Happy Holidays!

I have been getting a lot of requests for my address, so here it is! However if you are wanting to send me something (no pressure!), I have a few tips.

-I will be gone until the beginning of January (my birthday is in February ☺ ), so don't send until the first week of January.

-It generally takes ten days to get here

-The United States Postal Service is the cheapest way to send, they measure by size instead of weight!

Chelsea Freeman (Patanadek School)
144/1 Srichan rd.
Khon Kaen 40000, Thailand

I am leaving Khon Kaen early tomorrow morning (which is Christmas Eve) for my first big Thailand adventure! Last week, I found an AMAZING deal on a backpacking backpack.. in the states its about 200 dollars but I bought it on sale at Central for 37! Armed with my new gear, I am ready to take on 2 – 3 weeks of traveling! I am meeting 5 other girls at a nice hostel in Bangkok for Christmas weekend. We have arranged a secret Santa gift exchange and have plans to go to a nice Christmas dinner somewhere. It’ll be really nice to be with friends since I am so far from home, cold weather, and anything that feels like Christmas. After the weekend, Jenna and I will do a little traveling for a few days to some ancient ruins and sunflower fields. After, we will spend 4 nights and 5 days on Ko Phi Phi island in Southern Thailand and I couldn’t be more excited. A 15 hour bus ride and 2 hour ferry ride from Dec 28 – 29th.. this place better be amazing! Jess and her sister will be meeting us there as well. I have heard great things about Ko Phi Phi and I think it’ll be an amazing place to ring in the new year. Jenna needs to go back to school on the 4th, however I don’t need to be back until January 9th. I think I might use that time to do some solo traveling. I have never traveled alone before and have never been in a city, island, or really anywhere where I don’t know a single person. I think I may pick an island to go to from Ko Phi Phi and spend a couple days there.  I normally have no problems meeting people so I’m not too concerned. If the gal from Eat Pray Love and go to Italy, India, and Indonesia by herself, I can do it too! I’m planning to be back home a few days before school starts and will update my blog then! I’m leaving my computer at home and will be doing some true traveling, hoping to get some good stories along the way.

Happy Highlights of my week

• Receiving not one, not two, but THREE carepackages this week! Thanks Mom, Mr. Harney, and Brian!!! ☺

• Teaching my kids about Christmas and that they LOVE seeing pictures of Milo dressed up as an elf. And that everyday, they remember his name and ask about him.

• Having a class of Thai children sing “We Wish you a Merry Christmas” and "Jingle Bells" multiple times a day

• Getting gifts from my kids and their parents.. I got a teddy bear and candle, huge tin of cookies, bracelet, shall knit by grandma, and a pink umbrella with a bunny as a handle!

• Using the candy canes Mr Harney sent me to bribe my kids to behave.. Its been working! I have uncovered the secret to making the naughtiest of the naughty listen, well, for the most part!

Happy Holidays!  See you in 2011! :)