Christmas season on a tropical Island is a unique experience. With an average high of 88, bright blue skies and the start of dry season, getting into the holiday spirit looks much different. Although it feels different, we have found a way to force the Christmas spirit by decorating aggressively, blasting the AC as low as it can go and making homemade eggnog. The hardest part … Continue reading Merry Christmas from Phuket! 

Sipping my Chai Latte, I beamed up at N, who stood in front of me. While teaching, she gave me a sweet smile without skipping a beat. I glanced over at the women sitting next to me, two scribbling notes and one locked into the words being spoken. N is the future Salon Vocational Training Teacher at another amazing Vocational Training school in SEA**. And … Continue reading Encouraged

T-minus two weeks before I travel to SEA to teach! I am so beyond excited for the opportunity to travel and serve another amazing organization with the gifts the Lord has given me. There is another organization in SEA that is starting up a cosmetology vocational training program very similar to ours. Their program already has a teacher! She is a local women who has … Continue reading ชุมชน

Darting my eyes nervously, I pulled the microphone away from my mouth for a sec to take a deep breath and smile. “Okay so I am going to speak in Thai,” I warned the audience in broken Thai, “ I really want my students to understand me.” In a thick western accent, I spoke to my students in thai, telling them how proud I am … Continue reading That’s A Wrap

Blinking blankly, I looked through the plexiglass screen to the immigration officer. As my brain processed all the ways I could get around this, my co-worker gently asked, “Are you okay?” Accepting the circumstances, I lifted up a quick prayer and then smiled at her “I am okay!” I had to leave the country within the next 4 days. I was being kicked out. Since … Continue reading Last Minute

“D…..” I called out, quickly walking towards her with a grin on my face. D looked up, laughter erupting from her mouth as she started wiggling away. Jumping, I tucked my legs up and closed my eyes. Splash! Water flew everywhere and squeals filled the air. As my head poked out of the water, D giggled and splashed me. Each month we take the girls … Continue reading วันที่สนุกสนาน

Hello! First, I wanted to apologize for my lack of communication these last few months. This last quarter has been very eventful in fun way, and in, unfortunately, some difficult ways too. Thank you all for your patience and buckle up, this is gonna be a long one! April. During this month the schools in Thailand have the equivalent of summer break, and we celebrate Songkron (Thai New Year) by having a country wide water … Continue reading Ups and downs

“Teeeeeacher” a shrill voice streaked in my ear. Quickly glancing over, I chuckled, “คุณสบายดีไหม”* “เร็ว…. Fast!” My student gulped, clutching on for dear life. Inadequate myself in ice skating, I bent my knees trying to balance the both of us. Each month, we have Friday Fun day with the students, and last Friday we went ice skating per one of our students requests. Graduating in 3 weeks, W’s … Continue reading Chapter 3: Color

Eyes wide, I turn to my roommate, bringing my hand up to cover my mouth. Simultaneously, she tries to stifle her laugh. On the theater screen, the new Avatar movie starts playing dubbed in Thai but the catch is…. There are no subtitles. We spent the next three hours immersed in Thai, trying to understand what was being said.  My roommate and I had the … Continue reading Chapter 2: Cutting

Glancing at me through the mirror, P’s soft smile swiftly turned to a grin. With a matching smile, my eye brows wiggled up and down, indicating my excitement. Zoning back in, P took the towel down from her first real client’s hair and began to comb gently, the soft smile not leaving. After 2 weeks of practicing shampoo blow drys on manikins and each other, we … Continue reading Falling into place