Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Keeping with Tradition

(Should have been posted at the beginning of December)... 

Who wants to spend their birthday alone? Um, no one!  Actually, Greg and I have spent more of my birthdays apart than together. During college it was impossible to get a 5 hour trip in while studying for finals. While Greg was completing his master's there was night class and then one year he was in Sweden. On my last birthday Greg was in the US looking for a house for us in Eau Claire and I was still in Thailand. I look at it with a glass half full attitude, we kept tradition.

To make the most of my birthday weekend, a 3 day weekend because it close to the HM King's birthday, I went back to Phuket. I bought my tickets and booked my hotel. It ended up to be beautiful and relaxing. I didn't know it at the time, but it would be the last time I really sat on the beach in Thailand before moving back. The beach was quiet, I read an entire book, and ate yummy food. The only thing missing: Greg.

Upper Left then clockwise: I got a birthday card from AirAsia on the plane, my view from my chair, my lunch, Happy Birthday Me! 

Sunset, my dinner (Green Curry Spaghetti and a Chang Beer),  Fried Bananas for desert,  Tim Tams and wine for  my second treat, and I picked up some coosies for a souvenir. 

More beach, more yummy food, bottom left was the view from my hotel.

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Hello Again

Recently my mom reconnected with her best friend from childhood. After not talking or seeing each other for nearly 40 years they rekindled their friendship first through Facebook and phone calls. Last month my mom traveled to Florida to see her friend for a week and evidently they picked things up right where they left off. Such a feel good story, isn't it?

I know it hasn't been decades, but it has been over 2 months since The MacLeod Thaimes had a new posting. It's been like a friend I've wanted to connect with, but since I don't know exactly what to say I've made excuses not to call or in this case write. Maybe for you reading this isn't awkward, but for me it is awkward because I feel like I've been ignoring someone or something for awhile. What I'm trying to say is, "Hello Again."

Now onto those excuses...  a lot has happened since the last post. I hope that over the course of the next few weeks we can get you updated on my last trip to the beach for my birthday, Greg traveling back Thailand, getting our things packed up in Bangkok, traveling for 10 days through Cambodia and Vietnam, celebrating New Years with good friends from the US in Pattaya, saying goodbye to friends made in Thailand,  moving back to the USA, closing on our first house, settling into our new house, experiencing winter again, job hunting, church hunting, buying a car, and all of the trials and triumphs that go with these experiences. 

Another excuse, The MacLeod Thaimes. Our Adventures of Living in Thailand is the name of our blog. It makes me sad because we don't live in Thailand anymore. While Greg and I have both done well with the move back to the US, we miss Thailand and our lives there. We miss it a lot. I'm thinking The MacLeod Thaimes title will stay, but we will get a new subtitle soon and someday new pictures, maps, etc. Right now I'm taking baby steps. 

Enough with the excuses. I think a good place to start is our new house. Yes, we have a house. Here's a picture. If you want the address, shoot me an email as I don't feel like posting that online. We love it. You should come visit. The calendar link to the right is up to date, let's figure something out!

We don't have this much snow anymore, but it's a good picture of where we live.
More to come soon.

I hope you feel the same way, but it's good to be back.