From sunavarnbhumi international

SO. Here I am in the bangkok airport, with the longest 36 hours of my liife in front of me. It is 12:30 local time, and I am tryinng to be onn California timme.... which makes it 10:30 am yesterday morning.... so as youu can imagine, stayinng awake is AWESOME.

I just waanted to do a brief update onn my trip, noow that it is cominng to a close. Ffirst of all, Bangkok is one of the most overwhelminng places i have everr been - in every waay you can imaginne. Iit is loud, annd  big, and smelly, and gorgeous, and liike nothinng I have before seeen. the grand palace is onne of, if not the most brreeathtakinng compoundss i have ever seen. Tthe food is delectable, and never in ,yliifee have I seen eggs with  such big, orange yolks! Ii tasteed a pad thai in bangkok that I swear came straight from heaaven. Tthe smoothies aree increedible, as are the fruits - ramuptom and lychee and mangosteen, oh my!

we headed up to chiang mai, where we weere stayinng inn a "guesst hoouuse", with decidedly more character than  ouur chhain hotel in  bangkokk. Our key had a giant carved elephant attached to it. which Ii loved. Wwe "'trekked", meaning a combinationo of jungle hikinng, waterfall swimminng, elephant riding, as well as sleepinng in a hut in a hiill people villlage and eating lunch out of a banana leaf. Oh and bambooo raftinng. I loved all of it but th hiking - I'm not reaaly a hiker,I've decided. But eatinn freesh fruit under a waterfall? Tthat Ii can do.

afterwards, we headed to the deep south. After a dayy in songkhla, we tookk a taxi to  a boat to go to  the thai island  of ko lipe, which is basically the furthesst souuth youu can go on an island and still  be in thailland. it iis off of thailland's west coast, in the andaman sea, and it was inncredible! aquamarine waters, squeaky soft white sand, beautifull panamanas of the sea, protecteed coral reefs - the whole kit and caboodle. Tthe pictures I haave arre breaathtakinng.

so now Ii just have abbouut 12 more houurs in thiis airport, and then I'm on my way home. I'm super excited to gie people the presents i got them! and if youu didn't get one, no hard feelinngs ok? I did my best: :)

I hope the next few houurs passes smoothly. and i will see youu all soon!