Making the Transition Home

Got up early and got my bags packed, then decided to walk to 7-11 for one last croque monsieur toastie for breakfast. I just grabbed my wallet and headed out--no phone. I had been there so many times at this point, I thought I had this town figured out. And then I got lost trying to find the store! Made a wrong turn...somewhere. Wandered around, worried I wouldn't make it back to my airBNB before 9am, which was when I needed to call my GrabTaxi to go to the airport.

I even stopped and tried to get directions at one point...but since I didn't remember the name of the street...it was somewhat difficult. I even wound up walking past some of the temples I hit the first day...but FINALLY found the 7-11, which made it easier to find homebase. That will teach me to trust my sense of direction.

As I left, Lili told me I was a good guest--she didn't have to do anything! She was so kind while I was there.

Called my GrabTaxi, and headed to the airport, which is only 15 minutes from Old Town. Bought a bottle of water too early, and they took it from me at security--even though I hadn't opened it yet. Had to buy another one once inside. The flight to Bangkok is only an hour...on that airline with the meal, no matter what.

Now back in hot, sweaty Bangkok. As I was walking to my gate, I discovered a KRISPY KREME!!! What the ever-loving hell?

Found my gate, grabbed pizza and a Coke Zero and watched more Riverdale. That show will forever remind me of Thailand since I pretty much caught up to the current season while I was over there :-)

Flight number 2 was uneventful (except for getting to see that AWESOME boarding video again). While in the Taiwan airport, I stopped at the Hello Kitty store and found something with Gudetama on it for my brother. Do yourself a favor and look up that Sanrio character. Weirdest children's character ever.

Flight 3 is the beast--Taipei to Los Angeles. At least heading back, it is 3 hours shorter, and I only have a 3 hour layover in LA instead of an 11 hour one.

While in LA (it was now night time here), I grabbed a sandwich and sat on the floor of the gate. I noticed a mom and her daughter nearby. I couldn't hear all of their conversation, but apparently, the daughter who looked about 15-16, had done something the mom didn't like and she was BERATING her in front of everyone. I couldn't believe the stuff she said to the girl, who began to cry in frustration--she couldn't seem to figure out why her mom was so upset. Her mom seemed like a spoiled brat bully to me. Anyone who would embarrass their kid like that in front of hundreds of folks sitting nearby is the reason parents should have to have a license to have kids.

Finally on flight 4. It gets into Atlanta at 6am. Got home and unpacked...then passed out. I slept until I had to go to work the next afternoon.

I have never had jet lag before--even on an 8 hour flight to Italy. But I began to read up on it, and I had all the symptoms: feeling general feelings of not being "right"; weird lucid dreams; sleeping ALL the time. I also discovered that it is more likely to happen when you fly east bound--which I did coming home--and that it will take you a day for every time zone you cross--which makes almost TWO weeks of strangeness.

But I'm home. Home of toilets that allow you to flush the toilet paper. Home of cushy toilet paper instead of bidets. Home of potable water everywhere. And home of food that doesn't involve rice.

#chiangmai #bangkok #taipei #croquemonsieur #riverdale #gudetama #sanrio #hellokitty #grabtaxi #losangeles