Paul's visit

Paul’s visit

Paul Eshoo and I grew up in the same town but got to know one another through our mutual friends, the Lech’s. Paul had just graduated from Berkeley when I had returned from Peace Corps. I think I persuaded him to try it as well. He was a PCV in Nepal soon after. After his return we got in touch again and I persuaded him to lead a trip with Dragons (my ex-employer) to Nepal and then introduced him to Steven Schipani who had been trying to get me to work on a UNESCO project in northern Laos. Paul has been in Laos for 11 years! His most recent job was protecting the last tiger breeding ground in Indochina.

Just last week he came, as he said it, to get his next set of instructions. It was great to see him, hear of his time and of mutual friends in still in Thailand and Laos. I hope we were a compassionate landing place for someone still coming through culture shock. I do believe that being surrounded by three young kids and the necessary accouterments was another form of culture shock. He literally jumped right in to play with them on the trampoline, stayed with a sleeping Lucy while I had to take Kai to the ER for his croup, and braved the Boulder Farmer’s market.

Reminiscing with Paul was a reminder of a very conscious decision made in my life. I could so easily have stayed in Asia. Farangs (foreigners) who speak Thai are a rare commodity and I had two dream job opportunities that I turned away from. I love Thailand and Thai culture, but knew that I would always be the foreigner if I stayed. When traveling I loved to see the various ways that people live, loved to see families and children. So I came home, tried to keep the lessons of Asia with me, and to set down roots. And here I am with three kids, wonderful husband and friends, two dogs, a mini van and a garden full of food! Watch out Paul.

Paul left our house en route to Mesa Verde and the Grand Canyon on his way back to San Francisco. Can't wait to see what happens.