Power of One program comes to an end

Sorry I haven't posted anything in so long. I have been pretty sick. There has been a nasty bug going thru the entire group and I seemed to have picked it up here on the tail end. I really can't remember being this sick. I think it is some kind of bronchitis. Anyway, thankfully we have 2 great nurses on the trip and they have all kinds of drugs, including anti-biotics.

The program came to a very sad end last night in Bangkok. We had a closing ceremony where everyone shared their experience. Lots of hugs and crying... especially from the Thai students. It was extra rough because I had to say goodbye to my teens for 2 more months. I will miss them terribly.

The last few days of the program we spent a lot of time on the beach. The weather has been a little chilly and very windy so it hasn't been the best swimming conditions. But the ocean has been great just the same. We visited Ajahn's Temple and did a beach cleanup project there and then on another day we visited Chaikasem Whittya school, (where several of our Thai students attend), and participated in a full day of English learning and song. It was a blast. When we tried to leave about 100 of the Thai students mobbed our American teens for their autograph and a picture with them. They were like rock stars.

This program has been amazing and it has been an honor to watch all of the teens step into their power and to learn how to be better global citizens. Many of them now have the travel bug and would love to return to Thailand to teach or study. I can't think of a better place myself....

I am not able to post any pictures as this computer doesn't have a way to download them but I am going to put all of my pics on photo bucket as soon as I am able.

I have my teaching assignments all laid out. I will be staying at one of the local high schools starting tomorrow and teaching there for about 2 weeks. Then I will move to another high school for 2 weeks and then finally I will help out at the border school that we visited on the program. School break starts around the middle of February in Thailand so I am not sure what I will be doing for the last month I am here. Maybe helping at the temple, maybe head back up to Chiang Mai to visit the elephants.. I don't know but I know it will be perfect. As they say in Thai... "Mai Pen Rai".. "no worries".