Sing Buri, right from the first impressions, is incredibly different from Koh Tao. First of all, the volunteer company here s far more involved with their volunteers. So here, I’m living in a community situation, with an English roommate, and eat in a “cantina” for all the volunteers. In Koh Tao, street carts and markets became my cantina and I lived alone. Also, there are about 20 volunteers working on various projects here. From elephant conservation to teaching at English summer camps and orphanage work, all aspects of volunteering are represented at the center.

This week, I will participate in a “culture” or “orientation” week where we will tour the area and learn about the culture before beginning our projects. It helps to transition into teaching to know where the students are coming from culturally. Although I have experience in Koh Tao with the Thai culture, I think that Central Thailand is going to be distinctly different from the Koh Tao version of Thai culture. I’m really excited to visit temples, cook more Thai food, and learn more Thai vocabulary. From island adventures to mountain adventures, here we go friends.