The First 48 Hours

I AM HERE!!

wow, I can't believe it!

Just in case you've ever wondered what one would do as they make a big move like this, I'd thought I'd give you a glimpse into what the first 48 hours were like.

Monday Morning, August 10

• Arrived at the airport with 2 suitcases, 4 crates, a guitar, and 2 carryons. My flight was delayed 7 hours because of the typhoon in Taiwan so I had to work with the airline to get some flights rescheduled. 
• They were able to check my bags all the way to Chiang Rai, what a blessing to not have to get them until I get there! (for those of you unfamiliar with international travel, it is not uncommon to have to collect your bags during a layover and recheck them again).
• Said goodbye to mom and dad. This was hard. Please continue to pray for our family as we are separated for the next few years!
• Got on the plane and was blessed with a  window seat and an empty seat between myself and another guy traveling to Thailand who was from Austin (it was nice to have someone who was friendly and spoke English sitting close by!)

I was in the air for 15.5 hours!! I slept off and on, watched some Disney movies and Star Trek (some of my favorites), and enjoyed the Hello Kitty plane!

Tuesday Afternoon, August 11

• Because of the time change, we landed in Taipei, Taiwan on Tuesday afternoon. I had an unexpected 10 hour layover so I decided to get out and see parts of Taiwan! It was nice to just be outside and stretch my legs. I also made a friend and we were able to go out and see the city together. 

  

  At the big Taipei night market

  
  

  

  Delicious, fresh pineapple. The fruit here in this part of Asia is AMAZING

  
  

  

  Sites from the bus ride into town

  

  Interesting art in the metro station... I read a sign and I think it was supposed to depict taking the time to be whimsical in the midst of every day life... interesting 

Wednesday Morning, August 12th

• After several flights and layovers, I finally made it to Chiang Rai! All of my bags made it except one which I was pleased about (it was also the bag that had the least important stuff in it). I connected with one of the families from our team and we headed to their house so I could have time to shower and freshen up.

• I had a challenging day ahead due to the fact that I was very tired from not having a normal nights sleep in almost 3 days, but I knew I would need to stay up until bedtime to help my body adjust to the time change (we're 12 hours ahead!). The family did a very good job of helping me stay awake.
• In order to help me stay awake, we did the following activities around town:
• go to the mall to have lunch and set up my iPhone. SIM cards here are relatively inexpensive and I want to thank the individual back home who graciously donated their old iPhone so I could have a good phone... you know who you are :)
• I had my first Big C experience. Big C is a store that is very much like Walmart. It was neat to be able to go around and see what kinds of things I will be able to get here. There are actually a lot of things here similar to what we would get in the states so I will not be lacking :)
• We went by the school where I will be teaching and then to my neighborhood to see my townhouse. It is a cute little neighborhood and several other Farang (westerners) and teachers from school live there. I was able to meet a few of my neighbors, including a couple who just moved here last week to teach at the school. I think we will connect well since we are both so new and learning everything for the first time. 
• Then we went back to the house to have dinner and then I finally got to go to sleep and slept a good 12 hours!

driving around Chiang Rai

That's what it looked like for the first 48 hours! Over the next several days I will be visiting other places around town, purchasing a bike, staying with another missionary family over the weekend, and moving into my townhouse before orientation starts next Wednesday. 

Thank you all for your support, love, and prayers. This is certainly an adventure and it still blows my mind to think that this will be my home for the next 2 years (it still feels like a "trip"). 

Blessings,

Kassie

*If you are ever wondering if you can still give, the answer as of now is absolutely yes. Please contact me for more information.