It's not a goodbye, but a "see you soon"

Wow! August 2 was my last full day in Thailand. This was a bittersweet day because I was done with my exams, but it was my last day in Thailand.

For my last day in Thailand, I finally visited MFU Botanical Garden and it was very beautiful. There was a pond and different types of shrubs cut into different shapes. The garden was very huge, but there wasn’t a lot of flowers. Overall, the atmosphere was soothing and I wish I was able to visit this place sooner, so I could have come there to study or relax.  I was able to go to the pottery place called Doy Diu Dang Pottery. There was a room filled with different pottery such as plates, cups, and bowls. Outside, there was a row of different vases. Also, there was a pottery store that was filled with pottery to buy and look at. I even had the chance to see the potter make a bowl, which was interesting to see. I wanted to buy some pottery,but I knew it would break since I’m not heading home straight. Plus, I’m not a careful person that would be able to handle carrying breakables to another country. 

Doy Diu Dang Pottery

We had a farewell meeting and dinner!! One of the Thai students, Nuk, was crying when she was giving her speech and I was touched by how she felt. It was exactly how I was feeling inside. I was able to make and create friendships with amazing people and  I hope I will be able to see them again! We took a lot of pictures and laugh and had fun with each other. For dinner, we went to a restaurant that was near a river. Everything was pre order and prepared for us. I was enjoying everyone’s presence and soaking in my last day in Thailand!! As, I was looking around at everyone, I realize how fortunate I am to have the opportunity to study aboard in Thailand. Most people aren’t able to fit study abroad in their schedule, but I ‘m glad I was able to do it.  It has give me many memories and friendships, but most importantly it has help me to learn things about myself. Also, at  dinner, the Thai buddies each gave us gifts and I was so surprised because I wasn’t expecting it. I wasn’t able to prepare anything for them, which made me feel sad. These Thai buddies had made my time in Thailand to be the most memorable time I have spend in a country. They welcome me into their country and school with open arms and help me in situations that was deem difficult for me. I’m really going to miss these people and hopefully I will be able to see them again. 

I'm so grateful to spend my time in Thailand with these amazing people!

Overall, this study abroad experience has made meaningful impact in my life from creating friendships to networking to discovering things about myself, I’m glad I had taken this step in my academic and college career! I felt that the only regret I may have is spending more time in Thailand and putting more effort in learning the language. At least, I’m able to say a few things in Thai.

I'm glad that I built my self-confidence and adjust quickly to Thailand. I didn’t have any problem with adjusting to the time, weather, and culture, which is very nice. This shows that I’m a person that can adapt in any situation or area. The time I have spend in Thailand has really boost my self-confidence a lot. I started to appreciate myself, my body, and being unique. I was able to love myself more and smile a lot more than I have ever smile in America. This experience in Thailand holds a special place in my heart and I’m glad I had the opportunity to go!