Discomfort Zone

My year of living in Thailand has come to a close. It’s time to reflect, to look back on all that’s happened, and to think about why when I see a picture of myself from the beginning of the year, it seems like it’s a photo of a completely different person. Music: • "Gotta Do My Thing" by Aqua Stone Trhone. From SoundCloud. CC Fair Use https://soundcloud.comeaquastonethrone/

When you choose one path as a student, what happens when a few years down the line you look around and realize you’re not where you hoped you’d be? Music: • "Gotta Do My Thing" by Aqua Stone Trhone. From SoundCloud. CC Fair Use https://soundcloud.comeaquastonethrone/

Sometimes the things you worry about just aren’t ever worth your time because they never actually become problems. But other times, things you weren’t expecting at all pop up and... make things difficult. Music: • "Gotta Do My Thing" by Aqua Stone Trhone. From SoundCloud. CC Fair Use https://soundcloud.comeaquastonethrone/ • "Yea Yea Yea" by Aqua Stone Throne. From SoundCloud. CC Fair Use https://soundcloud.comeaquastonethrone/ • "Jardins du Luxembourg" by Jahzzar. From the Free Music Archive. CC BY SA http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Jahzzar/Paris • “Dollar Theatre” by Jalen Warshawsky. From the Free Music Archive. CC BY http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Jalen_Warshawsky

In the amount of time I’ve lived in rural Thailand, I have learned different lessons every day. But that didn’t come without some growing pains. Music: • "Gotta Do My Thing" by Aqua Stone Trhone. From SoundCloud. CC Fair Use https://soundcloud.comeaquastonethrone/ • "Yea Yea Yea" by Aqua Stone Throne. From SoundCloud. CC Fair Use https://soundcloud.comeaquastonethrone/ • "Bed" by Jahzzar. From the Free Music Archive. CCBY SA http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Jahzzar/4_na

The nature of my Fulbright grant means that I’ll be a teacher for a year… but I have zero teaching experience. So even though I’ll be the one giving grades, I’m really hoping that I don’t fail. Music: • "Gotta Do My Thing" by Aqua Stone Trhone. From SoundCloud. CC Fair Use https://soundcloud.comeaquastonethrone/ • “Sleepin’” by Jahzzar. From the Free Music Archive. CC BY SA http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Jahzzar/Newborn/03_-_Sleepin

After a series of unfortunate events in November, I find myself wondering how I’ll be able to make it through the year. How can I get back on track and find the motivation to push forward? Music: • "Gotta Do My Thing" by Aqua Stone Trhone. From SoundCloud. CC Fair Use https://soundcloud.comeaquastonethrone/ • "Sleepin’" by Jahzzar. From the Free Music Archive. CC BY SA http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Jahzzar/Newborn/03_-_Sleepin • "Bed" by Jahzzar. From the Free Music Archive. CCBY SA http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Jahzzar/4_na

An incident on Thanksgiving night leaves me feeling more uncomfortable and unsafe than ever, and working through a minor trauma far from home proves to be a challenge. Music: • "Gotta Do My Thing" by Aqua Stone Trhone. From SoundCloud. CC Fair Use https://soundcloud.comeaquastonethrone/ • "Dollar Theatre" by Jalen Warshawsky. From the Free Music Archive. CC BY http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Jalen_Warshawsky

As I try settling into my house, I find myself confronted with a number of uninvited guests. And the only one home to deal with these situations is… me. Music: • "Gotta Do My Thing" by Aqua Stone Trhone. From SoundCloud. CC Fair Use https://soundcloud.comeaquastonethrone/ • "Yea Yea Yea" by Aqua Stone Throne. From SoundCloud. CC Fair Use https://soundcloud.comeaquastonethrone/ • "Jardins du Luxembourg" by Jahzzar. From the Free Music Archive. CC BY SA http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Jahzzar/Paris

It’s my first week in my new home - the small town in northeast Thailand where I’ll be living for the next year - and I need to take every opportunity to meet the people I hope can become my community. Music: • "Gotta Do My Thing" by Aqua Stone Trhone. From SoundCloud. CC Fair Use https://soundcloud.comeaquastonethrone/ • "Jardins du Luxembourg" by Jahzzar. From the Free Music Archive. CC BY SA http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Jahzzar/Paris • "Something Elated" by Broke for Free. From the Free Music Archive. CC BY http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Broke_For_Free • "Sleepin’" by Jahzzar. From the Free Music Archive. CC BY SA http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Jahzzar/Newborn/03_-_Sleepin

I’m a rule-loving goody two shoes by nature, but I somehow found myself in the back of a Thai police car within the first month of living in Bangkok. Music: • "Gotta Do My Thing" by Aqua Stone Trhone. From SoundCloud. CC Fair Use https://soundcloud.comeaquastonethrone/ • "Jardins du Luxembourg" by Jahzzar. From the Free Music Archive. CC BY SA http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Jahzzar/Paris • “Whispering Through” by Asura. From the Free Music Archive. CC BY http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Asura/Bonus_Beat_Blast_2011/09_asura-whispering_through • "Looking Back" by Lee Rosevere. From the Free Music Archive. CC BY http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Lee_Rosevere/ • “Sleepin’” by Jahzzar. From the Free Music Archive. CC BY SA http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Jahzzar/Newborn/03_-_Sleepin

I’m finally in Bangkok for Fulbright orientation, and I have a lot to learn, from how to speak Thai to how to teach high school students. In a busy month, I find myself having a quiet realization, and it’s one I know can change my whole approach to the year. Music: • "Gotta Do My Thing" by Aqua Stone Trhone. From SoundCloud. CC Fair Use https://soundcloud.comeaquastonethrone/ • "Looking Back" by Lee Rosevere. From the Free Music Archive. CC BY http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Lee_Rosevere/ • “Dollar Theatre” by Jalen Warshawsky. From the Free Music Archive. CC BY http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Jalen_Warshawsky • "Bed" by Jahzzar. From the Free Music Archive. CCBY SA http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Jahzzar/4_na

Looking back on the Fulbright application process still induces some of the anxiety I felt when I was about to graduate college with no job or future plans. Now on the brink of leaving for Thailand, I have to ask, how did I get here? Music: "Gotta Do My Thing" by Aqua Stone Trhone. From SoundCloud. CC Fair Use https://soundcloud.comeaquastonethrone/ "Jardins du Luxembourg" by Jahzzar. From the Free Music Archive. CC BY SA http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Jahzzar/Paris "Looking Back" by Lee Rosevere. From the Free Music Archive. CC BY http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Lee_Rosevere/ "Bed" by Jahzzar. From the Free Music Archive. CC BY SA http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Jahzzar/4_na "Yea Yea Yea" by Aqua Stone Throne. From SoundCloud. CC Fair Use https://soundcloud.comeaquastonethrone/

After graduating college, adulthood awaits. The start of my adult life will unfold on the other side of the world: in rural Thailand, as I complete a Fulbright fellowship teaching English. But what am I really getting myself into? Music: "Gotta Do My Thing" by Aqua Stone Trhone. From SoundCloud. CC Fair Use https://soundcloud.comeaquastonethrone/ "Bed" by Jahzzar. From the Free Music Archive. CCBY SA http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Jahzzar/4_na "Jardins du Luxembourg" by Jahzzar. From the Free Music Archive. CC BY SA http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Jahzzar/Paris