What a Difference a Year Makes

We finally feel re-settled back in Chiang Mai after a wonderful summer in Indiana. Our transition this year has been a lot smoother than last year, in part because everything feels much more familiar this year than last. Our house, car, neighborhood, jobs, church, friends, etc. were waiting for us to come back and we were able to pick up more or less like we had never been gone. I’ve been reflecting this week on how different things were for us at this time last year. Even though there are certainly things that are not easy about our life here, there are many ways in which our life has become much more manageable.

First Day of School 2016 and 2017

One year ago this month we started learning Thai, which has made a huge difference for us. Before learning Thai, we would get nervous every time someone came to our house unexpected because we didn’t know how to communicate with them and ask why they were there or what they needed. Recently, a policeman and our neighborhood security guard stopped by late at night. Scott was able to hold a conversation with them, ascertaining what they were looking for and assuring them we didn’t have it. I can’t imagine how nerve-racking that would have been without knowing any Thai. We’re able to have basic conversations with many of our neighbors, too, which makes us feel more at home in Chiang Mai.

We’ve also spent the last year working on completing all the paperwork needed to live and work here legally. It’s required some significant hoop jumping, but we finally have all the key documentation. This doesn’t necessarily affect our day-to-day lives, but it gives us a lot of peace of mind in case we were ever stopped by police or questioned by immigration. Additionally, it allows us to travel more freely and, hopefully, more cheaply this coming year.

Through the generosity of some of our friends who have left Chiang Mai, we’ve acquired several key items that have helped make our life more comfortable. A few of these include: a toaster, cooking supplies, a comforter that covers our whole bed (!!), and an extra blanket and pillows for X’s room which will allow us to host visitors (hint, hint). We’ve also been able to make some key purchases to help us feel more organized and alleviate some stress. We found a slow cooker which helps me spend less time stressing about dinner on days that we study Thai. Our landlord agreed to pay for half of a kitchen cabinet, which we found on clearance. Having the cabinet means we can store food more easily and longer-term, and it has a small counter so that I can prep food a lot more quickly. It also allows us to use the plastic set of drawers that we were using in the kitchen as a homeschool/craft storage area, which means we don’t have to have as many piles of stuff sitting around the house. My OCD-self is super thankful for that!

Our new kitchen cabinet!

When we arrived here a year ago, we were basically in survival mode, trying to purchase as little as possible to get through a year. Now that we have experienced living here for a whole year, we know what we can still live without and what would truly make life easier. We’re thankful to everyone who has prayed for our documentation, donated to our family to allow us to make some purchases, and has been so encouraging to us over our first year in Thailand. We are looking forward to another year, especially with all these added comforts!