The days highlight is my trip to the house site to record my videos and take my 1 frame per day pic. I watch a bit of Western TV on Netflix or whatever and I'm quite content with what has become a fairly uneventful day.
This is fine, and in fact its more than fine its totally normal.. I'm no longer "impressed" by Thailand, its all just very normal and ordinary. A trip to town isn't filled with wonder, I know what to expect, I know, most of the time, where we are going and what we will see. I kinda know most of the good food things to buy, and avoid, and I'm kinda bored with temples....well only the ones' I've seen already seen.
This is normal, it comes to everyone after a while when you move to a new place. I felt exactly the same when I moved to Breda, and Manchester, years ago. A sense of confusion and wonder at the new sights, smells, people you suddenly find around you.
Inititally your brain is scanning everything, making maps, plotting where you are and how to get home, and building an internal set of rules of where to go, how to get there, what to expect.
But that initial phase, the honeymoon, is over, I'm content, and I'm happy with where I am.. I don't seek the excitment of a new market, or a new shopping mall.. I just enjoy the calm of knowing the market is there if I need it, and the malls are a bit too expensive for most things, find a local shop instead... familiarity has bred both contempt and confidence in living in Chiang Mai.
This is fine, and in fact its more than fine its totally normal.. I'm no longer "impressed" by Thailand, its all just very normal and ordinary. A trip to town isn't filled with wonder, I know what to expect, I know, most of the time, where we are going and what we will see. I kinda know most of the good food things to buy, and avoid, and I'm kinda bored with temples....well only the ones' I've seen already seen.
This is normal, it comes to everyone after a while when you move to a new place. I felt exactly the same when I moved to Breda, and Manchester, years ago. A sense of confusion and wonder at the new sights, smells, people you suddenly find around you.
Inititally your brain is scanning everything, making maps, plotting where you are and how to get home, and building an internal set of rules of where to go, how to get there, what to expect.
But that initial phase, the honeymoon, is over, I'm content, and I'm happy with where I am.. I don't seek the excitment of a new market, or a new shopping mall.. I just enjoy the calm of knowing the market is there if I need it, and the malls are a bit too expensive for most things, find a local shop instead... familiarity has bred both contempt and confidence in living in Chiang Mai.
And this is often the point where a lot of ex pats, up-sticks and run... they miss that excitment of new things to learn, new places to go....They don't want the honeymoon to be over, they crave more and decide Chiang Mai, or Bangkok, or Pattaya isn't of interest to them.
I have seen a LOT of videos of expats falling out of love with Thailand..due to the end of the honeymoon. Their reasons for moving on are so timid, I wonder why they even chose Thailand in the 1st place. Too hot, too expensive, too quiet, too noisy, too hard to make money (duh!), too whatever, its an excuse.
Not me.. I'm loving it even more, the familiarity of new things I now find comforting, learning from mistakes, or poor assumption is becoming easier to handle, the ease of just having a nice quiet day is exactly what I craved, the total and utter lack of care for earning money or responsibility was exactly what I craved... and its awesome.
The house construct is ongoing, and we can't wait to make the move, Jirawan wants me to be a bit more social and also keep some sensible hours (I tend to tinker on the computer till the wee small hours) and I think she's right, but for now, I just want to unwind all the tension and western BS out of me, and soak up the good stuff here... Weather despite the rain, food, friendliness, simplicity of getting things done....all awesome.
I'm home.. the honeymoon is over and the marriage is strong and growing.
Ahthankyew
I have seen a LOT of videos of expats falling out of love with Thailand..due to the end of the honeymoon. Their reasons for moving on are so timid, I wonder why they even chose Thailand in the 1st place. Too hot, too expensive, too quiet, too noisy, too hard to make money (duh!), too whatever, its an excuse.
Not me.. I'm loving it even more, the familiarity of new things I now find comforting, learning from mistakes, or poor assumption is becoming easier to handle, the ease of just having a nice quiet day is exactly what I craved, the total and utter lack of care for earning money or responsibility was exactly what I craved... and its awesome.
The house construct is ongoing, and we can't wait to make the move, Jirawan wants me to be a bit more social and also keep some sensible hours (I tend to tinker on the computer till the wee small hours) and I think she's right, but for now, I just want to unwind all the tension and western BS out of me, and soak up the good stuff here... Weather despite the rain, food, friendliness, simplicity of getting things done....all awesome.
I'm home.. the honeymoon is over and the marriage is strong and growing.
Ahthankyew
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