Last Day of School!!!!

On today, the last day of school, I am reminded just how different my reality is from those "back home."  First of all, it is, as I said, the last day of the school year.  We are celebrating with the kids, having special in-class games, foods, parties etc. and tomorrow we will have a graduation ceremony for the 6th graders who are moving on to other schools.  The children are running around unsure of how to act because their excitement has taken control of their normally semi-rational minds.  Second, almost every day lately the temperature has flirted with the 100 degree Fahrenheit mark (about 38 degrees Celsius).  It's HOT!!!! Yesterday, when I left my air conditioned library to fetch something from the copier in the front office, I felt like I had taken a wrong turn and walked into a pizza over, only it didn't smell as good.  There is almost zero fluctuations in the weather.  Everyday is sunny, bright and dry as a bone.  Funny how you can miss rain so much.  I should say though, that I am not complaining.  It's hot, but it's OK because the humidity has also fallen as the temperature has risen.  That, and most places have A/C, so.....

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.