Patience still isn't my virtue

You know, I thought it would get better. 

It didn't.

Once I made it through FRP, I thought the anxiety and the paranoia would go away.

It hasn't.

Will I get a January invite?

Probably not because I'm so far down on the list.

My fingers are crossed for a March invite.

It might seem like I'm complaining. I'm really not. I am so grateful that I've made this far.  All of my hard work has paid off, and it happened relatively quickly. However, I feel like my life is in limbo.  I canceled my 5 week vacation and now I'm just sitting here. waiting. For someone to tell me something. 

This is not conducive to my type-A, control freak, slightly OCD personality.

We have had this conversation before right about here.  I actually just re-read it and I'm pretty obnoxious and so full of myself. It's pretty funny considering a couple of months later I was rejected.  Talk about eating massive amounts of chocolate cake after that.  

Anyhow, I think I'm going to start planning my vacay with J. We're now discussing Tuscany or Prague.  At this point, I don't care where I go as long as I go somewhere with my love.  My friend is going to Turks and Caicos? No, it's not Aruba. It's somewhere in the middle of the Caribbean.  Maybe I can score a present.

Thailand in pictures....The Patara Elephant Farm, Chiang Mai

My day with the elephants was the best day of my life! The only thing on my list that was a must see was riding the elephants.  I didn't want to watch elephants paint or do stupid tricks; it's not natural for an elephant to do that. I was afraid I would get there and be upset that the elephants were being abused or something.  Thank God for google!  I found this website. They are also on YouTube here What Pat is doing to conserve the Thai elephant is amazing! He teaches about conservation by being an elephant owner for a day.  We had our own elephant and we did everything from bathing them, feeding them, and walking them. We even filed their nails! Sticking my hand in an elephants mouth while feeding them is a surreal experience! I am forever attached to Patara as I left a piece of my heart with Pat and his elephants. If you are ever in the Chiang Mai area, please check them out!  

Fun fact #1, elephants purr when they are happy.  Fun fact #2, elephant poo doesn't stink if they are eating the proper things.

My first glimpse of the elephants

She just walked right up and said hello

Our awesome trainers who were so helpful

Drinking from the stream

BF Siusan and her elephant Mehwadee

Lunch was awesome! The fried chicken was AH-MAZ-ING! There were also different kinds of sticky rice. I miss sticky rice!

Had a nose itch

My elephant, Meghabaht

The twin! The only set in all of Thailand

The morning dew rising

Meghabaht and her trainer.

The mountains, the rice fields, and the elephants.  That is Thailand!

5 seconds before this, he put his trunk in my face and emptied it.

Africa, are you ready for me?

There is a really big bright spot to all of OMS rejection stuff.  I can move forward with my travel plans.  Yay!  J has offered, as a graduate school graduation present, to pay for our trip to Africa.  I was really really worried about it because our plan it to go December '12/January '13 for a month. Maybe like the 2nd week of December to the 2nd week of January or some variation of.  If I would've gotten or been in the process of getting the job with the FS, I wouldn't have been able to go.  But, now I can.  Yay ^2.   So, yep! I'm going to Africa.  Cool, huh?

There are a couple of reasons why I'm a little nervous.  A month long trip is very stressful to plan, I should know I did it for my Thailand.  It takes an endless amount of time to plan, interviewing travel agents who are experts in the region, researching things to do for the season and period that we're going to be there, and most of all, dealing with yours truly.  I am a certified travel snob, I can't help it.  I've traveled extensively and I've stayed in hostels, to low budget places, to 6 star hotels.  I know what I like and I'm at the age where I'm allowed to stay where I like.  J has also decided that he wants to plan the trip all by himself.  *clutches pearls*.  There are many reasons why this is a problem. 1. He's a man.  2. He's never really traveled before 3. He is currently dragging his you know what about it all.  *sidebar: he is also going at a snails pace about going to a zumba class, but I'm not saying anything about anything*.   I know he reads my blog, so....."dude, get the lead out and get with it".  4. He's a man and he will probably wait until the last minute.   

We've chosen South Africa because it's South Africa. There is also excellent SCUBA in Mozambique. The safari site is TBD, that is his job. Ahh! There's so much to do and see. How will I be able to fit it all in?  I've given him my list; he knows what I want to do, now it's just up to him.  Will I have to stay in a tent on a safari?  Will the tent have air conditioning?   I guess I'll have to be one with nature as it is a safari and most people can only dream about trips like this much less actually go on one. When I think about it like that I can do it...if I have to...I think.  If I can smell like elephant for days on end, I can stay in a tent for a couple of days.  When in Rome....

Most of all, I'm excited to experience the different countries I will be visiting.  I really want to experience the Maasai culture, but they only live in Kenya and Tanzania. My only reference I have is what I have seen on tv.  I can remember going to see Sarafina on Broadway when I was younger and watching the movie "Cry Freedom" with my mom.  I also remember driving to school on the morning Nelson Mandela was released from prison.  I am excited see everything.  I feel like there is always so much negative press about Africa, in general.  HIV and AIDS, hunger, the situation in Libya, Sudan, and Congo are all so important and the world needs to know about them, but there is an untapped beauty that many people don't now about it.  I can't wait to see it for myself!  

Thailand in pictures....Bangkok! Part 1

These ladies were awesome! They taught us how to cook Thai food. I still make lemongrass tea.  Such a great photo!

This was our class! From all over the world. My best friend, Siusan is on the right! The Thai women beside her recently got engaged and her family sent her to the cooking school so she could learn how to cook for her man. Ha!

At some point in every Thai boy/man's life. They have to become a monk.

Siusan is crazy! Those stairs were steep. I only made it half way.

The Reclining Buddha

Tuk Tuks!!

The Emerald Buddha! It really was so small, like the Mona Lisa. There were no pictures allowed because the King worships there.

Ayutthaya. Buddhas with their heads chopped off