Free at Last

At the end of our quarantine, OEG surprised us with a day in Bangkok before we each set off to our new homes. We started at the magnificent Grand Palace, home of the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, before being treated to an amazing lunch on a river. After OEG staff helped us check into the hostel we would be staying at for the night, we had the remainder of the day to ourselves. The group decided to pick up Thai SIM cards and exchange currencies at a local mall and stroll around a nearby park before getting dinner together and having a night out. It felt so great to explore a new city and be a tourist again. This day in Bangkok was exactly what we all needed after being stuck alone in a hotel room for 16 days.

While most of the other teachers were picked up by their school coordinators the next day, I got to spend another day in Bangkok, as my bus to Kalasin wouldn't be departing until later that evening. I got Indian food for lunch and explored Chinatown with a couple other OEG teachers that were also still in Bangkok. After taking a short nap back at the hostel, I took a Grab to the bus station with a fellow OEG teacher. We wandered aimlessly around the bus station before successfully making it onto our buses. The bus was a lot nicer and more comfortable than I was expecting, and I was even served snacks and dinner. After departing Bangkok at around 8:30pm, I arrived in Kalasin at approximately 3:00am the next morning, where I was picked up by my school coordinator and taken to my new apartment.