Nothing behind me, everything ahead of me, as is ever so on the road. - Jack Kerouac, On the Road

The best time of day in Bangkok is 6pm. The stifling city air feels lighter, there is just enough light in the sky, people are buzzing about and the blazoning sun has taken its nightly reprieve.

This particular Sunday evening I took myself to the coffee shop near my Laundromat, in an attempt to check two things off my growing “to-do” list. Wearing my last clean pair of underwear, and I own an embarrassing amount, I couldn’t help but think of how much my to-do list was going to grow in the subsequent days.

When everyday feels like a mid-summer night, Starbucks becomes my seasonal guide. Cranberry White Chocolate Mochas and Peppermint Mochas are filled in the green and red cardboard cups, embellished with carolers and big smiling snowmen. Oversized, decorative mistletoe line the “Christmas Blend” promotional posters, tempting those who are drawn by the festive spirit. The holiday season has arrived. Nat King Cole belts out December 25th pastimes and I am reminded of the smoky smell of winter and the heat emanating from the dark, antique living room’s marble fire place.

Two weeks.

For now I am busy beyond words and still sweating in shorts, but I will try my hardest to get my parting thoughts live before my return.

Back to thesis questions, AIDS grants and proposal editing and organizing and, of course, the kids.

But we lean forward to the next crazy venture beneath the skies. ((Kerouac))

ABA