The Hangover 2...in Thailand?

After several months of speculation, it was confirmed today at On Location Vacations, that The Hangover 2 will indeed be shot in Thailand! They are saying a November start day is likely. This makes me very excited considering I will be have been in Bangkok for 3 months before the hilarious cast makes their way to the Land of Smiles.

My question is where will they be shooting? Bangkok seems like the obvious answer with 10-12 million people in the city including red light districts and all around craziness. Hopefully, it will soon be released where the shoot will take place. I'm rooting for the obvious choice and hope I can catch a glimpse of the movie while I'm there!

images from source

20 days...

I can't believe that it's less than 3 weeks until I leave. My to-do list is still insanely long but I'm getting more and more things crossed off every day. Today, I found the Lonely Planet Thai Phrasebook at Barnes & Noble (didn't think anywhere had one - had already checked Books A Million and Hastings). I'm going to be attempting to speak Thai for the next 20 days whenever I can. I'm sure I sound ridiculous. Also, found my skin care at Ulta for the next 60 days. I'll have to find some Thai face wash once I get to Bangkok. I hope I can easily find something.

I also got an amazing email yesterday. A friend of mine that lives in Louisiana helped me connect with a friend of his who has been in Bangkok for two years now! She even went to Text and Talk, the school I'll be going to. She's gone out of her way to be helpful and I'm so grateful. It's great to have a connection who is a female, my age, similar interests, and has gone through exactly what I'm going through now. It's gotten me even more excited! Bangkok here I come! :)

Is This My Life?

26 days until I catch my flight to Bangkok at 8:30 in the morning! It's all really coming together now. Sold my car yesterday for that much needed extra cash for my trip. It's bizarre that it is gone but honestly, I had some terrible memories in it so good riddance. I can't fathom the thought that I won't be driving a car for A YEAR!! MRT & BTS rides here I come. Also, of course the occasional tuk tuk ride (pictured to the left).

I found my luggage and have started laying out everything I've bought thus far. It is chaotic! My to-do list is still about three pages long though including: banking, picking a carry on, book my amazing hotel for the first two nights, apply for my visa next week, print out maps of the BTS & MRT so I don't get insanely lost, sell anything I can, etc. I could go on for a week or so on things I have to do but I won't bore you! :)

I really can't believe this is all happening. I feel like I'm living a dream or someone else's life completely. I am so optimistic about the future and how could I not be? I have talked to so many people who have done this in Thailand (or other Asian countries) and they tell me they wish they were still doing it or could do it all over again. I am ready for this journey of a lifetime! :)

5 weeks!!!!!

Today marks exactly 5 weeks until I move to Bangkok!

I'm still trying to figure out last minor details. This includes a bank! I need a bank here in town that I can deposit money in and use in Bangkok until I get my work permit in Bangkok. Anyone have suggestions? I went to First Bank last Friday which is a small little bank branch here. When asked about fees internationally, no one had answers for me! You think this is something they'd need to know if they work there. I also saw that there is a Bank of America in Bangkok but I don't know if I'll be able to use it there without a work permit. This is all very confusing.

Luggage is also a problem considering I have none. I'm bringing three bags with me (can anyone else picture me in the crowded Bangkok airport at midnight trying to carry these bags alone? It's going to be comical for sure). I have one that I'm bringing strictly for shoes and the others will mainly be clothes, accessories, and makeup. I'm also going to have my purse and a carry on with my computer and any info I need for my hotel and such. It's going to be heavy and difficult but once I get in the cab in Bangkok, I will finally be able to breathe I think!

We went and got my Visa picture taken today and I'm applying for my visa next week. I also have been looking at apartments online and have found some neat ones, and some not so neat ones. My main requirements are a swimming pool and a Western bathroom. I don't care about a kitchen at all, but a nice comfy bed would be nice! A high rise would be pretty amazing since I'm moving to a big city, I think that will give me more of a big city feel.

Just typing all this makes me VERY excited! :) I'm also getting sad realizing I won't see my family but maybe once (I won't see my dog at all. This makes me want to cry.) & I won't see my friends for a YEAR!!! I've let everyone know they are welcome to visit and hope some take me up on the offer.

Only 5 short weeks left to soak up Nashville life and these beautiful people I have in my life!

40 glorious days.

Today is officially 40 days!!!! I can't believe I'm doing this on my own. It still doesn't feel real when I tell people I'm moving to BANGKOK! I usually get shocked looks, people who think I'm crazy, and people who think I'm doing something amazing. I'd like to think I'm doing something amazing. I'm going to come back completely different and I can't wait. 

We are going to start cleaning out my car next week so that we can put it up for sale soon! I can't believe I'm selling my little Sentra, that car has seem me through some ups and downs. I'm glad to get rid of it though. It'll be weird when I come back to the States and start out with nothing - not even a car.

I feel really luck to be able to start my life over completely. I've been feeling stuck and know that traveling, seeing other cultures, and volunteering is going to get me right where I need to be.

Culture Shock in Bangkok

41 days until I leave for Bangkok! It's starting to get so close!! I spend a good bit of my time researching Thailand, trying to learn any Thai whatsoever, and just generally researching my future home. 

I have been to Thailand but it is definitely still going to be quite the culture shock for me. I foresee the fact that I'm a germ-a-phobe being my first hurdle to overcome. When I was in Bangkok, I would regularly see rice piled on top of chicken on top of sauce on top of noodles. Everything just mixed together. That probably wouldn't be a problem for a normal person but with my germ-a-phobic food tendencies it isn't how I would choose to eat. I am hoping to completely overcome this problem with a year in Bangkok. I'd also like to overcome my fear of all non-Western bathrooms but I think we should start with baby steps. 

Interested in Teaching Abroad?

Are you interested in teaching abroad for a year? Have you considered Taiwan? Read this article and learn how you can get an interview with Hess Educational Organization in Taiwan.

Reason #23435 Why I love Bangkok: Fashion!

On one of our many days spent wandering through Bangkok, we came across a little shop filled with beautiful dresses and skirts. It was in a small alleyway that otherwise we probably would have passed right up. I bought a skirt from the woman in the picture and it is one of the cutest skirts I own! I always get lots of compliments because it is so unique. You see shops like this and clothes everywhere in Bangkok! I came back to Tennessee with several dresses, shirts, sunglasses and my favorite - the skirt from this Thai woman. I can't wait to get to Bangkok and do some shopping! I'm sure that when (if) I come back to the US, I will have a completely new wardrobe. I get to have a fresh start with everything in life, including clothes! :)

BANGKOK bound!

Well, after a lot of thought and difficulty, I turned down the very gracious offer from HESS this morning. HESS is the school in Taiwan that seems pretty amazing, they have a great support system for their teachers and even teach programs in culture shock. It was such a hard decision for me because the contract was great and the school was great. I started researching Taiwan and just couldn't see myself living there. I'd be on an island so travel would be much more difficult than in Bangkok. Even just looking at the pictures of Taiwan it seems so much less vivid than Bangkok. My mind is made up. My flight is book. My down payment on school is complete. My life is changing... I am moving to Bangkok, Thailand in 46 days and could NOT be happier! :) Thank you GOD! Can't wait to eat some interesting foods and do some traveling!!!!!

10 Things I Wish I'd Known Before Traveling To Bangkok, Thailand

Traveling to Thailand? Here's 10 things I wish someone would have told me before I left for Bangkok!