Bangkok, Thailand

I had a good 15-hour flight from Atlanta direct to Seoul. I watched 4-movies, 1 short travelogue and had lots of meals. The plane was a 747 and I had two empty seats beside me. After another 5-hour flight I arrived in Bangkok at 1:00 a.m. Thankfully, all my luggage (4-bags) arrived with me. I stayed at a hotel on Khao San road, the backpacker ("budget traveler) section, which was hopping as always. A hot shower felt very good. Afterwards I was still able to buy fresh tangerine juice on the street at 2:30 a.m. The 24-hour Internet cafe was open so I took care of some tasks on the Internet and finally went back to my hotel to sleep at 5:00 a.m.

It feels fairly comfortable being back here. During my round the world trip I stayed here 6-different times and probably accumulated a couple of months here at least. Some of the street vendors recognize me. I know where everything is. There are good Internet connections for contact with the rest of the world. I had my Thai cell phone activated at the local 7/11.

I'll be meeting Korn, the friend I will be sponsoring to take an English as a second language course in the USA, later in the afternoon.

I think the temperature is in the 80's, not too bad.

Atlanta, GA - USA

I'm preparing for my preliminary trip to Thailand and Cambodia. I will be leaving on the afternoon of Tuesday, April 24th on Korean Airlines taking a 15-hour flight to Seoul, Korea and then a 5-hour flight to Bangkok. Lucky me!

I'll be bringing the relevant documents over and helping my Thai friend Korn to get a visa to the USA for language school through the US Embassy in Bangkok.

Sometime near the beginning of May I'll fly to Cambodia and start volunteering at Jeannine's Children's Association orphanage. I'll let you more about what I'll be doing after I find out myself.

I'm excited about going, but really do not enjoy the final packing experience. So many thing to remember, so many possible things to forget, and what exactly will I need?

I've appreciated seeing all my friends in the USA and give my thanks to all those that have helped me out in various ways, among them by providing housing, paying for a meal, storing my stuff, hosting a picture show, lending me a car and many other ways.

I'll be back in Atlanta on July 22nd.

Scituate, Massachusetts USA - Sold the family home...

I am amazed and pleased that everything went very smoothly in selling the family home in Scituate, Massachusetts. The family that bought it are wonderful. They're thrilled, I'm thrilled! They started removing the carpets and exposing the beautiful hardwood floors the afternoon of the closing.

For me the sale means the foundation for me moving to SE Asia has been laid. I plan to use the interest from the money from the sale to support myself in SE Asia. I've contacted the orphanage, Jennines Children's Association, and they would like to accept me teaching there. I will make a preliminary trip there in May and June 2007. I will return to the USA in July and will probably be here until the end of 2007. I then plan to return to SE Asia, more or less permanently, at the beginning of 2008.
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I am working on sponsoring a friend from Thailand to take an English as a second language curriculum at the Georgia Tech Language Institute. If he is able to get a visa, he would be staying with me at an apartment in Atlanta 2-miles from the school. I hope to be working in Atlanta during that time.

Looking back I would say I was depressed during the last two months of my around the world trip. The previous few months had been hard. I was apprehensive about what it would be like to return to the USA, but all in all, things have been going wonderfully! Staying with friends in Atlanta has been a great experience. Getting to know my cousin Ellen, her husband Chris and her son Nicholas after losing touch with her for 20-years has been amazing. Spending time with my relatives in the Scituate area. The family house selling like it did in such a difficult housing market was miraculous. So far the road seems to be paved for me to go to SE Asia and I'm very excited.

I plan to be in Atlanta until after Easter and then travel to see a friend in Gainesville, Florida and then on to visit my cousin and her husband in Palm Coast, Florida. Somewhere around the end of April is when I will head to SE again.

I plan to continue updating my blog entries on an occassional basis, so check back from time to time to see what's going on with me, if you like.

Please feel free to email me and, if you would like to phone me, just send me an email asking for my phone contact information.