November in Thailand.
This month is just good.
Hallelujahs have come easily this month.
Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good thing and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights in whom there is no variation or shifting shadow. James 1:16-17
I find myself reciting this on the daily here. One of my friends I studied abroad with in Spain would simply say, “every good thing,” when we found ourselves in a too-good-to-be-true situation. It rubbed off on me.
Every good thing. It’s an easy thing to repeat that reminds me that I get 0% of the glory for what I’m enjoying right now. I am responsible for 0% of the goodness of these circumstances.
What are these good things that have stirred me to praise this month?
The balcony: I spend an average of 3 hours each day on our baby balcony. It’s not much — just 2 broken heaters on this 4×24 slab of goodness, 5 stories up. Each morning I perch my Crazy Creek on the non-wobbly heater. It’s perfect – I can sit here for hours. A lot of truth has been whispered to me on this balcony. A lot of prayers written. A lot of good, needed Skyping. A lot of deep breaths. A lot of blaring music in my headphones. A few tears. A lot of snap chat replies taken. A lot of cups of coffee and tea enjoyed. A lot of good things.
Skype. I have bomb friends and family in The States. Really. I won the relational jackpot. For the first time, I’ve got internet where I live on the race. This has allowed me to keep up. The 12-15 hour time difference doesn’t seem so bad nowadays.
Hot drinks aren’t a luxury I’ve had these past five months, but this month we have a microwave! Cue the Hallelujahs. My favorites? I’m on a huge apple cider vinegar + honey kick right now. 3x daily. So good. I splurged and bought Starbucks Christmas blend VIA packets. Paying tribute to my time in London: English breakfast tea on English breakfast tea. Down in the caf, Guang makes a mean cappuccino. I’ve missed having hot drinks these past few months & have genuinely gotten to enjoy this very good thing.
Thai food. Incredible. Cheap. On da streets. I want to be Thai.
Spotify: It may sound silly, but having life-giving music at my fingertips it’s just the best thing. When you have headphones in, time is sacred. It’s the only “alone time” you’ll ever have legally on the race, so when you’ve got good stuff coming through those headphones, it’s a very good thing.
Adventure. We’ve had several moments this month when I just sit back and can’t believe it’s normal life. Celebrating Loi Krathong, the lantern festival, was one of those out-of-body experiences. Bamboo rafting, elephant riding, swerving through Thai streets on a moped, beaching it’s all adventure and it’s all good.
Time. I have the sweetest time here. Time to read, time to have good conversations, time to serve people coffee in the caf, time to walk Chiang Mai streets at night, time to write, time to inhale & exhale at my own pace, time to myself. It’s the best thing.
People! This month, I’ve gotten to be around just a solid bunch. People that encourage me, people that know my story, people that get me. I’m thankful for friendships that come naturally and for love that flows unforced. THAT is a gift.
Truth: This month is chockfull of it. There is not one thing better than truth.
It’s fitting that Thanksgiving fell in Thailand.
Aside from the alliteration, there’s a lot to be thankful for here.
I’m especially thankful for hard goodbyes.
Cheers to no variation, no shifting shadows, and easy hallelujahs,
Darcie
