Back in Montana, students are in the middle of the spring semester with not even a fleeting thought about summer vacation yet, while little, wet piles of snow sit under the leafless trees. The gray skies of late winter are chilly and gloomy. And the kids of Montana may be skiing powder on the weekends, but we Rabinsky
s will soon be beach combing on the islands in the Gulf of Thailand!
Our upcoming holiday will start with a few days in Bangkok. We will brave the legendary April heat to have a reunion with Suni's foster mom, Yai Jah. It's been about 6 years since they've seen each other and Suni has lost all her memories of this special lady who cared for her for so long. But it is sure to be emotional.
Then we will take an overnight southbound train to Surat Thani, where we will catch the high speed ferry to paradise. After about 12 days of snorkeling and shell collecting, we head back north to celebrate Songkran in Chiang Mai. If you haven't heard of Songkran, you should do yourself a favor and look it up. Officially it is Thai New Years, but practically it's a country-wide water fight that lasts for up to a week, and Chiang Mai is party central. Radd and Suni are humming with excitement for the holiday and Jess and I can't wait to celebrate with them.
So here it is: March 16th, 2017 and we are planning our return to America. Only about 3 months left before our flight, which we have purchased tickets for...It's a bizarre mix of feelings that swirl through my body. Excitement to see my beloved family, friends and mountains again, fear on the verge of panic for finding employment. It may well be time to start that business that Jess and I have talked about for ages. I'll let you know.
