After getting back from Ko Tao, we were exhausted but happy. We had a few weeks left in Hua Hin and made the most of it.
Lucas, Henry, and their friends learned about CPR at Elate. They participated in an all-day training session.
We had a Friendsgiving. All six families, 24 people, gathered at our friends Helen and Ken’s house for a feast. It was a potluck. We had chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, tofu skewers, green bean casserole, delicious desserts and more. We are thankful for our worldschooling family and glad we could celebrate with them. A large group went to see The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, the prequel to The Hunger Games. Movie tickets in Thailand are $6.
Michael and Lucas went to Bangkok for a pickleball tournament. They competed in the Let Joy Arise Tournament sponsored by a pickleball paddle company called Arise. They won first place in their division! They received a trophy and a new pair of Sketcher pickleball shoes! I am not sure how you pack those things in carry-on luggage. Pickleball is important to our family, and luckily we have been able to keep playing it while traveling.
Henry and I took a Hike to Wat Khao Takiap, also called Monkey Temple. There were a lot of monkeys, but they were well-behaved. The views are stunning from the top.
Henry had a sleepover with friends, dungeons, and dragons, and a hip-hop dance class. I caught up on my blogs and had a night to myself. That seldom happens. I also went out for a moms’ night out. We ate Mediterranean food and went to a rooftop bar for drinks. It is rejuvenating to hang out with these wonderful moms.
The pickleball victors returned to Bangkok, and we had a group dinner welcoming new worldschool families to Hua Hin. We also found an expat grocery store and bought too much food. Zumba has become Vicki’s and my thing on Monday night. Ammo, the teacher, has great energy! It is so much fun. We are probably Thailand internet stars because people were taking videos of us while we were dancing.
Michael and Lucas played more pickleball. Michael played ping pong. Several of our worldschooling friends are picking up the sport.
We celebrated another birthday in Hua Hin. Our friends Helen and Ken hosted as we celebrated Alex, a worldschooling dad turning 65! We had pizza and cake, and there was lots of laughter.
Hua Hin is a beach town, but we haven’t been as much as we planned. There are some jellyfish, and it’s just not as appealing as some of the other beaches we have been to. On Thanksgiving, we opted for beach and banana boat riding instead of turkey. Six families hung out for most of the day. Later that evening we met up for Thai food. Kristian went against the recommendation by the chef and ordered his dish too spicy. He ate it. The chef even came out to see who ordered such a spicy dish. Thai spicy is no joke.
The boys had a sleepover on Thursday night. They did not sleep, and they were a wreck the next day. We had obligations the next day that they dragged themselves to, but they were not their best selves. We discussed making choices and then dealing with the consequences of those choices.
We said ‘See you soon’ to one of the worldschooling families we met earlier in the week. We do not like saying goodbye because it sounds so final. They are part of our tribe, so we will find a way to see them again.
Haircuts were on the agenda in Hua Hin.
That evening, the parents went to Vana Nava Sky Bar for drinks and then hung out at our apartment complex. The kids begged for another sleepover, and they promised they would sleep.
Henry had hip-hop again on Sunday. I snuck away with some other moms for a more relaxed beach day.
As our time in Hua Hin was coming to a close, we said more “See you soon” to several families we have traveled with for the last few months. These fellow world travelers are family to us. We only just met at the beginning of 2023, but it feels like we have known them for years. We will see them again somewhere in the world.
Hua Hin has been great but, after a month, we were all itching to move on. Lucas, Henry, and their friends finished their program At Elate. Last week, they participated in a glass bead workshop with Alexx Cheng, who sells glass beads to Pandora. The kids also presented their work from the month to the parents on the last day. Everyone seems to have done a project with Henry. Lucas and his friend Austin did a good job sharing their work.
We played a parents vs kids soccer game after the presentations. It was a tough match. Most of the parents played barefoot or in flip-flops. Later that evening, the parents won soccer awards, and the kids did not.
We soaked up as much time with our friends as we could. We had game nights, dinners, and hangouts. Spending time these last few months with our friends has been wonderful. We look forward to seeing them again somewhere else in the world.
