You didn't even get the chance to miss me! Lets go hang out in Thailand! ADVENTURES

Here we are friends...three weeks after I arrive home from my nine months abroad, and I'm off again.
This time on the wonderful amazing Travel for Teens trip to Thailand!
But before I get to that, I want to mention how much I really do miss Israel.
Towards the end I struggled, part of me wanted to be home so badly, but part of me never wanted to leave. Israel will always have a piece of my heart, and I can't wait to go back. Shout out to those people in charge: Ido, Miri, Gal, Gal, Kate, Betty, and all my wonderful teachers. And I'll never forget my section 2 favorites, or any of the other friends I've made. This year would not be the same without each and every person I've met and come to truly know and love. You know who you are!

Anyway, enough of the emotional crap! Lets go over what I'll be doing in Thailand! I'm including various links to various websites, but I'll try to give my own summary of each place I'll be at!
The dates I'll be there are from June 28, 2013 to July 14, 2013.
Friday, June 28; Day 1: The flights. I'm flying out to LAX, where I will meet my fabulous campers. Then as a group we will fly through Tai Pei/Taiwan in China at 1:35 AM. Which is so funny, because my little brother Fisher just returned yesterday from China. He even took after his sister and blogged while he was there, how cute! But we don't spend much time at all in Tai Pei (which is actually an island off the coast of China), before we hop on our plane to Bangkok!
Saturday, June 29; Day 2: We arrive in Bangkok at around 11:35 AM, Thailand at last! But we're not quite finished with planes yet. The group then has an additional connecting flight to Chiang Mai! We finally arrive at 4:00 PM after a very very very long day of travel. Luckily, the rest of the night is really just time to recuperate after probably more than 24 hours of traveling.
While you imagine me sleeping, let me tell you about Chaing Mai! Built in 1296, Chaing Mai currently has a population of 200,000 people, and is the second largest city in Thailand. 700m north of Bangkok, Chaing Mai is a cool hip university town known as 'the rose of the north'
Sunday, June 30; Day 3: A jam packed day! We visit the Elephant Nature Park (which is exactly what it sounds like) and go zip lining all before lunch, you can bet I'll have my camera EXTRA charged that day. That evening we get to explore the Bazaar, which I've read is quite the sight to see!
Monday, July 1; Day 4: We spend the day at the Crazy Horse Buttress. Which is nothing what it sounds like it would be, its actually a rock climbing experience. Basically, it covers a large portion of what I did in my Outdoor Ed class senior year: climbing, caving, and rappelling (you should be jealous of that, because that was my gym class. While you ran laps around a circle and played flag football, I was kayaking, skateboarding, and climbing stuff. Shout-out to Colegrove, that was an awesome class). We do that all day, before returning to our hotel and having a relaxing BBQ. Hooray!
 Tuesday, July 2; Day 5:  We kick the day off with a jungle cooking lesson, followed by an adventure to Wat Chedi Laung. Which is this really cool Buddhist temple from the 14th century. After that we go to the walking street market to finish the day!
Wednesday, July 3; Day 6: Finally, the first day of volunteering! The project our group will be focused on is developing a school in a remote village. I'm sure many amazing stories and photos will come from this day, I'm so excited!
Thursday, July 4, Friday, July 5, and Saturday, July 6 are all community service days as well! These are days 7 through 9!
Sunday, July 7; Day 10: We get up nice and early to leave Chiang Mai. We get two more flights to Bangkok and then from Bangkok to Phuket. If you think we're done there...you're wrong! Then our group takes a ferry to Kho Phi Phi!  Koh Phi Phi is a collection of six small islands, which look absolutely beautiful!
Monday, July 8; Day 11: The group goes scuba diving! I, alas, do not. If you were previously unaware, I have asthma. While I normally wouldn't let that stop me, I just don't think I use my inhalers enough to be sure I'll be fine. Its a bummer, but I can always come back, right? :) After the group goes scuba diving, we get a tour of an island called Phi Phi Ley, where the movie The Beach  with Leonardo DiCaprio was filmed! I've never seen that movie, but thats still cool.
Tuesday, July 9; Day 12: Get psyched, I'm going swimming with SHARKS! Which I did previously in Fiji, but I'm still so excited to do again! We then get a lovely sunset tour of the island on a longboat. I can just smell the photo opportunities.
Wednesday, July 10; Day 13: I get to travel to Angkor Wat! Which is actually a Buddhist place of worship in Cambodia! My cousin Jessica spent time there! So maybe it will become some sort of family trend, I wouldn't mind that. After that wonderful experience, we meet the rest of the group in Kanchanaburi. It has a lot of cool WWII history and cool scenic things.
Thursday, July 11; Day 14: In the morning, we will visit Hellfire Pass. A forced labor camp that was once run by the Japanese army. I actually remember reading a little bit about this place while at the Genocide Museum back in Rwanda, so what I do know of it, isn't very good. After that the group has the option of either going Lawa Cave or to the Tiger Temple. I personally think I'm going to the tiger place, how could I not? But we'll see of course.
Friday, July 12; Day 15: SHOUT-OUT TO MY CHOIR OPERA PEEPS: because this is where my one night in Bangkok begins. Actually, its two nights in Bangkok. But regardless I'll just be picturing Joey D walking around a bunch of frozen people singing/talking the solo. And the choreography by Rae L. good times. And because many of you won't get this reference, don't worry about it.
Saturday, July 13; Day 16: The day before this and this day as well will be spent exploring the amazing city of Bangkok. Then at night we have our final dinner, sadness!
Sunday, July 14; Day 17: Our flight leaves Bangkok at 3:15 and before I even know it, I'll be back in America.
This trip is going to be a whirlwind of color and culture. I'm more than excited! Of course, I'm not as excited for the weather that is making out to be in 100s range for the next two weeks.
This is more than just an adventure, its THE adventure! I've been dying to go to Thailand, expect many stories, many photos, and at least one blog post.
As always,
Julia Rose

Nine months later....

So..I guess this is it guys...my final post from Israel.
WHAT?
I leave Israel on June 4th, 2013 at 1:00 AM. I'll arrive in JFK at 5:40 AM of the same day. I have to go through customs and recheck my bags for an 8:30 AM flight back to Chicago. And finally, at 10:19 AM, I'll be home. It sounds so simple that way.
But its so much more than that. I'm closing the door on this chapter of my life. Next is Thailand and then Tulane and who knows what else? But I've had those ups and downs this year, sometimes I just wanted to go home. But I stuck around. I think that makes me a stronger person, right?
I'll probably have more closing remarks when I actually get home. I'll give those and details on my Thailand trip in a week or two.
I just really can't believe it.
I keep having these flashes of memories from my first few weeks in Israel. Sitting in the Michala (where we took classes in Bat Yam) on our first few days, getting talked at while we sat there sweating. I didn't really know anyone. I know I've come so far from there, its insane.
Here are some things I can do now:
1. Take the public bus
2. Make pasta
3. Make an Israeli breakfast
4. Ask how much something costs in Hebrew
5. Get myself from one part of the country to another by myself via train or really long bus ride.
6. Navigate through a country where I REALLY don't speak the language and still be confident to get to my destination.
7. Go to the clinic and get days off without really being sick
8. Go grocery shopping
9. How to hitchhike
But that's only a few.
For now, I'm kind of sick of goodbye blogging.
So...
as always,
Julia Rose