many things I was going to miss I had to rush to do them all one last time. I wanted to eat Oh's lap tod and honey chicken. I wanted to motorbike through the countryside and rice fields to Huay Yang lake and watch the sunset while eating the just caught fish of the day. I wanted to go see a Swatcats game at King Stadium (Nakhon Ratchasimas soccer team). I wanted one last night to drink beers til dawn with our Thai friend Cookie while belting out songs and having our own dance party. I wanted to eat the chicken and rice from my lunch lady who makes the best side sauce in town. I wanted to go out with the Thai girls at Inlingua and have them show us the hot spots we've been missing. I wanted to go to the disco that Cookie always tries to persuade us to go to. I wanted to eat the homemade lamb kabob from the only western stand in Saveone. I wanted to walk through every stall in Saveone market and go on a massive shopping spree. I wanted to eat my favorite duck noodle soup and my favorite pork noodle soup served by the most warmest Thai ladies with such glowing smiles. I wanted to go see a Thai band play at the rock looking venue. I wanted to go to downtown Korat and walk around Yamo and the canals. I wanted to go swimming at the Sima Thani. I wanted to go on the full day itinerary around the province that one of my private students planned for me. I wanted to get a 2 hour massage from my favorite masseuse. So much to do so little time! Time ran out before I got a chance to do all my lasts. I am sad to leave but excited for a new adventure. Goodbye Korat and the great memories that you have given us! Up next, a much needed vacation and some travel time. Peace out yo!

Pictures from our last few weeks

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