goodbye thailand

i remember my first impressions of bangkok as i rode in on a van from don muang- i was amazed at how modern a city it was, having expected a 'developing nation' to look fundamentally different. but here was a city filled with shopping centers, recognizeable restaurants, a mass-transit system was under construction overhead, and bmws and mercedes benzes filled the streets.

our group of ten new mba graduates initially stuck together like a platoon moving through enemy territory. every trip to get food or go shopping was a group activity. but after a while we grew comfortable with our new home and built our individual lives here. thailand was 'discovered' bit by bit, from lumpini park to chiang rai, from tom yum to larb moo, from jintara to da jim, from kreng jai to sia naa.

fast forward 5 and a half years and i'm one of last two of the original ten still here. now a new adventure awaits me in china and today is my last day as a resident in thailand. strangely enough, i had expected to feel strong emotions as i leave my friends and start a new life, but i still don't feel like i'm really leaving- i feel more like leaving on a business trip.

perhaps i'm just not ready to say goodbye.