Reflection by Khalil, Miles, and Kian

Today marked the beginning of our eagerly awaited mid-trip reflection. The day began by thanking and saying goodbye to Non, our earth building expert. Without Non, all of the work that we've been able to accomplish would not have been possible. She moved her entire family, including a toddler and a 9 month old baby, to the village for two weeks so that she could teach us earth building and manage our projects. Non showed us unwavering patience and kindness through the muddy, tiring, and at times, painstakingly slow process of teaching eleven teenagers to design and construct earth buildings.

We traveled in vans to a retreat center in Chang Dao called The Nest, and the hot water and air conditioning feels luxurious. Lunch and dinner at a restaurant with western food, with dishes including pork bolognaise, burgers, and a huge dessert menu, were a welcome treat. The refreshing saltwater pool was the destination of choice this afternoon, and we dispersed to our rooms shortly after dinner, exhausted and excited to fall asleep in clean, soft beds.

-Khalil

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We started the day with a delicious breakfast at the Nest. After that, we packed our bags and took a walk to a nearby temple. After climbing hundreds of stairs up a steep hill, we reached a beautiful temple nestled inside of a cave. In the temple, we looked at different statues while enjoying the peaceful time to relax and reflect. We then hurried back to The Nest for lunch. After more yummy food, a few of us enjoyed a Thai massage while the rest of us took an afternoon nap. We discussed visiting a local cave, but after a delay due to rain, we decided on going to a nearby hot spring.

After a short taxi ride, we arrived at the hot springs and were excited to jump in. Surprised by the scalding heat, we were hesitant at first but soon found that the water was even more relaxing than we had expected. In addition to soaking in the hot water, many of us enjoyed cooling off in the refreshingly cold river nearby. We taxied home and went straight to a Thai restaurant for dinner. Starving, we enjoyed a multi-course family style Thai meal which included fresh fruits and veggies as well as some deliciously seasoned meat. Though we've been in Thailand for over two weeks now, food in the Lahu village is quite different from typical Thai food, so eating classic Thai dishes still feels very special. I got back to The Nest exhausted, relaxed, and excited to sleep in a soft bed.

-Miles & Kian











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