September 2018. I cleared out my apartment of six years. I threw out a bunch of old clothes, books, kitchen supplies all the while biting my tongue. I made countless trips to the local Bed Bath and Beyond and Home Depot driving a rental minivan that had no place on the BQE or the streets of Astoria. Then one morning, my dad and I loaded up the remainder of my belongings, along with my 12-year-old cat and drove from Astoria, Queens to Gainesville, Florida.
Why? The answer is simple. I was moving to Thailand. These were my final moments.
Well, not really.
Okay, this was one of many “final first steps” since I had begun the job application process back in February of 2018. I say that because as I’ve learned, there’s been no clear end in sight to hurdles, travel mishaps and the learning process in general. “It’s part of the experience”- is something that I’ve reluctantly come to grips with. No problem! (A useful saying when you’re woken up at 5:30 am by some enthusiastic Mynas, Chasing a Gecko out of your bedroom only to find a dead one smushed in the door frame, or important paperwork seems to have been misplaced or delayed).
That last one, yeah why I’m starting this blog in January as opposed to October when I got here.
If anything this experience has made me reflect on past travels, and maybe some of it will be helpful in the future. Or maybe I’m just another deluded person spewing out words. Maybe this will turn out like every other endeavor I’ve started: blogs, podcasts, comedy sketches- unceremoniously forgotten and left incomplete. Who knows? Right now, I’m signing off this little intro after I’ve taken one of those final first steps and I’m here. So lets see how this goes!
A Girl Named Mu 