Time to Move Along

Chiang Mai is delightful and lovely and low stress. But it’s not paradise. Or maybe that’s the problem.

I hang around with perfectly nice people, but like me many of them have lots of time on their hands. There’s very little urgency.

When a new insight or revelation about Thailand hits me, I no longer kick it around with a big group of Thais until it blossoms into a fully formed thought. Last year, at my office in Bangkok, that kind of all-hands conversation happened easily in the hallways or at lunch. Here I mostly talk to people one-on-one or in small groups.

Next door, in Myanmar, things aren’t always delightful or lovely or low stress, but they’re very interesting. This month I’ve been studying Burmese (I can read!) and reading more than usual about issues there. The other day it hit me that there’s no time like the present.

So it’s time to move along. I bought a plane ticket. Starting October 2nd I’ll be living in Yangon and looking for ways to be of use.