Punching Pain and Parties

...............Ive have settled in well.

...............A lot has happened.

...............Its kinda hard to know where to begin.

Ive been on this island now almost a month and the longer I stay the more I dont want to leave, a bit like hotel california. Ive met lots of very good ex pat freinds now too, no longer just travellers who I meet for a week at most before they move on. Im freinds with two Thai familys aswell who are great fun and look after me very well. So a Thai phone and number seems to be on the cards now to make my life a little easier for me and my new freinds. (Ill keep you posted on the number)

Im always busy except in the day when I usually walk to the beach to swim, sit in my hammock with my gutair or fish. These things usualy depend on certain factors such as tides, heat and how much I may have had to drink the night before. But come 3 O'clock (except sunday) and its training, training, training at the Muay Thai Gym......Yes i did decide to go and im very happy I did. Ive been training for 3 weeks now, One trainer said just yesterday that im maybe two weeks to one month away from a pro fight!? But i would never do that................... I also work there as a promoter and MC on the fight nights which is good. We arrange two fight nights a month and there good fun to be apart of. Ive also got a kinda weird semi self employed party planner public relations thing going on with a bar. The bar is owned by...... I suppose my best freind here, Jess from London. We have had a couple of nice beach partys so far and we are looking to organize our own jungle party soon.

So...............Ive have settled in well. Im fully aclimatised, the heat doesnt get to me any more. The bugs and mice are cool, I no longer battle nature, I just compromise. (I have a great story about a mouse and me having a war but now we co exist) I have good freinds, and the boxing keeps me active and healthy, im pretty happy.

plans for the near future, well soon its Thai New Year (Songkram 13th April) and to celebrate theres music and water thrown everywhere. I will be going on holiday with my Muay Thai trainer Chin and his family with some of our freinds Farang (Westerners) and Thai. Too a town on a huge lake south of Surat Thani. Its his Daughters birthday on Songkram aswell so it should be a good party.

Long term plans, I think im gonna live here.......I am gonna live here. I love this place and im going to use it as my home from home, my base of operations. I will still be seeing the rest of Asia due to Border runs and Monsoons and even holidays but I will always be coming back here eventually. Also Im going to go Nepal during October - November to skip the rains if anyones up for it? I want to trek to Everest Base camp let me know.

Love you all

Stu

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